“Why are you smiling so much today?” “You have to believe me.” “I’m going to take care of you, okay?”
“Why are you smiling so much today?”
Brent tries not to smile even more as he picks up a cigarette and lights it. “Why don’t you go ask Rae?” he offers before taking a drag.
“You have to believe me.”
Brent presses his eyes shut, as if that would stop him from hearing her voice plead with him. He shakes his head vigorously, reminding himself again that she isn’t real. Almost mechanically, he picks up his sword, and immediately feels a wave of nausea wash over him. “I’m done talking,” he says gruffly, “let’s just fight,” It almost sounds like he meant it.
"I’m going to take care of you, okay?”
He wishes it weren’t a lie to say he’s okay. But as he lays there with his head in Hazel’s lap, the memories looping over and over again, he can’t even pretend to feel strong. He doesn’t know if Hazel is dealing with the same thing, but she somehow seems okay enough to comfort him. Another stab of guilt arrives with the thought that he should try to do the same as her. And yet all he’s been able to do lately is sit around in dazed wonderment, barely able to hold a conversation. “Okay,” he finally says, relenting.
