Page 96 of Molt

“I know.” My voice breaks.

Lenora’s crying.

So am I.

“I thought you were killing me.”

“I was.”

“No.” I look at her. “We were killing each other.”

Silence.

The words settle between us.

Not a romance. Not a curse. A cycle of love becoming terror every time.

“We hurt each other,” Lenora whispers.

“Yes.”

“We tried to save each other.”

“Yes.”

“And then…”

“We got desperate.”

She wipes tears from her face. “You locked me up.”

“Yes.”

“I tried to kill myself.”

“Yes.”

“I killed you.”

“Yes.”

“You killed me.”

“Yes.”

Her shoulders shake. “Why did we keep coming back?”

I laugh. Broken and ugly.

“Because apparently we’re fucking idiots.”

She almost laughs. Instead…it turns into a sob.

I can’t stand it anymore.

I cross the room.

She doesn’t move away this time.