KISSED BY AMNESIA

THE COLLAPSE

Now they sat with her knees between his legs, with his elbows against his upper thighs and his back hunched forward, bringing their faces close together.

"Now you see where I live. Shitty place, isn't it? Not like your princess castle."

She shook her head.

"What do you think?"

She shrugged.

"Do you still like me?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

She looked up at him, her beautiful eyes pouring into his. "Because you like me."

He pursed his lips and nodded.

Silence.

She wondered what he thought of her answer, but was afraid to ask. Afraid of his answer.

He grabbed his cigarette box from the table and laid back against the couch, putting a gloomy measure of cold space between the two of them. He lit one and began smoking it.

He didn't look at her. His eyes slowly roamed the room. When they finally settled on Camila, a strange moment passed in-between them.

He leaned forward.

And extended his hand toward her. By habit, she flinched.

He smirked and nudged his head toward the cigarette in between his thumb and forefinger. "Try it."

With great hesitation, she shook her head. And there she goes again, the feeling of being a boring person, a person not worth being with him, taking over all the confidence that she mustered around him.

Why is he even still with me?

"Why?" He asked.

"Its bad for your health."

His nose scrunched in disgust. "You're a fucking wimp, you know that?" He picked up his pain-free leg and pushed her by the chest.

"Ow." Her voice wasn't there. She winced in pain, but he didn't feel the pain she felt. He never did.

He took ahold of her shirt and pulled her close, "Are you scared of a damn cigarette."

She kept quiet.

"Yeah?"

Without noticing, his hand snuck under the table, where her bare leg was, and mercilessly, he pressed the lit end of the cigarette against her skin.

"OW!" Her cry of pain was a lot louder this time. "Stop."

She pushed his hand away.

And he, like before, laid back against the couch.

Watching her.

Her tears.

And shaking his head.

"See that pain, that's the worst thing a cigarette can do for you. Here." He extended the cigarette to her again.

She stood to her feet. "I think I should go home now."

He shrugged. "Go ahead." He went back to smoking his cigarette like she didn't matter. Like she never did.

She clenched her teeth and dropped her eyes to the floor, feeling humiliated.

A bag of frozen peas was thrown by the foot of the couch. When she picked it up and bent down to put it on his hurting leg, his hand went up to her face and caressed her cheek. "I'm sorry."