Alice looks at Lara.

Alice ”Lara…  Lara, baby I’m right here.  You can talk to me.”

Lara ”…”

Alice ”I mean…you’ve been so…I dunno…stoic.”

Lara looks down.  Alice places her left palm against Lara’s back.

Alice ”Baby, you can’t keep this in.”

Lara looks at Alice, her expression is blank.

Alice ”I have cried so much this past week.  And you…you’ve just been…”

Lara ”She loved you.”

Lara stands up, walking out of the living room.

Alice ”Lara?”

Initially, Alice is afraid Lara is about to leave, but she walks past the door down the hallway.  She stops at the end of the hall and opens the door to Alice’s bedroom.  Alice leaves the couch, following after her.

Alice ”Lara, what’s up?”

Lara stares at the bed, her eyes transfixed.  Alice walks in, placing herself to Lara’s left and looking at her.

Alice ”What?  What’s wrong?”

Lara ”…”

Alice ”Talk to me, Lara.  …Lara?  You’re scaring me.”

It begins to build, slowly but surely.  Alice can sense it.  She can see the tears finally beginning to build up.

Lara ”Her last words were to you.  …She loved you.

Lara holds it in as much as she can, the emotions building up like a balloon about to burst.

Lara ”It was here.”

Alice turns away, looking down.  She was never supposed to know.

Lara ”…Wa…wasn’t it…”

Alice ”…Lara.”

Lara’s voice begins shaking, tears streaming down.

Lara ”…We…we’ll never get to argue.  I’ll never get to ask…just why…why she did that.  Why?  …Why, Alice?  Why did she do that to me…?  Why did you do that to me?”

Alice ”Lara, no…”

Lara ”WHY DID YOU-!”

Without any time to guard against it, Alice’s left cheek suddenly feels the sting of Lara’s right hand.

Lara ”-FUCKING DO THAT TO ME!!!”

Alice’s mouth opens, her hands coming up to her left cheek.  She feels the knot in her throat and the tears from physical and emotional pain.  Lara places both hands against Alice’s face, tears in her eyes.

Lara ”Whyyy….?”

The tears pour out now.  She can no longer contain them.  She can no longer contain the hurt, collapsing against Alice’s chest.  They both slide down to the floor, holding on to one another, crying.

Alice ”She stopped…she loved you!  I’m so…fucking sorry!”

She buries her face into Lara’s left shoulder, more tears bursting out.

Alice ”She loved you…I loved her…I love you!”

Lara ”How the fuck can you say that…”

Alice ”Life sucks enough without her…I don’t wanna lose you.  I’m sorry…so fuckin’ sorry…oh fuck…”

Another gush of outpouring emotion hits both of them.  There is too much hurt here.

Way too much.