spoken word. (gxg)

thirty-one.

thirty-one.

This time, June had fallen asleep with me. I curled up beside her, her arm draped over me, and the rhythm of her breathing lulled me into a dreamless slumber.

When I woke up, I noticed how close our faces were. Her eyelashes, light as her hair, almost sparkled in the sunlight against her pale freckled face. It was so perfect, so utterly stunning, that I felt my throat close up. I used my fingertips to trace her lips lightly, marveling at the contrast between our skin color.

When her eyes flickered open, my hand jolted back.

"You didn't have to stop," she mumbled, drawing my eyes to her lips. I swallowed, unable to tear my gaze away. Except now, unlike before, I had the excuse to kiss her. So I did, gently.

When I pulled back, she caught my head with her arm and pulled me in for another kiss, slow and sweet. It was odd how, though I was hit with the constant urge to do something, like an obsessive compulsion, all time seemed to cease when I kissed June Willow. If some magic witch were to zap us into a time warp, where our position was preserved for all of eternity, I would be content.

In fact, I welcomed it. I could kiss her forever. Well, I also enjoyed talking to her, so maybe that too. I could compromise.

When my habit of asking weird questions at completely the wrong time crept up on me, I forced it back down. Bad Mia; you're having a nice time with your... girlfriend, you don't need to ask anything about Alpha or that weird man.

But really, what was June's relationship with Alpha? Why did he hate her so badly as to kidnap me?

"What?" June pulled back, eyes turning serious. Shit, had I said that out loud?

"Uh," I stuttered. Just go with it, Mia. "Like, why does he hate you?" June visibly hardened. I was expecting silence, so the words that filled the air in her clear, bell-like pitch surprised me.

"He was the pit boss back when Tyler and I fought regularly. I screwed him over when I left by tipping off the cops, and he got arrested. I didn't realize he was already out of prison."

"He hates you because of that?" June shrugged.

"No one likes a snitch; I would have done the same thing." The way she said it, matter of fact and tinged with the drawl of her past, made me wonder if that was how she survived back then. 'Snitches get ditches' was a phrase I had heard many times before but never really paid attention to.

"Kidnap their girlfriend and use her as a prize?" It seemed a bit unrealistic.

"I know it's hard to understand for you, but things operate differently in the ring. Rules are... different." It was something I could never hope to understand, the culture of criminal activity.

"Why did you start fighting? Money?" June sighed.

"Tyler only got, say three-hundred dollars a bout. A woman in the ring, though-- I could make five-hundred, win or lose. Sometimes even a thousand. Paid the rent before mom met my dad."

I knew she was talking about her stepdad, not her real father, but the mention of him made me think of Henry-- Asshole-- and I shivered. He was such a creep-- why did Jean even get with him in the first place? June gave me a questioning look that I ignored.

"Why'd you quit?" I wanted to know. She smiled at me, eyes softening.

"Wanted to end the family curse," she told me, simply. I had no idea what she meant, but the way she was looking at me made my head swim and disrupted all of my thoughts.