If You Don't Love Me We Both Die

by C.M. Stunich

But nobody talks for a while because they’re all thinking the same thing: there is no way that Lake is going to pull this off. Lakelynn Frost is going to die.

friend-zones. Just another dumb word for I like this person, but if they don’t want to fuck me then I’m being punished, wah.

“What book are you reading? I just finished that one where the girl sleeps with ghosts. It was trending on BookTok last week.” “He mentioned BookTok,” Joules says blandly, looking back over at me. “I really do hate him, Lake.”

Pittock Mansion;

“I know that it came out wrong, me wanting you. I had a bad day, and I took that out on you because I’m terrified that you’re going to turn on me, and that you’re not going to be real. I want you to be real so fucking badly.”

“If it weren’t for the curse, I would have made you wait another week. Maybe three. No, a whole month.” “I would’ve waited,”

“Jacob isn’t speaking to me in a non-professional capacity any longer,” Tam states, slouching back against the door in a way that I think is inherent and well-trained. He doesn’t even know he’s posing, but he does it anyway. Because he’s always being filmed. At restaurants. On the street. In the airport. Every moment is a performance. “He only calls me Mr. Eyre and phrases things like a duke from the sixteenth century. Would his lordship prefer the carriage be brought ‘round, Mr. Eyre? Things like that.”

Jacob sees me and nearly has a heart attack. “Mr. Eyre, care to explain to me how you’ve found yourself in such a state?” “Stop talking like that,” I groan,

“Don’t forget: my mom knows all the gory details.” She sits back in her chair and continues to eat her cake while I sit there with the knowledge that her mom knows I told her cursed virgin daughter to suck my dick. Wonderful.

“I’ll be working directly with Tam, as one of his assistants,” Lake says, and Joules starts laughing. “Are you fucking kidding me? Get outside, Tam Eyre. I’m going to punch you again. Instead of asking my sister to be your girlfriend, you ask her to be your assistant?” It did not occur to me like that. It didn’t. Fuck.

My brother appears skeptical, giving me another once-over and a shake of his head. “God, you’re so dick-drunk right now, I can’t even talk to you.”

“Thanks for losing your ex-girlfriend to me,” I tell him, and Kaycee elbows me. “Joules Frost,” she warns, but Tam just smirks back at me, tucking his free hand into his jeans pocket. “Still fucking your sister,” he replies, and Lake punches him in the bicep. What a pair of couples we must make.

We stand there, in front of the big curtain, staring at each other. Tam is breathing hard, his mic in front of his parted lips. “If at any point you want me, just come out on the stage and grab me. I’ll leave with you. We’ll do whatever you want, go wherever you want.”