Mad Love

by Willow Aster

Caleb is awake and I smile down at him. He stares at me intensely before smiling back and I laugh in surprise. Every single time I look at him, I get this weird ache in my chest.

“I’m not good at asking for help.”

me either, girl. me either

They all start talking at once. And a bunch of huge football players sliding into baby talk is fucking hysterical.

And Cassidy is twelve and from what Henley says, she’s the typical oldest child. She wants everything to be in order and can’t stand it when it’s not.

same.

I don’t know her well at all, but I want to take care of her. I want to protect her from pain and to be someone she can turn to. I want to trust her and for her to trust me in return.

“Because you’re a rare kind of beautiful, Sadie,” he says. “I’ve never seen eyes like yours, violet and luminous and haunting. Your mouth is what supermodels pay their plastic surgeons to have.” He looks me over and my entire body starts thrumming. “But then you’re also smart, kind, unassuming…and you love with your whole heart. Any guy would be crazy not to hold onto you with everything he had.”

She’s the first person I want to tell anything, and the last voice I want to hear every night. I feel like part of me is missing whenever we’re apart. She’s my best friend, and I’m madly in love with her.

“You look hot as hell in my jersey, Chapman.”