WOUNDED

CHAPTER 62

KACELY
Song: Broken glass - Sia (pls listen, it rhymes perfectly with the chapter)

Az and I sit on the bed just hugging each other, with her arms under mine and her head on my chest while my arms are wrapped around her slender back. She takes in a deep breath and holds me tighter, till there's no space at all between us. We just sit here, in silence till the sun and the moon trade places.

Her phone rings, attracting both our attentions.

"It's your grandfather." I whisper and she doesn't move.

"I don't want to talk to anyone Zacchy. I just want to be here with you." She says in a hoarse voice.

"Me too babe." I say and switch both our phones to airplane mode.

We shift our bodies downwards on the bed, her head still against my chest and our legs intertwined with each other.

Moments later her stomach makes the most awful sound and both of us giggle.

"When was the last time you ate?" I ask her.

"The day I went to the supermar... The day I bumped into... Three days ago"

"Three... Three days?"

"Yes..." She answers and I look down at her. It's my fault she hasn't been eating and I feel absolutely horrible about it. "I'll go get you something to eat." I say and try to move.

"No no." She denies and holds me more closely.

"There's a canteen just downstairs right? I won't be long."

"OK but just ten more minutes. Please..." She says.

"OK..." I cover us both with a blanket and run my fingers up and down her arm.

I don't cry easily, it's always just been the way I am even when I was a kid. The last time I cried was when Afi had malaria back home in Ghana and it was so serious that we all thought she was going to die. That was two years ago. But then again, what Az told me earlier today... I can not even believe that after all that, she could still be as tough as she has been. If it were me... I don't even want to imagine.

"Zacchy..." She interrupts my racing mind.

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything..."

"Promise to answer it most honestly."

"I promise." I say without hesitation

"Do you... Do you look at me the same? Are you more or less disgusted in me now? Do you see me as some prematurely damaged girl? A miserable human worth pity? Someone who needs help?" She asks playing with my neckline.

"You said a question and that's at least five." I point out and we giggle.

"Can you just answer them... please?"

"I will." I sigh "First off, I obviously don't look at you the same."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It doesn't need a classification Az. I don't look at you the same because I understand you more now. So much more... I now see you as a courageous person, an extremely strong girl who has been through unthinkable, unsayable things yet is still so.... put together, so... strong. Who is still fighting.

I'm also not disgusted in you, not anymore... Your actions now make so much sense to me. Granted they weren't right, but honestly anyone who went through what you did would act like you or maybe even worse, at least I know I would. All I see now is strength and beauty and all I feel now is admiration and understanding and high esteem for you and..."