Chapter 47

• Alyssa
• I'm half-asleep, my head resting on Niko's chest, as the end credits of The Lion King roll. We've been watching our way though Disney movies, and surprisingly, Niko doesn't complain. His hand strokes my hair, sweet and tender, just like the entire evening has been. When Mufasa died, I bawled, and Niko didn't say a word—he just wiped my tears and held me closer. The intimacy between us threatens to unravel me in ways I didn't think it could.
• I know better than to let myself fall like this, but I can't seem to fucking help it. How am I going to be okay when I'm eventually forced to leave them?