Nothing Can Keep Us Apart

Chapter Six: Tell Me

After we ate our food, I gathered up the trash and threw it away. April followed me, and after that I took her hand as we walked out the door. Yeah, McDonalds wasn't a very good date, but since she didn't want to take a taxi it was the best I could do. Why didn't she want to take the taxi? I didn't remember her ever being car sick when we were younger. She had rode in a car all the way to L.A for pete's sake! Maybe it had something to do with her secret. It seemed like everything in her life right now was tied into that big secret. And I was dying to know what it was.

APRIL POV

The guy in McDonalds hadn't been able to see me. I was terrified that Chris would make a big deal of it, but he hadn't really seemed to notice. I could only imagine if we went somewhere with a lot of people... What would he say when he realized that other people just walked right through me? He was the only one that couldn't. What would he say if he ever figured out that I had the ability to go through inanimate objects? Not that I would ever show him that, but still. It was kind of freaky, even to me. I leaned into him the whole way home, happy to have him back. I didn't ever want to let him go, but I had to. And I didn't know how I was ever going to do it. He meant so much to me. He was my world, my everything. If I was forced to move on, I would be devastated. We would be separated by two different worlds, and by the time I got to see him again, he wouldn't want me anymore. He probably would have fallen in love with someone else. He would have moved on. Maybe even had a kid or two. It made me want to cry, but I didn't want to start crying in front of him for no reason. He would wonder why, and then he would ask me. And I just couldn't answer that question yet.

As soon as we got back home, it was somewhere around 12 am.

"Hey does the water work here?" Chris asked.

"Um, you'll have to go to the stream with a bucket and then boil the water for a shower." I told him apologetically. He raised an eyebrow.

"You've been living like this for the past two years?" He asked. I blushed and nodded, and then he sighed.

"As soon as I get a job here and get enough money, we're moving." He promised.

"We?" I asked.

"I'm not leaving you here April." He said. I smiled at him. What wouldn't he do for me? He made me feel spoiled. I wondered what he was going to do without me. I didn't want to cause him pain, so maybe staying here in the first place was a bad idea. I had just gotten re-attached to him, and now we were both going to be hurt worse. Maybe I shouldn't tell him... I'll tell him everything but that. I considered that for a moment as Chris left the room to go get water. Then I shook my head. I think it would hurt him more if he had no idea why I was gone. This was all so frustrating. I dropped my head in my hands and began to cry. It was cowardly and childish of me to be crying over all this right now, but it was the only way to get my feelings out. Suddenly, I felt an arm slide around my shoulders and pull me into a warm chest.

"Shhh it's okay don't cry. What's wrong?" Chris asked. I looked up at him and wiped away the tears.

"N-nothing." I said.

"April, please tell me." He begged.

"Chris, I just... I promised you I would. And I will. Soon." I assured him. He sighed and kissed my forehead before he picked up the water he had apparently boiled and walked to the bathroom. I sighed and laid back on the bed. All of this was unfair. I planned on staying up and waiting for Chris to get back from his shower, but the next thing I knew I was asleep, my problems still far from being solved.

CHRIS POV

When I got out of the shower, I walked into her room to see her sleeping. She looked so peaceful. I climbed into bed beside her and draped a blanket over her. I was still far from tired, because it was supposed to be 10 pm in Virginia. I didn't usually go to sleep until 11:30 or 12. I put my arms behind my head and stared at the ceiling. If only she would tell me what she was hiding. Maybe I could help her. But something deep down told me that I couldn't help her. No one could.

****

When I woke up in the morning, April was plastered to my side and breathing slowly. I admired her face as she slept. Her forehead suddenly creased with worry, and she mumbled something in her sleep. Then she rolled over and flinched.

"No, I can't leave him. Please don't make me leave him." She whimpered. She rolled again and continued to mumble things, but I was confused. Leave? Was she talking about me? Why would she have to leave me? I wasn't going anywhere, and I had spent two years getting her back. I didn't think she was about to leave anytime soon. But she had sounded like someone was forcing her to leave. Who would force her? Her parents? I hadn't seen them around, so I wasn't sure. And she was eighteen now, they couldn't force her to do anything. I nudged her lightly to wake her up, and she groaned as her eyes opened.

"Chris?" She asked in a confused voice. She looked puzzled at the look I was giving her.

"April, what were you dreaming about?" I asked slowly. She paled.

"I was- nothing." She said quickly, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you ask that?" She said, clutching the sheets with worry.

"You said someone was forcing you to leave me. Who was it?" I asked.

"Chris I-"

"April. No more messing around. Tell me."