Stay with me

He always wanted to love, he just never had anyone to love him back.

“What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get out of here?” he asked.

“Put my toes in the water. What about you?”

“Find you … then take you to the ocean.” He couldn’t see, but I was smiling. “I want a life with you, Mia. I’ve never wanted anything more. Do you think we can survive the next two years? Think we’ll be able to make it?”

I sighed. “God, I hope so.”

There was a sudden skip in his breathing. “I can’t lose you,” he whispered.

“You won’t.”

The rising of his chest and the beating of his heart soothed me as my eyelids grew heavy.

“I have to leave soon,” he hesitantly said.

“Wait until I fall asleep. I can’t watch you walk out the door.”

“I should have brought The Notebook.” He laughed lightly.

“I’m serious, Ollie.”

“I know, I know …” He leaned down and pressed his lips against the top of my head. “Do me a favor, go to recreation tomorrow. There’s a fenced-in area out back, and I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”

“Okay,” I breathed, my eyelids closing again as I began to drift.

“And Mia?”

“Mmhmm?”

“Stay with me, even when I’m gone.”

“Promise.”