Can't I Touch Your Heart?

Chapter 38 The Fading Away Of Limbs

"Ember,"
"Hmm?" He held a popsicle in his mouth while walking beside her. She dragged her bicycle slowly beside them since the road was full of puddles and it would be dangerous to ride over it. 
"Do you know why Loraine hates me?"

He looked at her and smiled, "Oh, he doesn't hate you,"
She looked into his eyes, "Did someone ever tell you that you suck at lying?"
He bit his lower lip and looked down, at the puddles they passed by. The popsicle was beginning to melt on his hand, "I...I don't know,"
"Okay, don't tell,"

He didn't look into her eyes again. 
"Maybe I'm not worth knowing it, huh,"
"I," He spoke, softly, "I was sick when I left India. I had to leave because I got sick and the doctors here couldn't help me so I had to go back to the US, so Loraine, well,"
She looked at his blonde hair, covering his eyes, "...I'm sorry, I don't want to talk about it,"
She pressed her hand over his forehead and brushed his hair away from his eyes, over his head. They looked at each other, "What?" He asked.

"Oh," She pulled her hands away, "Sorry. I just wanted to see if you're crying,"
He laughed, "Why would I cry? Oh my god, my ice cream!" He dropped the popsicle which had completely melted by then, "You're such a goof," Rhea looked at him.
"I liked that flavour!"
"Stop crying on an ice cream! You can just buy another,"

"You know, Rhea," Ember sat before the popsicle, "You shouldn't care if someone likes you or not. Not everyone will acknowledge your existence, and that is completely fine as long as someone does, even if that someone is you," 
She blushed. He smiled and looked up at the setting sun,
"The sun isn't bright just because I say it is. It was bright before I even knew the word for bright. I didn't decide what it is, I acknowledged what it is. You aren't worth something just because I say you are. You just are. You are worth something before I even say anything. I didn't decide that you are, I acknowledged that you are."

Rhea looked down at him as the sun faded away behind her and it turned dark. The streetlight was shining upon them, like old souls under spotlights.

"Well, that was just some skinny boy life advice. Next time, I will charge you for it. Ice cream should do," Ember got up and Rhea looked at him, "Ember,"
"Yeah?"
"Where do you learn all this?"
"I'm a natural," He narrowed his eyes and smirked.

She smiled, "I've never had a friend like you. And I don't think I will ever,"
"In that case, you should keep me forever,"
"Can you fit in my pocket?"
"The question is can I fit in your pants?"
"WHY ARE YOU SO GROSS?!"

"I wonder~" He leaned towards her and she looked aside. He grabbed her bicycle, "Rhea, I want to take you somewhere,"
"Brothel?"
"Not today, today we gonna go thuggin,"
"What does that even me?"

"Hop on, girly," He got on the bicycle and so did she. He paddled across the field, "Oh my God, this field is so muddy now. You're an idiot!" Rhea shouted.
"Hey, I didn't know it would be muddy,"
"What else would it be after it rained for three hundred years just thirty minutes back?"
"Ooh, Indian exaggeration,"

"Where are you taking me?"
"To that painting shop again,"
"We're gonna travel all the way there?! It's far away,"
"Well, the night is ours," He smiled as he paddled. Through the puddles, through the uneven path, his legs were showing off down his pulled up jeans and his vans were covered in mud. Rhea's legs swindled as the bicycle moved. She reached for his silky hair and picked up one strand, 

Truly, some of the best moments in life are the ones you cannot put into words.
Maybe you don't want to.
Maybe you want to keep it to yourself. 
Something that only you both know. 

She felt a raindrop on her cheeks and looked up at the dark sky,

"It's raining!" She yelled.
"Yeah!" He smiled and stopped the bicycle, "Look behind you," He pointed behind and Rhea turned back. There was nothing there except the dark trees and a huge creeper falling between two trees, creating a massive, grassy clot. They were at that same forest again. Their painting must be there on those walls at the end of the forest, but that couldn't be the reason of being there so late in the evening.