The 20 Dates Challenge

Twenty-Nine - Let's Go

Let’s Go

Alex walks in through the front door. I’m out of my seat the second I see him. I take his hand and lead him to my room. I shut the door and pull him into my arms. He cries into my shoulder and I stroke his back and hair.

When he settles down, I lead him over to the bed. I sit and lean against the wall and he lies with his head in my lap. His eyes are puffy and his face is blotchy. His hair sticks up in all directions. I smooth it back. He stares blankly up at my ceiling.

‘Sav,’ he whispers.

I look down at him.

‘You said if I was positive,’ he doesn’t finish.

‘I said it might help,’ I say.

‘It didn’t,’ tears fall down his cheeks again.

I shake my head. Tears fill my own eyes and slip down my cheeks. I stroke his hair, pulling it away from his face. He quickly sits up and takes both my hands in his and kisses me hard. He lets go of my hands and digs his fingers into my hair. I hold the front of his shirt as tight as I can.

He pulls back slowly and stares at me. Then he kisses me very slowly. His tongue brushes my bottom lip. He takes a hand from my hair and slips it around my waist. He falls back onto the bed, pulling me on top of him.

I look down at him.

‘Why does death happen?’ he asks me.

I sit up, pulling him up with me.

‘I don’t know, baby,’ I whisper.

He kisses me softly.

‘The skin graft went wrong,’ he whispers.

I push his hair back again.

‘Where’s Connie?’ he asks.

‘At a friend’s house. She doesn’t know yet. But Mum left to pick her up the second your mum called.’

‘I can’t believe he’s gone,’ Alex leans into my shoulder again.

Sobs shake his body. I don’t know what to do. I just rub his back. When he stops crying, he leans back and stares at me again.

‘Wanna go for a drive?’ he asks.

‘Let’s go.’

He takes my hand and we run out to his car.

The music is up as loud as it can go. The setting sun has turned the deserted beach into a pink paradise. I’m wrapped in a big beach towel that Alex keeps in the back of his car. Alex is out with his board on the water. There aren’t many waves. He is just sitting on his board and staring at the horizon.

I watch him. Every now and then, it looks as if he’s talking. But he’s too far out and I can’t hear anything over the music. Salt glistens in his hair and on his skin. My heart in my chest is beating fast as I watch him. How could something so terrible happen to someone so amazing? How could death touch the life of someone so alive and bring his world to an end?