and knew she was having a nightmare. Whatever it was about, it had her whole body twitching.
Standing, I bent closer to her flushed cheeks. She was struggling, I sensed her tears about to start right before the first one flowed. It left a wet streak down her caramel skin.
Then they just kept coming.
Looking around, I told myself to leave. To get out of there and forget about the strange girl who had flipped my life around and was now sobbing in my spare bed.
I should have fled.
So why did I put my hand on her shoulder?
“Marina,” I whispered. Gently I shook her, my fingertips attacked by every tiny quiver that rocked her. “Marina, wake up.”
She was sniffling, great ugly tears that should have been private. Not seen by someone like me. Reaching down, I wiped some of them away.
Her thick lashes fluttered, brown eyes snapping to their widest setting. Marina gawked up at me, and the terror there made me wonder if she was seeing me or something else.
Both of us jerked apart, my hands going to my sides. “What the hell are you doing?” she asked, rubbing at her face to hide the evidence of her vulnerability.
“You were having a nightmare,” I said carefully. “I heard you from my room and came to check on you.” Lying was easy when you'd done it your whole life.
Pulling the blanket around herself, like me seeing her in a shirt and shorts was inappropriate—and maybe it was—Marina eyed the bedroom. She was breathing rapidly, realizing where she was.
“Oh,” she said. It was a simple word. Looking up at me, her nose was the color of a cherry. “Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm—it's just...”
“Forget about it,” I said quickly.
Blinking, she watched me curiously and gave a nervous smile. Her lips were swollen from crying. “Alright.”
Wanting to escape the moment, I turned for the door. I said, “Bad dreams happen to everyone. Do you want me to... to get you anything?”
Her smile touched her eyes. “Could you leave the door cracked for me? The hallway light makes me feel better. I know, it sounds stupid.”
A weird flutter hit my belly. “Are you scared of the dark?”
“No.” She looked at the window. “It's not that. Could you just do it? Please?”
Deciding not to pry, I ducked my head and inched out the door. I left it partly open, big enough for a hand to fit through. “See you in the morning, Marina.”
Behind me, her voice was soft. “Goodnight, Kite.”
The floorboards were colder than usual. My body was heavy, limbs not holding warmth. All the blood had gone to my head, flooding and choking my brain.
I had a suspicion about why Marina wanted the door open. It was something so ridiculous, so bizarre...
And I was sure I was right.
Marina had told the truth, she wasn't scared of the dark. She could have opened her blinds and flooded the room with the city if that was the issue. What she had wanted was an opening. Something that connected her to another human.
In this case... to me.
Sitting on my bed, I put my forehead in my hands. If she thinks that being closer to me makes her safer, that I'm a source of protection from whatever her nightmares are, she's wrong.
I couldn't bring Marina comfort.
Only tragedy.
- Chapter 8 -
Jacob
––––––––
T he sun was still down when the knock came.
Moving from the front room's window, I walked through the blueish shadows. I hadn't turned any lights on yet. With the city back-lighting me, I didn't need to.
Through the peephole, I saw Kite's face. He looked just as grim when I opened the door. “Didn't think you'd be awake so soon,” I said.
He tossed something at me; my car keys jingled, the edge digging into my closed fist. “Thought you'd want those back.”
“And you thought I needed them now?” I asked. “What if I'd been sleeping.”
Arching an eyebrow, he scanned me from head to toe. “It doesn't look like you even tried. Did you even change clothes?”
Touching the front of my dark green
Standing, I bent closer to her flushed cheeks. She was struggling, I sensed her tears about to start right before the first one flowed. It left a wet streak down her caramel skin.
Then they just kept coming.
Looking around, I told myself to leave. To get out of there and forget about the strange girl who had flipped my life around and was now sobbing in my spare bed.
I should have fled.
So why did I put my hand on her shoulder?
“Marina,” I whispered. Gently I shook her, my fingertips attacked by every tiny quiver that rocked her. “Marina, wake up.”
She was sniffling, great ugly tears that should have been private. Not seen by someone like me. Reaching down, I wiped some of them away.
Her thick lashes fluttered, brown eyes snapping to their widest setting. Marina gawked up at me, and the terror there made me wonder if she was seeing me or something else.
Both of us jerked apart, my hands going to my sides. “What the hell are you doing?” she asked, rubbing at her face to hide the evidence of her vulnerability.
“You were having a nightmare,” I said carefully. “I heard you from my room and came to check on you.” Lying was easy when you'd done it your whole life.
Pulling the blanket around herself, like me seeing her in a shirt and shorts was inappropriate—and maybe it was—Marina eyed the bedroom. She was breathing rapidly, realizing where she was.
“Oh,” she said. It was a simple word. Looking up at me, her nose was the color of a cherry. “Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm—it's just...”
“Forget about it,” I said quickly.
Blinking, she watched me curiously and gave a nervous smile. Her lips were swollen from crying. “Alright.”
Wanting to escape the moment, I turned for the door. I said, “Bad dreams happen to everyone. Do you want me to... to get you anything?”
Her smile touched her eyes. “Could you leave the door cracked for me? The hallway light makes me feel better. I know, it sounds stupid.”
A weird flutter hit my belly. “Are you scared of the dark?”
“No.” She looked at the window. “It's not that. Could you just do it? Please?”
Deciding not to pry, I ducked my head and inched out the door. I left it partly open, big enough for a hand to fit through. “See you in the morning, Marina.”
Behind me, her voice was soft. “Goodnight, Kite.”
The floorboards were colder than usual. My body was heavy, limbs not holding warmth. All the blood had gone to my head, flooding and choking my brain.
I had a suspicion about why Marina wanted the door open. It was something so ridiculous, so bizarre...
And I was sure I was right.
Marina had told the truth, she wasn't scared of the dark. She could have opened her blinds and flooded the room with the city if that was the issue. What she had wanted was an opening. Something that connected her to another human.
In this case... to me.
Sitting on my bed, I put my forehead in my hands. If she thinks that being closer to me makes her safer, that I'm a source of protection from whatever her nightmares are, she's wrong.
I couldn't bring Marina comfort.
Only tragedy.
- Chapter 8 -
Jacob
––––––––
T he sun was still down when the knock came.
Moving from the front room's window, I walked through the blueish shadows. I hadn't turned any lights on yet. With the city back-lighting me, I didn't need to.
Through the peephole, I saw Kite's face. He looked just as grim when I opened the door. “Didn't think you'd be awake so soon,” I said.
He tossed something at me; my car keys jingled, the edge digging into my closed fist. “Thought you'd want those back.”
“And you thought I needed them now?” I asked. “What if I'd been sleeping.”
Arching an eyebrow, he scanned me from head to toe. “It doesn't look like you even tried. Did you even change clothes?”
Touching the front of my dark green
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