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It’s a whisper. It’s a whisper she thought had gotten lost in the afterglow of sex, with her skin still tingling and his breath still short. It’s a whisper she thought he hadn’t heard.
“What did you say?”
She can feel her stomach drop and she doesn’t dare answer, because his expression is quickly closing off and she knows he’s going to explode. He pulls away from her, as if recoiling from something unsightly, something disgusting. It hurts, more than she’ll ever let herself think about.
“What did you say?” He demands again, any inkling of his previously playful tone gone.
“Nothing.” She lies, pushing herself up. She plasters a bright smile on her face, but the fear is still ever so evident in her eyes, “C’mon, lighten up. You wanna see how much we can do before sunrise?”
“I know when you’re telling me lies, Harley girl, I’d suggest you tell me the truth.”
She swallows nervously, not at all wanting to open her mouth again. Her stupid, stupid mouth that always got her in trouble. She can’t say it again. It stings because he doesn’t want to hear them from her, he doesn’t want to know what she feels. She feels like she’s choking on all of those words, and she can’t say a single one, because none of them are what he wants to hear.
“Harley.”
“S’nothing, Puddin. No idea why you’re making all this fuss.” She tries to laugh, but it comes out as a nearly hysterical giggle.
“ I love you .” He mimics her voice, and she knows immediately that he will never mean those words.
“I didn’t say that.” She argues quickly.
“I’m touched, baby, I am.” That grin tells her that she’d better run, or she’ll be caught in his teeth in seconds.
“It’s no big deal. You know I say silly things.” She can feel her stomach twisting because it is a big deal, she does mean it.
“Love is for normal folks. We’re anything but. I think you should get all of those ideas out of your head.”
We could get married, She wants to say, We could have a family.
She doesn’t dare. She’s terrified.
“You know why?”
She does.
She flinches as he leans closer, his breath warm against her ear.
“I’ll never love you back.”