| published! under the new title MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE | Eden knows she can't love Truman, the boy with the angelic smile and devilish eyes. Why? He's her best friend Katie's older brother, who she strictly promised she'd stay away from.
But when a...
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E D E N
There were nightmares I had every night.
It was nighttime, and I was standing in the middle of the road. The moon was shining right on me, like a spotlight. A car drove by and Katie was in it, sticking her head through the sunroof. She was laughing, smiling, holding her arms above her head. The moon would always shift in the sky to highlight her instead.
I tried to move, to find a way to get to her, pull her from the car before . . . I was always frozen. My feet like lead, anchored to the asphalt. I was forced to stand there, watching as another car sped around the corner. It was like lightening when the two collided. I sank to my knees, every time, and watched Katie fly through the air. She always loved the sky, and now she was heading towards it was what I thought.
I woke up that morning, covered in sweat. Just a dream, I told myself as I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. I was still getting used to the quiet, all the empty space. The cardboard boxes that filled my apartment were gone now. Ramona officially moved out. I was alone.
It was funny because, secretly, I couldn't wait for her to leave. And then the door shut, and the space was too quiet. Then I realized that I wished she'd stayed.
The kettle began to whistle. I filled the mug to the very fullest and carried it with me to the couch. I checked my phone—I always checked my phone—and there was nothing to see. I think part of me expected a text from Katie, or even Ramona. I stopped expecting to see Truman's name. We hadn't spoken since that night at the elevator a week ago.
I said I had nightmares. Plural. The first one was of Katie's accident. The second was of Truman, the look in his eyes when the elevator doors closed. It was the same look he had the night we stood in Katie's hospital room. Like he had just lost someone.
Wrapping a blanket around my shoulders, I told myself I didn't need him. It was better without him. Easier, too. But I still got dressed. I still grabbed my keys, got on the subway and went to the warehouse. I knocked on the door, pounded on it until my knuckles were red. It never opened. I wanted to go inside and see Truman's small piece of the sky. But not today. Defeated, I walked to the hospital. I always seemed to end up at the hospital.
I froze outside Katie's room. There was already someone in there, his wheelchair beside her bed. I felt my nails dig into my palm when I saw his hand in hers.
I stepped inside. "What are you doing here?"
James turned his chair around. His eyes were red, dark curls falling over his forehead. "Eden. Hey. I came to visit. Katie's dad said it was okay."
