Queen Killmonger

Chapter 4

In that moment it felt like my world had stopped turning. My face felt like it was burning, like all the blood in my body rushing up to my head in a matter of seconds, and with those few words, my entire world collapsed. "Your food Miss" the waiter says and I assume he puts plate in front of me. My body is frozen and so many thoughts are rushing through my head it would be impossible to focus on just one. "Keira? Keria?" I can hear Erik trying to get my attention but it's so difficult to separate reality from my internal conflict. Erik places one of his strong hands on my shoulder and it's almost as if I zoom back into the moment. I turn to him with tears in my eyes, it's hard to see but I get up from where we were sitting. I pull myself from his grasp and walk straight out of the restaurant and all the way home. Tears cloud my vision but I stumble inside the house, rushing to my room. I know Erik must have stayed to pay or leave the money for the meal, because he wasn't close behind me on the run home. Knowing this doesn't change the sadness that quickly turns to rage. I slam the door so loudly it shakes the wall it's attached to. The sobs I was holding back poured out and I found my way into the bed. Sinking in, I hugged a pillow to my chest and wept. Without him, I would be alone everyday, I would have nothing to look forward to, no friends or family. No reason to live. Not to mention the risk of him getting hurt, the risk of Erik dying.
I couldn't even imagine that. I burrowed my head farther into the pillow and felt little wet spots form. The door to the room opens but I don't move. "Oh my god K" Erik mumbles as he hurries to my side. I remember feeling him surround me like a turtle shell, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't stop myself from crying. It must have been at least an hour of us sitting silently as quiet tears streamed down my face when Erik tapped my shoulder. I shifted my body towards him so that I could watch him as he talked. "Even crying you look beautiful" he jokes, tucking a couple strands of hair behind my ear. "You can't leave me Erik. You cant get hurt. You cant, you swore to me, you promised." I lean my head against his chest and try to calm myself by counting the beats of his heart. "I did, didn't I. Now, have I ever broken a promise to you" Erik questions. I shake my head no, but it's not enough. "Hey, Keira...come on K. Look at me." He lifts my chin up and towards his face, which is probably the closest it's ever been to mine. "Has there ever, in the history of our friendship, has there ever been times where you felt like giving up. Not on this, not on us, but just life? Cause I know there has been for me. Your the only thing that's kept me together. You mean more than the world to me, and you need to know that I would never hurt you, or break a promise. Have I ever broken a promise?" I'm looking up into his eyes that somehow manage to glean in the dark lighting. "No" i say lightly. "Keira..." he says, his hand finding a way to the side of my face. "Erik" I reply, chuckling a little.

"I love you."