A Breath of Fresh Air - e.w.

30

Hey, y'all! I'm super busy tomorrow and don't have much time so I'm posting my chapter today:)

Enjoy!

________

Marley was a weird topic for Lia. It wasn't because she disliked the girl. Lia found that the girl was sweet and made Leo happy, which is all Lia cared about. Although, she did have this weird feeling in her stomach around Marley. It only started after the party.

Lia doesn't blame Marley for Sadie's death. She doesn't blame Marley for her and Leo's fight. But she does know, that if Marley didn't try to help Lia that night, Sadie would still be here. They wouldn't have snuck out and wouldn't have ran into infected.

So, now, being around Marley left a weird feeling in Lia.

She was never close to the girl. Leo and Marley sort of kept their relationship separate from Lia and Leo's relationship. Ellie and Lia sort of did the same. Both the twins grew up with a different thinking of love. They both never experienced parental love and never thought they would get to experience romantic love, either. The thought of romantic love was still strange to the twins, even if they both now had it. It wasn't something they felt comfortable showing to the other because it was something that neither of them thought they deserved. It was all they were taught growing up - they lived through some of their worst experiences with the other.

Even after being in Jackson for four years now, both twins still could hear the Haros in the back of their minds. Could still hear the voices that always told the twins that they would never be on the same level. Always reminded them their differences. The thing that could divide the inseparable twins: One was male and one was female. One was meant to lead while the other was meant to follow.

Both still fight the voices in the back of their head. Still trying to tell themselves that they were deserving of the love they were given. That they could be more than what they were taught to think.

There was another thing that divided the twins. Something that always separated them a bit - Leo grew up with the only person he wanted to protect was Lia. Lia grew up with Andy - always wanting to protect Leo and her.

Lia never anticipated Andy. And, well she did love the girl, they never got the chance to experience loving each other in a romantic way. They were just too young and weren't in the right environment.

But, with Ellie, this is the first time Lia's experienced it. The act of loving someone without fear and just being able to be normal with them - it was almost like she was in a constant feverdream. There were still times where Ellie could spot Lia from across the room, give her a smile that Lia knew was just for her, and Lia still couldn't believe it. She told Ellie that she was confused when Ellie would be surprised that someone liked her, but Ellie had to remind the girl that Lia shouldn't be surprised that Ellie likes her.

Lia once loved the sun. Loved it very much. But now she found Ellie and she couldn't help but love the moon. Even in the dark, the moon was bright. Even when the star couldn't light up the sky, and when the moon was dark, the star brought light to the sky.

The sun and the moon were polar opposites but were also one in the same. But the moon was the one who got to be with the stars every night.

Even with things feeling normal for the couple, their relationship wasn't always without fear. The only fear Lia had with this relationship was the possible end. You never know when good things are going to end. In this world especially. There is sickness, violence and cruelty. And, if you're like Jesse and Dina, sometimes things just end because they aren't right anymore.

All options scare Lia. She's lived in a world where she didn't have Ellie. But the thing is, Lia didn't want to do that again. And, the more time they're together, the bigger this fear gets. She doesn't want to lose Ellie in any form.