Give Me Peace

by M.K. Harper

When she pressed her tear-stained face against my neck, everything shifted. That gaping hole inside of me felt a little smaller. Her tiny hands gripped my shirt like a lifeline, and I knew there and then, no matter what it takes, I’ll make her forgive me. I’ll fix the pieces I broke, because there won’t be a day between now and the one I die that’s spent without her. Her and I, we’re tethered for life, whether she realizes it or not.

“If you decide you want more, then you need to be the one to take the risk on us. I’m already sure, but that doesn’t mean you have to be. Our pages will align at some point, and the story will make a lot more sense, but until then, read at your own pace.”

“Good. Don’t take any shit, sweetheart. Those boys could do with being dropped down a peg or two.” It's evident he's smiling. “Men. We’re men, old man,” Kash snaps petulantly. “I took my vitamin gummies. I ate the nasty broccoli. These are man muscles, damnit.”

As I’ve come to learn, loving someone makes you vulnerable in a way that nothing else can.

“What I need, is you. The when and where are inconsequential, as long you’re present.”