Page 28 of Firestorm
I choked down the rest of my pizza slice, doing a pretty good job of hiding the fact that I was freaking out a bit.
“Tell me about Lana.” I said shakily.
“Last year, Lana had a psychotic episode. Like full-blown, auditory and visual hallucinations. She lost her shit completely. Was gone from school for like a month, then she came back and now she’s a bitch.” Willow said with a shrug.
“What caused the episode?” I asked. “Is that why Landon was being shitty to me?”
It didn’t make sense, of course. Bumping into Landon didn’t threaten his sister or her mental health, so I wasn’t sure why I’d even gone that direction with my thinking. Except for that fact that I knew my own brother would be ready to burn the school down if he thought I’d been hurt. I rubbed my chest, suddenly missing Zephyr again.
“No one knows why she freaked out. She was struggling with her grades, went home for break, and then boom. But Landon? He’s just an asshole. He really doesn’t like touching people. Or people touching him.” Mia said. “He used to just be one of those big stupid jock types, but he’s actually trying in school, now, and he and Lana are closer. Makes sense, I guess.”
“Weird.” I commented lightly, going for another slice of pizza, my earlier nausea having waned.
Willow shrugged. “I can’t relate. My brother acts like I annoy him, but he’d fucking kill anyone that tried to hurt me.”
“Of that, I have no doubt.” Mia said. “Too bad he’s a dumbass.”
Willow snickered and my eyes flicked back and forth between the two. So, Mia didn’t like Willow’s brother, and Willow didn’t care. Interesting.
If one of my Links didn’t like my brother…I didn’t even want to think about what I’d do. Not that I cared, of course. I was never going to have Links anyway, if I could help it.
The pain in my chest flared, and I winced as I rubbed at my sternum.
“What happened?” Willow asked, eyeing my hand.
I shrugged. “It just comes and goes.”
“It’s totally because that loser rejected you.” Willow replied, and I rolled my eyes. I really didn’t want to talk about Wyatt. Aiden already had me feeling off-balance. I didn’t need another gorgeous man occupying my thoughts. “I still think we should let W–”
“Come on, Will. Don’t get your dopey brother involved.” Mia groaned, cutting Willow off.
I snorted, then said, “My mom had this pain, too, though. And it was just her, Levi, and Ben. No one ever rejected her.”
“That you know of,” Willow said somewhat ominously.
Mia frowned. “Will,” she warned.
I swallowed thickly, the delicious pizza in my stomach suddenly feeling heavy.
My mother never would have hidden a rejection from me…right?
“No, that’s alright.” I croaked. “My parents uh…they’re dead. So you’re not wrong. There isn’t a way for me to ask.” I laughed weakly. Mia and Willow looked horrified.
“Holy fuck, I’m so sorry, Skyes.” Willow said apologetically. “That was rude. I shouldn’t have said it, it was just a harmless joke. I meant…that pain almost always means a rejection. It’s the connection in your chest, pissed about the other piece saying no.”
“Here I thought it was just a heart attack,” I said playfully, then gulped when neither of them laughed.
“Skye, look, my brother is a counselor. He can find this guy for you, and we can go give him a piece of our mind.” Willow said. I was shaking my head before she finished speaking. “He can help! I know he’ll do it.”
Mia snickered. “I really doubt that, Willow. He thinks all your friends are airheads.”
“Well, he hasn’t met Skye. She’s easily the smartest person I’ve ever met.” Willow said.
“Thanks, babe.” Mia said dryly, and then Willow gasped.
“I didn’t mean it like that!” Willow tackled Mia onto the bed and the two giggled while they kissed and I awkwardly looked away, feeling like I was intruding on a moment.
I was very happy for them. I was just also…not jealous. Definitelynotjealous. I just wished I had what they had.
