Pieces of Us (SatoGou)

Chapter 17

I must fall asleep at some point, because I wake and peer out of the covers to see it's pitch black outside, the stars lighting up the sky. Dawn must have come in at some point, because Pikachu is sleeping at the end of the bed, curled into a ball. I check my phone for the time, but my eyes flick straight to the text notification from Goh.

Wanna get a drink? Found a nice bar.

It's from four hours ago. I close the phone again and press my face into my pillow hard, until it starts to hurt. I don't want to do the same thing he did to me, but how can I be friends with him when this is how he makes me feel? I feel like something is inside me, eating me alive, sucking the life out of my soul.

Then I remember there was also a text from Dawn. I reopen the phone, swiping away the notification from Goh before I have a chance to read it again.

Are you okay? Marnie said you cancelled on her.

I'm coming with Pikachu. Please be dressed.

Text me when you wake up. I hope you're okay.

It's one in the morning, but I still text her back: I'm awake. I'm fine.

I tuck the phone under my pillow and stare out the glass wall. Well, at least tomorrow I'll be back to my old routine, and that might distract me enough to feel okay.

I had thought I was fine, but a sudden wave of tears catches me off guard, and I feel pathetic as I cry into the pillow quietly, trying not to wake Pikachu. I can't move, or breathe, or even think. Even when I hear the door to my room click open slowly, I can't bring myself to look up. I'm frozen to the spot, the tears streaming. Someone pads along the marble floor and I feel the bed dip as they get in beside me.

I smell Dawn's perfume as she curls up behind me, wrapping her arms around me and holding me to her chest, not saying a word. Her presence grounds me a little, but I still cry, and she still doesn't speak. At least, I think, I still have her through all of this. I feel her forehead press against the top of my back, and she squeezes me tighter, reminding me she's there.

– – – –

The sound of my door opening wakes me up. Dawn is still curled up around me. Some of her hair is covering my face. I flick it off and look up to see Goh standing in the doorway, watching us. Dawn doesn't seem to have woken up.

"Sorry," he says, turning away, embarrassed. "I did knock, but no one answered."

I scoot away from Dawn, who starts to wake, mumbling something groggily. I can;t even begin to come up with an excuse as to why Dawn spooned me to sleep. I should be the one embarrassed. It's very embarrassing. She pushes the hair from her face and starts to sit up.

"Good morning," she says, stretching her arms. She doesn't seem to give a shit that Goh just walked in on us sleeping in the same bed. I know he won't think anything weird is going on, but he probably knows something's up, because just a few nights ago Dawn and I had argued about not wanting to sleep in the same bed.

"Uh, good morning," he says back. "Your flight is in two hours."

I curse and throw the covers off, then remember I'm still wearing the clothes I went on the Galar Hurricane in. Mercifully, Goh chooses not to say anything. Dawn's in her pyjamas, but isn't hurrying to get up, because her flight isn't until later.

"Get up," I say to her, not acknowledging what happened last night. I don't think I ever will, and I don't think she expects me to.

"Alright, alright," she groans, getting up. She pads back out of the room past Goh without another word, leaving us alone. I suddenly don't know what to say to him. Seeing him sends a physical pain through my chest.