Page 204 of Haunt Me

She smiles, looks down. “Let’s not make too big of a deal out of this.”

“Itisthe biggest deal, but yeah.” I shrug. “I don’t care either way.”

She hides her face in her hands and laughs until her forehead, the only part of her that’s visible, glows pink.

I lean in and I don’t kiss her.

Yet.

I close my eyes and breathe in this moment, this girl, this miracle.Don’t screw it up don’t screw it up don’t screw it up don’t scr—

“What are you thinking that’s making you not breathe, Isaiah?” Eden’s voice breaks through my panicked thoughts. Waking me from the daydream.Sheis the daydream. Did she just agree to date me? No, that can’t be right.

“I can’t control myself around you,” I murmur. “Never could.”

“But that thing where you close your eyes and don’t breathe… What is that?”

“That is me not kissing you,” I reply.

“Why?”

“Didn’t I just say? If I start, I’ll never stop. And I want to do something else first,” I reply.

“What else?”

“Date you,” I repeat, in case I dreamed up the whole thing. She looks at me blankly. Ok, so I might need to explain further. “I’m making you dinner and we’re going to watch a movie. After we get rid of the Christmas elves,” I add. “Just us two.”

Eden just keeps staring at me, her mouth forming words she doesn’t say.

“Ok?” I ask.

“Have you ever dated anyone before?”

Ah, so that’s what she’s been thinking. I drop down to my haunches in front of her, until we’re face to face. The fire is crackling in the fireplace behind us, turning her hair into liquid gold.

“Yeah,” I reply, and something flashes in her eyes. I don’t dare hope it’s jealousy or annoyance. But it could be.It could be.“You.” She smiles, slowly. “No one else. Have you dated anyone else?”

She just laughs instead of any answer. It’s not funny to me: She could have dated anyone she wanted to during the years that separated us.

“Ok,” she replies.

“Ok,” I say.

Eden’s Poetry

THE BUTTERFLY IS THE DEAD SAYING HELLO

BY EDEN ELLIOT

They say a butterfly is the dead

Saying hello

They say the butterfly is the dead

Visiting the living

I saw a butterfly the other day

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