Read Online We Awaken by Calista Lynne - Free Book Online Page B

isn’t a reward, so please don’t treat it like one. It’s absolutely morbid. It’s sick. You’re throwing your life away, and it just isn’t worth it. Are you insane? You could die. Then we’d never see one another again. How idiotic could you possibly be? Pills?” Her tone gradually got louder and darker as she progressed through this speech, and by the end she was seething. I reached over to her again, but she batted my hand away.
    “I changed my mind. Don’t touch me. This isn’t an accolade, me being here. This is just me getting rid of ways you can hurt yourself and making sure you don’t do it again.”
    I heard her words but wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have. Sitting across from her offered me a fabulous view of her hair even in the dark. It was remarkably short and black with curls that stood out straight from her head. She noticed my distraction.
    “You aren’t even paying attention. Do you want to end up dead? Or like your brother?”
    There was no reason for Reeves to be brought into this. Instead of going off on that, though, I decided just to tell the truth.
    “I’m so happy you’re here. You’re real, and I’m looking at you and your hair with actual eyes.”
    She jumped off the bed.
    “No, no, no. You can’t be happy right now. I need you to regret your stupid decisions. Which way is your bathroom? I’m assuming that’s where the drugs are.”
    I just stared down at the bed instead of answering.
    “Fine. I’ll find them myself. It shouldn’t be too difficult.”
    Ashlinn walked out the door and I was alone again. No way that would last for long.
    I leapt off the bed and began pursuing her before my brain could catch up. She was in the small bathroom across the hall, her face illuminated by strips of moonlight coming through the window’s blinds. She had my small garbage bin in one hand and was calmly chucking everything that came in a bottle and wasn’t toothpaste or hair product into it. Disdain was evident on her face.
    “Please stop,” I said meekly, wrapping my arms around myself. She just glared and tossed a bottle of liquid Tylenol. “I promise not to do it again. Now that you’re actually here, I won’t need to.” My voice was hopeful, but at this comment she dropped the portable pharmacy she was assembling and turned to me angrily.
    “No. Self-destruction isn’t cute. It isn’t romantic.”
    “Oh, like you know anything about romance,” I blurted, throwing my hands into the air. “You’re freaking asexual; you probably know as much about romance as I do. I wasn’t even sure you were real up until today and now you’re teaching me about love. That’s just brilliant.”
    The second those snarky words left my lips, I instantly regretted them. Defensiveness had gotten the best of me. It was unfair to use her sexuality against her, especially considering I might share it. Still, there was no retracting my statement, and I let it hang between us.
    I’m almost tempted to say her expression was hurt, but there was too much fury to be sure.
    “Have I ever said that I can’t fall in love? That I am incapable of romance?”
    “No,” I stuttered back, ashamed.
    “You didn’t research it, did you?”
    “Actually I did, and figuring out that I’m probably asexual too really didn’t help matters. I don’t want to be alone forever. I want to be loved.”
    God, please don’t let me cry again.
    Her expression was indescribable. She was enraged to begin with, so that emotion was expounded upon, but many others were at play as well. Now there were even more mistakes on my repertoire of regret. Her eyes were going glassy, but I would almost be tempted to say she seemed… proud.
    “I’m so sorry,” I gasped out, “for everything. For the pills. My words.”
    “I figured you would be.”
    “I just really hate being alone. I was so upset, and I’m really confused right now.”
    My tears fell like the tides, and there was no stopping them as my