All That's Left in the World

by Erik J. Brown

He freezes and I nudge forward, trying to tell him it’s OK and he can kiss back because I want him to kiss back. He finally does, his mouth opening to mine, and he lets out a held breath through his nose. Then he pulls away. ‘You kissed me,’ he says, as if I didn’t know what I was doing. ‘I did.’

‘Opiates.’ ‘Fantastic.’ I hold out my hands. ‘Give me four.’ ‘Four?’ ‘I got shot, Andrew!’