Under My Skin

04 | broken heart remedies

Chapter four:

Indiya should not have been there.

That was the only thought racing through Ria's mind as she got that text from Reid. He had just messaged her, asking her to FaceTime him as soon as possible. The time had arrived for him to propose to Lydia, and he wanted his little sister and future best man to be there, even if they were several thousand miles away.

Ria, Hazel, Indiya and Blaine were currently all seated in Ria's bedroom, watching the first episode of the second season of Bridgerton – Hazel's choice, of course.

Indiya was situated at the bottom of Ria's bed, legs firmly crossed, and deep in conversation with Hazel over whether Anthony or the Duke from Season one was more attractive. Ria could hear Blaine's constant intervening in the conversation as he jokingly called out the two girls on their toxic femininity for objectifying the two male celebrities.

Ria nipped her bottom lip as she gazed over at Indiya, her heart thudding in her chest as she imagined the girl's pain which was inevitably soon to come.

She observed Indiya's almond-shaped chocolate eyes light up as she giggled along with the silly conversation. Her skin was gleaming beneath the flaxen-hued harsh bedroom lights; her skin was the perfect blend of wheat and caramel, owing to her mixed ancestry of Malay and white. Her face was perfectly rounded, with a tiny hint of cellulite under her chin. Her wavy hair swung just above her shoulders and was such a dark shade of brunette that it may as well have been pitch-black.

Around Indiya's neck laid a golden sun-shaped pendant which glistened beneath the lights. She'd worn it religiously for as long as Ria could remember; she was sure she even wore it to sleep from the way the chain had left matching imprints beneath the skin.

Her whole being emitted kindness, for if compassion were a person, it would be Indiya.

It was that same kindness that made Ria wish it were Indiya, that was her sister-in-law to be and not Lydia. She'd known the girl for five years since she and Reid began dating. She couldn't understand why they broken up six months earlier, and neither Indiya nor Reid would indulge the reason.

"Hey, guys," Ria spoke gently, attempting to gauge the room's attention.

The three glanced up at her.

"Reid's just asked me to call him," she continually nibbled on her lower lip, acutely aware of the soreness as a result, "I think he's going to ask Lydia...I think he's going to propose now."

All three heads swiftly turned towards Indiya. They noticed her eyes widened as Ria concluded her sentence as a mix of emotions washed over the former girl; first pain, then regret and numbness.

"Indiya...if you want, I can call him back later then-"

"No! No, it's fine... I'm fine, honestly. Call him. You're his sister; you should be there." Indiya offered a soft smile, her lower lip trembling ever-so-subtly. "Take the call. I...knew it was coming."

"You sure?" Blaine spoke up, having silently been analysing the situation before him. He made direct eye contact with Ria, giving her a gentle nod, the extra encouragement she had needed.

Ria sighed softly and called her elder brother, who answered rapidly. Reid placed a finger to his lips, urging her to stay silent as he prepared for his proposal.

Ria could see that Reid and Lydia were sitting in a posh restaurant. The restaurant's interior was barely visible under the dimmed lights—the delicate shadows of the flickering candles reflecting upon Reid's face.