Her cherry lollipop

Like she thought they would

Song: when the party's over - Billie Eilish

Agnes knew that when Erick entered her and began to breath deep into her shoulder, and she felt nothing at all, that this was getting serious. Her body didn't erupt into shivers under the mere touch of Erick's hand, and she didn't blush deep when he looked into her eyes. She didn't wish to hold him after they made love. The girl wanted to be far away from Erick, her bed, her bedroom, her house, this world. Ironically, she had grown to loath these moments with Erick. The shower was her only safe place. There she could scrub away any trace of Erick.

The act of sex felt tedious and forced. Maybe not to Erick, who by now had filled Agnes' desk with an assortment of gifts. He was in love, Agnes recognised. Truly in love. Erick's kisses burnt her skin and his touch seemed to slice like a knife. But what could she do?

Here they were. Past the point of no return, but still equal in leverage. It was frustrating to Agnes and ate away at her as Erick finished up and came to lay beside her. The two stared up at Agnes' pastel purple roof, tracing the outlines of the glow-in-the-dark star stickers that had been there since she was a young girl. Their minds were in different universes.

"I don't wish to see you anymore."

Agnes felt the body beside her seize up. After many moments of deadly silence she heard the rustle of the pillow case as Erick turned his face to the side of her head.

"What did you just say?"

"I said," Agnes continued. "That I don't wish to see you anymore. To make a long story a brief one, I don't like having sex with you. Not anymore."

The bluntness of Agnes' words stunned Erick into silence. She didn't beat around the bush, straight to the point like she always was. It was bittersweet since he loved the way she talked but hated the words she had said.

"I don't understand."

She couldn't do anything but sigh. Perhaps the reason why she had persisted so long was because she was avoiding this talk.

"Erick," Ages started, sending a shiver down Erick's spine. That was the first time she had called him by his first name. She never needed to use it before because labelling him felt like she wasn't communicating towards him as a human. They were above the need for names. There were shreds and traces of them in each other. "What I am saying is.... get out."

A hand, gently but desperately, grabbed onto Agnes'. His fingers laced through her stiff ones.

"Don't do this. It may have taken a while to get here, but we're finally here. We can be together. People won't find out if that isn't what you want-"

"People such as your wife?"

The trail of words spilling from Erick's mouth was cut short. He was stunned into silence again.

"Because what about her? Your wife? You can't hide such a thing as an affair from her. But you couldn't divorce her. So what are we to do, then? Except for call this off and never speak again?"

"My wife? She.... she...." Erick had to build the courage to say the sentence burdening his mind. He felt much younger than Agnes at that point.

"She doesn't mean anything. I will divorce her..... I will!" Where he intended commitment to hold his words up, childish defiance entered to weigh them down instead. And he regretted saying anything, for as soon as he shut his mouth Agnes shot up with an arm holding the sheet over her naked chest. He had pushed too far. The line was thin. She had toppled onto the other side. "Get out!"

Agnes raised her voice this time. How strange it was to see Agnes talk to Erick as if she were an older sister ordering a younger brother out of her room. Things had run cold between them. He was just a nuisance.

In reaction to this, Erick slowly sat up. Tears hadn't sprung to her eyes like she thought they would, but when Erick all but kissed a spot behind her ear, she felt even more anger boil inside her. The heat of her anger was beginning to warm up her once ice cold body.

"I love you Agnes, always remember."