Skylar

  "Better slow down on those pancakes before you turn into one," Dylan teased me, watching me tear through the stack of chocolate chips pancakes before me. I flicked him off before shoving  another bite of my 4th pancake in my mouth.

  Why he was still in our house? I have no idea.

  "This is great, my best friend and my boo getting along, us all eating breakfast, I couldn't have asked for a better morning." Emma beamed and her eyes lit up as she looked between Dylan and I. I returned her smile once her eyes fell back on me. Emma has always been easy to please and had always been there for me, so if it meant I had to be cordial with Dylan while she's around to make her happy, I'll do it.

   I swallowed down another bite, looking back and forth between Emma and Dylan while they talked about random topics. Admiration filled her eyes looking up at Dylan, her smile taking over her face, the tiny dimple at the corner of her lips showcasing itself . I couldn't help the slight smile on my face as I watched them. I had to give Dylan credit, he makes her happy and she deserve to be nothing but happy.

   I let my eyes linger on Dylan, watching the way he interacted with my best friend. His body leaned toward her as she talked, reaching out to her every once in a while to push the strands of her hair that often fell in front of her face, his eyes fixated on her. His eyes. A sense of familiarity consumed me as I took in his features. His eyes were the kind of green that brought life back to the prisoners of winter. They contrasted perfectly with his rich olive tone and dark hair. His full lips parted slightly revealing the top row of perfectly aligned white teeth.

"What do you think Sky?" Emma's voice snapped me out of my trance.

"What?" I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks, I knew he caught me staring, I could see his smirk from my peripheral.

"The end of year bonfire, what do you think about going?"

   "Oh yea, we should definitely go. I hope the fire gets as big as it did freshman year." I replied, send a smile Emma's way to let her know I'm okay with it. Emma and I went every year since 8th grade when we finally made some high school friends and they helped sneak us in. Before last year, it wouldn't have been a question whether we were going out not, but before last year a lot of things wouldn't have been a question.

   I thought back to January of last year when my mom did enough damage to put me in the hospital for the first time with a concussion and a broken hand. Before that when she would beat me, she made sure to stop before any major noticeable injuries happened, but when she found out I had gotten asked to be someone's date to the upcoming  Valentine's day dance, she lost it. She cornered me and her punches came like missiles, connecting with every blow. My arms did little to shield me from her rage, my head bounced off the wall every time her fist managed to break through my defense.

    She reminded me that I didn't deserve the male attention. I didn't deserve to have someone interested in me or being in love with me or happiness. I was nothing, but a home wrecker and a whore to her and she didn't want me to forget it. I tried to escape her verbal and physical assault,  but when I reached for the door she slammed it against my hand, the pain was unbearable at the time and still bothers me from time to time now. After she realized what she's done to my hand, she just left me laying there crying out. I ended up learning how to drive with my left hand that night.

   "It's going to be so much fun!" Emma bounce lightly on her toes, grinning ear to ear as she told Dylan stories about the previous years we went. 

  My mind drifted back to last year the day before the bonfire when Emma and I were on the phone and she exclaimed that very sentence. I didn't know my mother was outside my door while Emma and I talked about what we were going to wear and the boys we hope was going to be there. The minute I got off the phone my mother wasted no time ensuring I wasn't going to go sending me to the hospital for the 3rd time in five months. My body started to ache as I felt the ghost of her assault on me. 

   "Skylar." Emma's voice filled my ears, but I couldn't focus. 

  My chest rose and fell in sync with the rapid drumming of my heart. I was having a difficult time getting back control of my breathing and panic crept through my nerves making it harder. My muscles tensed at the slight involuntary bouncing of my leg. My anxiety took over and my body was out of my control.

   Emma and Dylan's voices sounded muffled and far as they called my name trying to ask if I was okay. I tried to let Emma's warmth and soft words soothe me as her arms wrapped around me. I tried let myself melt into them as Dylan's arms engulfed both Emma and I soon after. I squeezed my eyes shut feeling them fill with water. My head start to pound from the lack of oxygen I was getting due to me hyperventilating. Emma's voice sounded foreign as she began to whisper names of important people or places or dates I had good memories associated with.  I finally felt my breathe slow down into its normal steady routine, as I tried to focus on the memories Emma was still whispering in my ear and the tapping of my leg slowly come to a halt.

  "Please excuse me." My voice came out weak and cracked as I gently shook them off of me and headed out past them to my room. My anxiety was still boarder line threatening me and I wanted to get away from them before it consumed me again. Anger itched through me because of the thoughts racing through my mind.

   Why did he have to be there? Why did he have to see me at my weakest? He probably thinks I'm a pity case now. It's all Emma's fault. Why didn't she tell him to go home after the movie? He's trying to steal her away. She's so inconsiderate. I don't need her. I can go through this alone.

   I felt guilty thinking those thoughts about Emma, but the more my mind scratched at those angry thoughts the worse they got. My anxiety and sadness always turned into anger and insecurity after. I hated it so much. I hated being like this and feeling like this. 

   Why did I have to be so weak? Why can't I control it? I'm so pathetic. My mom's right.

   My eyes stung with hot tears. I squeezed my eyes shut not wanting  to cry anymore. I took a defeated seat at the edge of my bed and my hands clench on my thighs. The silent droplets disobeyed me leaving a moist trail behind as evidence as they fell onto my lap. I don't know how long I sat there, surrendering to the sadness and anger imprisoned in the seemly endless stream of tears. 

   I tensed up when cinnamon kissed my nostrils and I was wrapped in a warm swaddled of a tone chest and muscular arms. My body froze knowing it wasn't Emma since she lives by smelling like vanilla and nowhere near as muscular. 

  "What the hell are you doing in here?" I jumped out of the embrace and shook my hair so that it hid my face while I tried to wipe the tears off my face, but a soft sniffle escaped as proof that I had been crying.

  "Emma asked me to check up on you and stay with you to make sure your okay. She had to go to practice." Dylan spoke softly as if he might trigger another panic attack. I rolled my eyes letting out a small laugh in disbelief as I shook my head. They think your incapable of handling yourself.

  "Well, I'm fine." I snapped at him. I looked Dylan straight in the eye keeping my face dead blank of emotion. I could see Dylan trying to read me as his eyes scanned over my face full of worry and concern. His eye drifted down to the base of my neck when his brows furrowed and his eyes snapped back to my face his eyes now full of questions, worry and  even more concern. He reach out to me, but I shift away before he could touch me and moved over to my dresser.

   I turned around towards my mirror slightly taken aback by my appearance, but did my best keep my straight face. The light coat of powder I put on this morning to cover my now faint yellowish-green black eye had worn off from me crying, plus the puffiness of my eyes didn't help at all and the collar of my oversize shirt had dropped a little exposing the scar left behind from when my mother had cut me.

 "Sky-"

   "We're not friends, and Emma's not here, so you can stop pretending like you care. I don't need you here. I'm fine." My words came out harsh, but I didn't care. I fixed my collar and turned back towards him and crossed my arms, avoiding his eyes. This is the first time anyone besides Emma and my mother seen me cry or my bruises making me feel exposed and vulnerable.

  "I d-"

  "Get out!" I shut my eyes not wanting to see his face or listen to what he has to say. Even though I didn't want to be alone, he was the last person I wanted to see me like this. I heard him lift off the bed and shuffle towards me, stopping close enough where I could feel his body heat radiate off him. I knew if I looked into those eyes again I would change my mind and let him stay, so I kept my own close.

  He grazed his fingers along my eye with a feathers touch, then let his hand hovered over my cheek down to the neckline of my shirt that hid my scar and my heart rate quicken, my anxiety skyrocketed as I squeezed my eyelid tighter together and bit the the inside of my lip, not even moving a muscle as I tried my best to fight back another wave of tears and keep myself calm. I didn't know what I would do if he were to move the collar or start asking questions. Finally, I felt his hand retreat along with his presence soon after followed by the gentle click of my door.

   I finally opened my eyes and released the overdue breathe I didn't realize I was holding. He was nothing, but trouble. I couldn't let my guard down like this again. He doesn't even care. He only came in here because Emma asked him to. No matter how much he resembles my knight in shining armor, he's not him.

  My phone buzzed on my bed and I reached over for it immediately thinking it was Emma messaging me, but an unknown sender flashed along my screen.

Can you feel my hands around your neck?

________________________

Dylan

   I couldn't wrap my head around what was going with Skylar. I stared blankly at the the tv with the image of Skylar's bruised eye and her scar kept flashing through my head. Even though it was faint and fading I've seen enough black eyes from my job to know it was fairly recent and must've been bad since they only last a couple of weeks, but I could still make it out.

  She was a mystery to me. I pondered on where the hell she could've got that nasty scar from and who did it. Images from that night I laid eyes on my mystery girl played in my head. The pieces to the puzzle were finally coming together now. The blood on her that night came from the scar, the way she flinched, winced and tensed at my touch was because she bruised and way more hurt then the darkness that night had let me believe.

"You can stop pretending like you care."

"I don't need you."

    I cursed at myself for leaving her that night. Her words replayed in my head. I cared so much, since the first time I bumped into her, even though I didn't know she was her. I could've helped her, protected her from whoever hurt her, showed to her that I cared. I left all because of that stupid fucked up rich dude I was being paid to deal with. But if it wasn't for that stupid guy I wouldn't have bumped into her. I ended up finding him as I knew I would since I'm the best at what I do and I could've just went back home, but I stayed here for her. It was my job to track people, and I was determined to find her, but I didn't expect to find her like this though. Well, actually, I didn't find her at all, if I think about it. Us meeting in this build was purely coincidence. 

   I sighed, dropping my head into my hands, thinking about the situation I'm in. I wondered if she felt what I felt that night. If she would want me knowing that it was me that night. If she already knows it was me.

  "I'm guessing you're really not planning on leaving me alone, huh?"

  I jumped slightly startled as I turned to face a clearly annoyed Skylar. Her arms were crossed and her lips turned down in a frown as she looked down at me from behind the couch. Her bruised eye was covered up with makeup and her scar was nowhere to be seen. "Emma's orders, you're stuck with me princess."

   "Don't ever call me that again." She groaned, rolling her eyes and walking away into the kitchen. I followed after her, observing her closely. She moved and acted as if nothing from earlier happened. Her walls were back up along with that tough exterior hiding any evidence of the vulnerable, scared girl I witness moments ago. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and pull her in close and reassure her that she's safe, that I wouldn't let anything happen to her. That I did care about her.

  "You just don't listen." Her back faced me while she rummaged threw the shelves and cabinets looking for food I assumed. I absentmindedly scrunched my face up in confusion not knowing what she's talking about. She let out an annoyed sigh, slamming the cabinet door before turning to look at me. "Stop fucking staring at me dipshit."

  I couldn't help but laugh as I thought about how she always catches me without even looking at me. "You're right, I don't, and especially not to hypocrites." I retorted with a smirk on my face as I thought about how she was staring at me earlier during breakfast. A flash of  disbelief then embarrassment took turns on her face as she opened her mouth seemingly ready to defend herself, but then quickly shut. She scoffed at me rolling her eyes as she did before turning her back on me once again to explore the fridge.

She looks nice bent over, doesn't she. 

  A small smile played on my lips, not being able to help the thoughts running though my head. If only she was mine. I would make her feel safe and loved and many other things on top of that. 

  "What's so funny now, huh?" Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I bit my lip trying to holding back a chuckle, knowing she would beat my ass if I told her the thoughts of her that raced through my mind.

   "How much of a fat ass you are." I teased covering up the double mean of my words and burst out laugh. Her eyebrow furrowed together and her mouth dropped obviously offended. She lunged forward and tackled me catching me off guard making us both fall with her on top.

  "Take. It. Back." Her hands came towards me in a flurry and I used my arms to block me from her blows, still not being able to control my laughter as I tried to call out her name for her to stop.

   "So do you take it back?" She paused, clearly just trying to catch her breathe. She was trying to keep a straight face looking down at me with her arms crossed, but I could see the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as a sign that she wasn't as mad as she's letting on. Her eyes lingered on where my hands casually rested on her thighs and it took everything in me not to grip it and explore like I wanted to.

   "No. Only a fat ass could take me down so easily." Another wave of laughter escaped my mouth, as I wondered if she caught on to my flirting. Her hands flew to me again ready to attack, but I caught them in my hands before they could connect. "Okay, okay, I take it back." I admitted defeat as my laughter died down.

   Finally, the smile that's been fighting it way to freedom appeared in victory on her. She pushed herself up off me as I loosened my grip on her forearms and held out a hand to help me up soon after. She went back to her search for food, asking about Emma and when she's going to be back while I positioned myself up on the island and continued my silent observation of her. Her mood swings confused me. First, she hates me. Then, she's making a truce with me to be friends or at least pretend to be. Next, she hates me again and now we're joking around and talking normally.

   I couldn't help but wonder if she knows it was me from that night and if she only hates me because I'm with Emma. Despite her occasional attitude in our current conversation about random topics, it made me feel like if I did this right and took it slow, I could have a chance. I wanted to just tell her and screw the plan which was starting to seem like a bad idea.

  "Okay, come on, go put on your shoes. We're going out."

  "And where are we going?" I asked following her out the kitchen and to the front door.

  "I'm hungry and there's nothing here I want to eat." She said putting on her shoes and stumbling in the process, as if I should've known.

  This just might be my chance to try to get to know her more. In order for her to be mine, I needed to prove to her that I cared. I needed to actually be her friend.

__________________

Ahhh! This chapter had me in my feeelinggss. How are you guys feeling about whats going on so far?

Soo, Dylan is starting to learn hints of Sky's past and we learn a little about what Dylan's job is and a lot about his feelings towards Skylar. Sky's still stubborn as always, smh. Do you guys feel bad for Emma?

Also btw, feel free to comment or send me suggestions and tell what you think is going to happen, who knows it might just happen ;p.

[Edited 08/18/2020] Ahh re reading and editing this chapter brought back all the feels! Absolutely love this chapter. Besides some grammar mistakes and a couple of things added and removed, not much change to this, but I would still love your feedback! 

Love you guys, and thank you so much for reading and supporting and commenting and voting. I appreciate it so much. I do read all of y'alls comments. XOXO