6027 | corpse husband ✓

| Chapter 21 |

They sat next to each other on Corpse's couch, Love holding onto his injured hand. It was not the best bandaging she have seen, but it did its job and that was enough.

„Can you tell me about the last week or so?" she asked as she pulled her legs under her. Her thigh touched his knee, but she needed this little contact to know she wasn't dreaming. „Were you drinking because of what the doctors have said?"

„No," he shook his head but stared right ahead. It was hard to talk and look her in the eyes at the same time. His heart hurt whenever he looked at her broken eyes and dried tears. „I was in a dark space. Darker than before."

„You could have told me. I was there for you."

„I know," he fidgeted with the rings on his hands to release some stress. „But alcohol seemed easier."

Love sighed at him, and glanced at his profile. She could tell he felt guilty for shutting her out like that, but she could understand why. She did this, too, way too many times now.

„I drank for almost a week," he continued. „Then I had to go for my appointment. Got back with shitty news I didn't want to talk to anybody. I didn't want to hear their sorrow and shit. That was the first day when I didn't message you."

She had to be honest with herself, and she didn't really try to reach out to him, neither. They had that fight just the day before that, and now she could understand his mood change, mostly. Maybe if she had more patience with him, this wouldn't happen and she wouldn't be such a mess like now.

„I needed a break from everything. Including you," his words hurt her a little, but she tried to understand his reasons. „You tried to fix me so badly, but I just needed a friend. Not someone trying to make me right again."

„I'm sorry," she apologized but he just shook his head.

„Don't. Just treat me like you treat everybody else. I'm not going to break suddenly," he finally looked at her, and Love felt her heart skip a beat. She wasn't sure if she could find her voice suddenly, so she just nodded. So he continued. „That wine thingy... When I finally woke up, the day after my appointment, it was already afternoon. So I opened up a bottle of red wine."

„I always imagined you a whiskey-kind-of-guy, to be honest," she tried to lighten up the mood slightly, but she only received a half-smile from him.

„I already drank half of it, but then I spilled half a glass on myself," he gestured towards the white t-shirt that was still on his floor. „Went to pour another one, then dropped the bottle."

„You're very unlucky with wine," she murmured.

„Shut up, that was a shitty week," Corpse groaned and leaned back on the couch, their shoulders almost touching. Love turned to face him, her left hand propped on the back of the couch, supporting her head. When the adrenaline and stress finally left her body, she felt like she could sleep for a week.

„And about this?" she asked curiously, gracing a finger over the bandage.

„It's not that bad, just a little cut," he shrugged his shoulder. „Just bled a lot at the time."

They stayed silent. Corpse stare ahead, then back at his hands, fidgeting with his rings, while Love stared at his face, admiring what was in front of her. She dreamed about this so much – seeing his face, him finally trusting her enough with his secret.

Sadly, it didn't go as planned and she forced it on him, probably stressing him out more.

„I thought you wouldn't come back," he admitted, still staring anywhere but at Love. „You looked so happy in New York."