“I’ll take your bad days with your good, walk through the storm, I would. I do it all because I love you”—Unconditionally by Katy Perry
Colin
“Colin always called dibs on the front seat, forgetting that both of our parents would be in the car. He would get so mad and then refuse to get a milkshake from McDonalds by the end of the day.”
Eira is laughing. I don’t think she ever stopped laughing even once since we’ve walked into The Retro Diner.
Neither has Lily.
And as it turns out, Lily loves listening to my sister telling her all about my embarrassing stories.
“When we’d be back home, he would throw a tantrum, crying and throwing pillows, breaking anything only because he didn’t get a milkshake. You know, the very one he refused to get because he was mad for not sitting in the front seat.”
Lily continues to laugh with such delight, I somehow wish Eira wasn’t here. I want to keep Lily’s laughter for myself, and I want to be the reason she’s laughing. At least I get to hear it.
“You okay, enana?” I ask when Eira starts to cough from drinking her milkshake way too fast. I’m pretty sure she’s not even supposed to drink it. But hell, how could anyone say no to her?
Eira nods. “I’m a bit tired.”
“I’m sure you are. We’ll take you home after this, or do you want to leave now?”
“No thank you. I’d rather spend more time with you and your fake girlfriend.”
Lily gasps but doesn’t speak. I feel her eyes on me, most definitely waiting for me to say something.
Before speaking, I take Lily’s hand in mine, laying them both down on one of my thighs. “She’s not my fake girlfriend. Lily and I are a real couple. She doesn’t know it yet, doesn’t want to accept it yet, but we are.” My eyes find Lily’s. Her cheeks are slightly darker, having a bit of a blush going on there. “Wouldn’t you agree, mi sol?”
Lily rolls her eyes, but she can’t hide that slim smile of hers. I know she wouldn’t admit to it, but if she wasn’t so keen on dying in three days, we would totally have put a label on us by now.
Eira winks, her whole face shining brighter than the sun. “You’re certainly sure about it.” She only says that because of the nickname. “So when you lied to me, you weren’t lying?”
“Lily has been mine from the second we met. There were no lies in me telling you she’s my girlfriend.”
Eira shrieks excitedly. “Yeah, ‘mi sol’ doesn’t sound like something not serious.”
I swear, Eira is planning my death as well. Lily has been doing so right from the start, and now Eira is giving her even more fuel.
“Can someone please tell me what that means?” Lily’s forehead creases and a groan slips from her throat.
“My sun,” Eira translates for me. To my luck, she doesn’t tell her the meaning.
The meaning being connected to Aiden. To twenty years old Aiden, only one month before he died.
“If you ever find someone that makes you want to rip your heart out and hand it to that person on a silver platter. If you ever find someone that warms not only your bed but also your heart and soul…hold onto them forever. They’re your sun. They’re what’s bringing light into your life. If they can ease your pain with just being there, lighten your mood, brighten up your days by simply being in your life. Colin, Eira, el o ella es tu sol.”—he or she is your sun.
“La amas, ¿verdad?” Eira asks, clearly aiming her question at me since Lily doesn’t speak one bit Spanish.
I exhale deeply, feeling terribly sorry for Lily because she probably feels completely left out since she doesn’t understand a thing. I’m glad she doesn’t though. If she did, this would get embarrassing for me.
“Mhm,” I hum as a quick response. Eira’s smile widens. “Now, could we quit the Spanish? I don’t want Lily thinking we’re talking about her.” But we are…in some ways.
“You know, I can repeat it in English if you’d like?” Eira cocks a brow at me, grinning. Mischievous, that’s what she is.
“Drink your milkshake or I’ll do it.”
Eira grabs her glass in a matter of seconds, shaking her head at me. “You refused to get one. Get yourself a brand new one and don’t come for mine.”
I could let her have it that way, order myself a milkshake—which I most definitely wouldn’t finish because I just don’t like them that much anymore—or I could steal my sister’s.
Instead of stealing my sister’s milkshake, I go with Lily’s. Personally, I always preferred strawberry milkshake to chocolate milkshake anyway. It is only convenient for me to steal hers instead.
Unlike my sister, Lily doesn’t complain, much to my displeasure. I kind of like it when she acts all feisty, probably because anything is better than seeing her sad. Not that she’s sad right in this moment. Lily looks happy…but I know she is pretty good at faking it.
Eira yawns, which tells me that it is about time that we leave. She certainly needs the rest.
But Eira wouldn’t be Eira if she didn’t try to find anything to speak against her tiredness.
“I swear, Colin, it’s not even that bad. Just thirty more minutes, then you can take me home.”
I hate to say no to her, especially these days, but I’m also aware that she needs to get the rest her body clearly requests. “Fifteen,” I offer.
“Bien. Quince minutos.”
Eira doesn’t fight for another fifteen minutes once the time is over. I don’t think I could have said no.
So once those fifteen minutes pass, I go to pay for the drinks and fries my sister so desperately wanted, and we leave.
-♡–
“Okay, you took me skating today, what are we doing tomorrow?” Lily asks just when I walk into my bedroom. She’s lying on my bed, reading a book. She doesn’t even look up when she speaks.
“Are you cold?” I voice instead of answering her question. Truth is, I have absolutely nothing planned for tomorrow. Tomorrow is day nine, the last day I get with her before I’ll find out if she wants to live or if she’s going to stick to her plan. Well, I doubt I’ll find out tomorrow, probably Friday morning only, which would be in two days.
“No, why?”
“You’re wearing a skirt and a baggy sweatshirt.”
Her eyes meet mine as she lowers her book. “It’s called fashion, look it up.”
“You know what I’d rather do?” I walk over to the bed. Without waiting for an answer, I crawl onto the bed, making my way up until I reach Lily’s legs.
In order to watch me, Lily spreads her legs, offering me a view I normally would enjoy if I didn’t have other plans.
“What are you doing?” I can hear her ask when I spread her legs a little farther apart and lie down. A gasp that turns into a soft chuckle draws out of her throat when I lift her sweatshirt enough for my head to fit underneath. “Colin?”
Once my head is under her shirt, my head lies on her stomach, pressing my ear to it. “What does it look like I’m doing?” I wrap my arms around her hips, which must be a bit uncomfortable for her to lie on, but that’s not my problem.
“You’re so weird.” She laughs, her hands tracing over my head that’s covered with her sweatshirt. Then she shrieks, laughing just a tiny bit more. “Did you just lick my stomach?”
“Yeah. I had to make sure you still taste like mine.”
I remove my arms from underneath her, realizing it’s even uncomfortable for me. So instead I rest them right under her breasts, just above my head.
“Taste like yours?” She lays her book aside, at least that’s what it sounds like she’s doing. “How does that even make sense?”
I don’t provide her with an answer, instead I hope to distract her with planting some kisses along her stomach and ribs.
“Colin,” she speaks breathy. Her back arching the lower I kiss. The second I reach the hem of her skirt, I stop and lift her shirt up, crawling out from underneath it.
She giggles. “You’re crazy.”
“Crazy about you, mi sol.”
She freezes as I crawl up her body until our eyes meet. I can feel her hot breath rolling over my skin. Our lips almost so close together, I can taste her on my tongue.
“Colin,” she sighs. “You’re not supposed to say things like that, let alone feel that way about me.”
