Page 59 of I Blame the Rival

I freeze, feeling the air vacate my lungs.

“Your blue iris catches the most attention, but the brown one is my favourite. It speaks to the darker parts of your soul and it gives my own a safe place to land. You don’t waste words with dishonesty and you have the most unexpected yet brilliant sense of humour.”

She pauses, “But most of all, you help me remember what it’s like to want to live again. Not for my family, but for myself.”

I try to suck in a breath but there doesn’t seem to be enough oxygen in the room.

“You might be the only person who sees me.” I can barely choke out the words, “Nobody else looks past the outer layers.”

She falls silent and I fall back on the age-old breathing technique my therapist taught me. It doesn’t help the burning hole in my heart, but it does ease the pressure in my diaphragm.

“I’ve always seen you, Skylar. Even when I didn’t know what you looked like.”

“You aren’t disappointed I didn’t turn out to be a middle aged woman with a barn cat?”

She blows a raspberry, “I’m not sure that vision could have gotten me off the other night, but you never know.”

Laughter, loud and unrestrained, explodes out of my mouth. The boisterous sound takes me by complete surprise, echoing off the walls of my bedroom as my stomach muscles clench against the foreign sensation. I hunch over as laughter takes overmy body, the shake in my shoulders from mirth rather than tears.

Lacey’s corresponding giggles float down the line and it sets me off again. By the time I catch my breath, it's impossible to keep the smile from stretching across my face.

“I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Thought I’d take a page from your book and go for honesty.”

“Now I see why you like it so much.”

She laughs, and the sound only makes my smile grow wider. It feels like my face is about to splinter right down the middle, the elation bubbling through my bloodstream.

“You’re something special, Skylar. You just need to start believing it.”

“I’ll work on it.”

She clicks her tongue, “Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Good.” She sighs, “I don’t want to say goodbye but I really need to go to bed. I have a midterm tomorrow morning.”

Sneaking a glance at my clock, I’m shocked to see the midnight hour staring back at me.

“That’s okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“I’m looking forward to it. Goodnight, Skylar.”

“Sweet dreams, Flower.”

Ending the call, I roll out of bed to brush my teeth. There’s still a smile staining my face when I swing open my bedroomdoor, but it quickly disappears when I see the hulking figure leaning against my doorway.

“How long were you standing there?”

Vector tilts his head, studying me in the dark hallway between our two rooms. The glow from my desk lamp is just strong enough to illuminate the shadows under my brother’s eyes, the gaunt features hidden beneath the endless pounds of brawn.

“Not long.” His gaze flicks over my face, “It’s been a while since I’ve heard you laugh like that.”

Carefully tucking my emotions back under my skin, I feel my stoic expression lock back in place.

“There hasn’t been much to laugh about.”

---