The Canary Cowards

by Jescie Hall

“I’m not a coward anymore, Dylan,”

“Colin helped me conquer that. I came here today, leaving all the broken pieces of my heart on the table, ready and willing for you to crumble them into dust if you needed to.”

“See, I’m not afraid of the potential heartbreak. That doesn’t scare me anymore. What I’m afraid of now is not ...

“I haven’t been the same wi...

“I think about you and about Colin...endlessly. I told myself even if she doesn’t want you back for breaking her heart, I’d at least try to be friends. To be anything, just...

“Tell me I can love you the way I need to in order to breathe,” he whispers his demands like he does. “Tell me you’ll let me back in.”

“I love you, Dylan,” he says with a heavy sigh, his pained eyes trained on mine. “Tell me I’m lucky enough for you to love me back.”

Sidelines are for the weak, and if there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that we don’t do weak here.

“I’ll love you every lap, Lake. When we’re in the lead at the peak of our race, and when we crash into the fence, burning into nothing but shattered pieces and flames. I’ll love you through it all because you’ve always been part of my team. Our team.”

“Tell me I can kiss you,” he whispers, inches from my lips. “Please, Dylan, for the love of God, tell me I can—” I stop his words, pulling him into my lips by the shirt on his chest.

Chill, bitch.

“Thank you,” she whispers, gazing at my lips, then back at my eyes. “For being everything I’ve ever wanted and needed. For being everything I never thought existed.”

“And thank you for showing me that a life without her isn’t an ending. Only a beginning.”

“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” I practically groan, pressing my body against hers. Like gas to a flame, the fire between us takes off.

“Tell me you’ll marry me.”

I thought Colin was the best big brother, but it turns out he’s an even better uncle.

“I’m here to meet my brother!”