After hanging out with Bry the whole day, we had found our way to his couch. Starting a Star Wars marathon, we had managed to finish half of the prequel before he had fallen asleep next to me. I looked at the small clock above the TV, seeing that it was nearly 6, and I stifled a yawn. It was getting late, and I felt that I'd already overstayed my welcome. That's when an alarm I'd set on my phone went off, waking Bry as the sound echoed through the apartment.

"Hey, you," I whispered, giving him a gentle kiss before getting up. "I think that means it's time for more medicine."

He gave me a grimace but obliged. As I grabbed his pill pack, I saw just how many prescriptions he'd been given. Jesus. They really don't fuck around. There were at least four different colored pills needing to be taken in Friday's slot, and Saturday had six. I filled a cup with some water, heading back to him and handing over the pills and glass. He took the pills two at a time, making an odd face as he did.

"I hate medicine," I said, hoping to comfort him a little. "It always tastes awful, especially the liquid ones."

"Ugh, it's the worst," He agreed.

We kept smiling at each other, but deep down I was heartbroken. I knew I couldn't bear to lose him. I would lose myself without him. And though he was putting up a good facade, he was faking. I could see his pain. It was etched into the heartfelt smile he gave me, burnt into his eyes and expression. I wanted to tell him it was ok to show how he really felt, but he would've just told me he was ok. He would've smiled and told me not to worry. Because that's who he was. He would endure and accept, even if it meant bringing himself to his lowest point. But he was strong and loving too.

"So, listen, I think I should go," I said after a few minutes of sitting beside him. "It's late, and you should eat something and get some rest."

He gave me a sideways grin and shook his head. "Great, now you're starting to sound like my mother."

"Wha- Hey! I can't help that I care!" I argued defensively, though I knew he was teasing. "You really are so stubborn."

"Nowhere as stubborn as you." He pointed out.

"Alright, you know what? I don't think I have to take this." I said as I crossed my arms.

"Sorry, sorry!" He gave me an apologetic puppy face. "Stay the night? Please?"

"I wish I could, but I can't." I lamented. "My place needs me too."

"More than I do?" He asked, giving me a weak pout.

I lightly smacked the pillow beside him and laughed, earning a grin from him as I stood up. I gave him another kiss, made my way toward the front door, and stopped in front of it to give him one last goodbye.

"Don't be sad," I begged when I saw that he'd started crying. "I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning, I promise."

"It's not that!" He wiped a few tears away with a chuckle.

"Then what is it?" I asked.

"The fact that I'm the luckiest guy in the world." He said softly.

"Bry!" I giggled. "Being a kiss ass is not going to work on me!"

"But it was, wasn't it? For just a minute?" He questioned with a slight grin.

"Ok, maybe just a little." I admitted. "Look, I really have to go. But I will be back. Promise."

"I mean it, you know." He said as I turned the doorknob. "I love you."

I choked up, trying not to show him the emotional turmoil that his words put me through. It felt like the more I cared, the more I hurt. I started thinking as I walked out into the warm, humid August night. But, my thoughts terrified me. They were cruel, and heartless. Things that I would never say. Things like maybe I'd be better off leaving him alone. Maybe it wouldn't hurt so much if I didn't care. But of course I cared. He had told me he loved me. Something I had only dreamed of hearing. As I made my way home, I knew then. This apartment wasn't home. Bry was. He was where I belonged. He had the ability to make me see beauty in the harshest things.

I laid on my couch that night, wondering if I'd made the right choice in leaving Bry before his mom had come back. If anything happened to him, it would be on me. I was about to call him when my phone rang from the coffee table in front of me, and it was him calling. Answering the phone instantly, I could already feel the pain starting up again.

"Hey," I said, sitting up. "What're you doing up? It's late."

The clock on my wall said it was 8 at night, and I knew he should've been sleeping. How was he ever going to get better if he didn't rest? His response was filled with amusement, and his voice laced with mischief.

"Look outside," He instructed me.

I looked out my window to see him standing outside the apartment building, holding up a blanket and flashlight. His grin spread from ear to ear as he waved to me, and I smiled back. He was going to get into so much trouble if he didn't start listening soon. There was no way anything he was planning could be good.

I ran down my apartment complex's stairs and made my way to Bry as the summer air hit me. Whatever we were doing, I hoped it was somewhere cool and preferably indoors. But as I reached him, he handed me the blanket and led me toward the small grass patch that we'd seen on our walk back from the beach. He set down the flashlight on the ground, taking the blanket from me and setting it up like a picnic blanket.

"I hope you don't mind camping." He said as he sat on his makeshift bed.

"What? But there's no tent!" I argued. "How are you gonna sleep with all the bugs out tonight without any form of protection?"

"I'm not scared of a few little bugs," Bry laughed, patting the spot next to him. "Come on, sit."

I did as he said, looking up and watching the moon as a stray cloud glided over it. The crickets in the distance were calming, and the stars in the night sky were beautiful. I had never gone camping, too afraid of the mosquitoes and wasps, but it was worth the sight. The world had gone to bed, most of it anyway, and nothing was left but nature. The sounds of cars driving was no more, leaving the creaking of trees and twigs to grow louder. I turned to Bry, who was laying beside me and admiring the sky as well.

"It's pretty," I said as I watched him. He smiled lightly, looking to me and putting his hand in mine. "But, why are we doing this?"

"It's something I've always wanted to see." He said.

"The sky?" I laughed. "Don't you see it every day?"

"Yeah, but not like this..." He replied.

As I turned back to the clouds above us, I tried to understand what he meant. Had I been taking some unseen beauty of the sky for granted? Had I missed something? I frowned, trying to focus on the warmth of Bry's hand and nothing else.

"Right now, I could name every constellation." He said after fifteen minutes had gone by. "And not a single thing is stopping me. There isn't the noise of an air conditioner, or the apartment light to block it out."

"Why would you want to do that?" I asked, turning on my side to face him. "I mean, I would want to name every star after someone important to me, rather than just pointing out the pre-named things."

"Every constellation has a story," He insisted. "Like Orion? He's a hunter, always chasing after something."

"Wasn't he supposed to be running away from a scorpion?" I questioned, sitting up on my elbow. "Because that's what killed him?"

"If you believe that," He allowed. "But I like to think he's facing him, preparing to defend himself. He's also got two guard dogs, they're always with him."

"Canis... something, right?" I didn't know much about stars, but I had heard stories.

"Yeah," Bry said, giving me a smirk. "Close enough."

He stared up at the stars, and I watched the light from the moon fill his eyes. We laid together for an hour, neither of us saying a word. I turned to the sky, admiring the shine that the stars gave off. I saw a star then, brighter than any of the stars around it, and I pointed up at it.

"See that?" I asked Bry as I showed it to him. "I'm naming that one after you. It shines brighter than any other star, and it reminds me of you."

He rolled over on his side, smiling at me. "You are a living cliche, you know that?"

I rolled onto my side, facing him again, and gave him a kiss. "But you love me."

"That I do." He sighed. After a minute, he spoke softly, and I was reminded that it was just the two of us. "Promise you won't fall asleep?"

"If you want," I said. "I'll stay up. You, on the other hand, need to sleep."

He grimaced, knowing he wasn't going to argue with me on that one. I wasn't going to let him compromise his health for me. I kissed him, wrapping my arms around him as I did. He closed his eyes, and I watched him breathe. He held on to me, hours passing until I was too tired to stay awake. I had no idea what time it was, nor did I care, as I closed my eyes next to him and fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning covered in sweat and yawned. I hadn't had a good nights rest since finding out Bry's diagnosis, but last night I had finally slept well. I saw that he was still sound asleep, and I felt the same grief from last night come back. Tears welled in my eyes as I thought about losing him. But this time, it felt different. It felt like I was grieving a loss that hadn't come yet. Like I was finally acknowledging what was going to happen. There were going to be highs and lows. There was going to be times where I felt a toxic level of pain, and times where I went numb. That was just part of it. That was just what needed to happen. The deep breath I took after that felt strange.

It felt as if I was stealing oxygen that didn't belong to me, because maybe he needed it more. And even though a week had gone by, it still felt like that first night. The only difference was that now it hurt so much worse. The truth was right in front of me no matter how hard I kept trying to deny it. Bry stirred slightly, and I focused my attention on him. His soft nature, the way he didn't care for himself like he cared for others. He could change the world if he wanted.

"Hi," I heard his voice mumble before I noticed he was awake. "How'd you sleep?"

I grew agitated then. He'd put himself at a huge risk last night. You could get sick, you could die.

"What was that?" I asked, staring into his eyes as if they'd give me the answer.

"What, last night?" He replied. "It was, I don't know, a date?"

"Why? Bry, you are sick!" I grabbed his face as gently as I could to get the message across. "You can't do this! You can't put yourself out in the open like this! Do you not realize that you're not as strong as you once were? You have to take care of your-"

"Like I don't know that!" He yelled, his eyes glittering with water. "I used to be able to run a marathon! I can't even walk to my fucking door without panting! I wanted to be somebody, Kallie! So don't you dare fucking-" He smacked his hand across my chest with a shaky inhale. "Tell me what I already know." He finished.

I only had to look in his eyes to know. He wasn't angry. He was upset. His outburst was just a minor show of what he'd been feeling inside. I gripped his hand lightly, offering him an understanding smile. "Let it out, just, please understand my side, ok? I don't want you to, you know, get hurt or anything."

He stared at me, his whole body shaking as I held his hand. After a sniffle and nod, he bit his lip and sighed.

"I'm... sorry. I did not mean to... lose it on you like that." He said calmly. "Everyone is treating me like I've regressed back to a toddler! It's not fair. It's not... fucking... fair. And I thought you were different. From the beginning, you treated me like... me. Not just some cancer patient. Now you're just like the rest of them."

I took a sharp inhale at his jagged words. If I'd learned anything, it was that words really were capable of breaking and mending. But, his felt like a hard whack to my emotions. I could feel his regret before he apologized, and yet I spoke up before he could.

"You said what you said." I swallowed harshly. "No need to take it back. It's fine. But, I am not like them, Bry, so fuck you."

I got up and started crying as I sped walked away. I felt my heart turn me back as my legs did, and I debated going back to him. I knew I could never leave him, especially not when he needed someone the most. So I stood there, waiting for my mind to make a decision. I can't believe you would think I'm anything like them just because I care.

"Kallie!" His soft sob broke through the ten feet separating us. "Please don't leave me."

His cry was enough to send me right back into his arms. I held him so closely, it felt like we'd never been closer. Yet, it wasn't close enough. Nothing would be more impactful than hearing his heart break with his voice. I clutched the warm fabric he'd slept in, breathing in every bit of his scent. Was I taking notes of things I didn't want to forget?

"I'm sorry!" He choked, struggling to breathe. "I'm... so..."

He took desperate huffs of air, and I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe either. "Please, just breathe. Look at me, I'm not leaving. Relax, please. I didn't mean to hurt you-"

He eased, breathing easier as he kept his gaze locked on me. "You... what?"

"I said I didn't mean to hurt you?" I repeated.

He let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head. "Kallie Winters, I fucking love you."