Luna and the Lie

by Mariana Zapata

“How many times I gotta tell you that you’re not a bother?” I held my breath. He made sure to look me right in the eye. “You need me, you call me. Any time. Any day. It’s that easy.” Why did that make me uncomfortable? “You don’t gotta do everything alone.” “I’ve never wanted to, Rip.”

And he told me carefully, too carefully, “Two fucking weeks and I want it back. You gave me these pieces of you I know you haven’t given to anybody else, and they’re mine. You can’t take ’em back. I need them more than you do, you hear me?”