Page 67 of Firestorm
Even if Skye didn’t shun me after this, my mother would definitelybe killing me. There was a very real possibility I’d never be in this room again, so I glanced around quickly, wanting to memorize the layout just in case.
My eyes traced along the pale gray walls to the large window facing the forest, taking in the houseplants in the windowsill, the two desks, one covered in clutter and one clean like it’d never been used.
Willow and Mia sat on what was clearly Willow’s bed. The bedspread was hot pink, and I swear there were rhinestones beaded across the top. Skye’s bed was much calmer, a very pale green, almost silver that matched her eyes, with what must have been twenty pillows piled in one corner. How did girls ever sleep with that many pillows? Was she that lonely?
I mentally kicked myself. If I wasn’t a fucking idiot, I could have been in that bed with her.
Skye chewed her lip nervously, her eyes darting back and forth between her two besties, then resting on me for a moment before returning to the girls. “Y’all okay?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Mia said weakly.
Skye blew out her cheeks. “I’m really sorry I acted like that in front of you. A lot of things happened to me growing up, and–”
“Oh, Skye!” Willow cried. She jumped up and threw her arms around Skye’s neck, and the two almost fell off the bed.
“Good Lord, Will.” Skye grumbled without any heat.
“Skye, I know your past is complicated. It’s totally okay. You don’t have to explain yourself to us.” Willow said. “You didn’t scare me. My brother’s done some crazy shit before, I’m used to it. I just didn’t want you in trouble. Prison is…” She shuddered.
I nearly snorted, wondering if thatcrazy shitshe described had anything to do with how he’dallegedlyonce almost cut someone in half.
“Okay, wow. Thank you?” Skye said, a little unsure. Willow pulled back and beamed at her, then sat back down next to Mia.
“I don’t care what you do to them. The Iykos’ have been treating me like shit for years,” Mia muttered, a pained expression crossing her face. “You could have killed her and I wouldn’t have flinched.”
We all stared at her in shock for a moment before Skye swallowed hard and looked to me.
“That was pretty sick how you threatened Lana.” I offered, then cleared my throat. “Thank you for that, by the way.” We stared at each other in painful silence while Willow and Mia fidgeted. Skye held my eye contact, and I hoped she could see right down to my soul.
I’m sorry. Forgive me. I’ll never hurt you again.
Skye furrowed her brow.
“Hey, so…” Willow started. “I’d planned on staying in Mia’s room. Her roommate is gone for the weekend. Are you okay to be alone?”
Skye swallowed hard, then broke her eye contact with me and looked to Willow.
“I’ll be fine. Promise.”
The besties nodded before Willow started to pack an overnight bag. The girls all talked amongst themselves while I stayed in the corner, not feeling welcome to speak but also weirdly feeling like I wasn’t allowed to leave. Eventually, the girls shared a long hug before Mia and Willow disappeared, leaving me with Skye.
I was sweating, my high finally almost gone along with my buzz. The adrenaline from the fight had everything through my system faster than usual, but I didn’t have the urge to want to go back and do more. Somehow, standing in a room alone with Skye, even while she was angry with me, was more exciting than any drug I’d ever tried.
She turned her silver eyes on me as the door closed behind Mia, and I fucking gulped like I was about to face down the final boss in a video game.
“Hi,” Skye whispered.
“Hi,” I breathed back.
We stared at each other for several seconds, the annoying clock on the wall ticking obnoxiously.
“I’m really sorry.” My whisper was loud in the heavy silence.
Skye held my eye for a moment and then shook her head before dropping her gaze to the floor.
“My…my mother called me earlier.” I whispered again. “The Iykos’ mom ripped her a new one over the sparring. And I talked her down but she…she was…”
I trailed off, fighting the urge to cry as the words crossed my mind again.
