This had always been their place

This had always been their place. They came here whenever they needed to find themselves again or to just calm down. In recent days, they had needed it more than ever. The sunset washed everything in a glow. The gray top of their apartment building awoke into cotton-candy hues. Her feet dangled over the seven-story drop, trusty sneakers holding on for dear life. His elbows rested on the concrete, inches from her thighs. They were at peace for the first time in ages. A puff of air escaped his lungs in a rush as the minutes wore on. She hummed a tune both familiar and unidentifiable. Birds chirped on the electric lines nearby.

No longer would she be awakened by a slamming door or angry screaming. Thinks were right for once. They shared an apartment for convenience sake, right? So why should she be forced to deal with his poor choice in women? She was his best friend and she loved him dearly, but enough is enough. A heart can only take so much.

A buzz broke the resonant calm. The yelling voice on the other end of the phone was one burned into her mind. She did her best to ignore it all together while he accepted his phone call. He paced away, deep in conversation, thought and emotion. His joyous tone rose as her gaze fell. By the time he returned to his earlier position, a smile graced his features as he looked to her for input. “She’s moving back in! Isn’t it great?” He chuckled to himself, not paying attention for an answer, not that one was forthcoming anyway.

Blue eyes contemplated the dwindling passerby on the sidewalk below. Happy little buggers, the lot. Feet firmly planted on the ground. She wished she could be like that, blissfully stable instead of aloft in the wind. The soles of her shoes scraped against the cement as she pushed off. Her final flight lasted an eternity. She closed her eyes to everything, enjoying the adrenaline and endorphins rushing through her veins.

She landed with a dull thunk on the pavement.

He ran down stair after stair to reach her.

He broke the news to her family. He let out the news to all their friends. Cleaning her room, leaving everything in its proper place, he chanced upon a book scrawled with notes. The pages stuck with salt from long-dried tears. More salt was added to the pages as he read.

I know I’ll never say it. I’m too much of a coward to. It would completely ruin our relationship. How could I be so stupid as to get myself into a mess like this? I love the bloody bastard and he thinks of me as his sister. Well I suppose I’ll just have to deal with it. Friends forever and all that shit, right?

The book smacked against the wall as he turned over on her bed, doing his best to inhale her scent through too-stuffed nostrils.