Under My Skin

23 | don't break it

Chapter Twenty-Three:

"I asked you a question, Blaine. Why do you have Ria's anklet?" Reid repeated, standing up and towering over the table, his eyes constricting with hate or at least intense dislike as he gawped up at his best friend.

Ria was confident that someone at the restaurant had turned down the thermostat, for she was sure that the temperature had fallen into the negatives – the goosebumps on her forearms were evidence enough. She could feel the fear growing in her chest, dancing around like a furious uncontrollable ball, defying gravity and leaving her ribs contused.

Blaine let out a laugh, the sound devoid of emotion, "it's... it's—" He stammered the words, the hesitation speaking volumes despite the lack of substance within his speech.

"It's what, Blaine?" Reid quizzed further. He wasn't shouting. No, the volume of his voice hadn't altered at all. And that was the terrifying part. Ria knew her brother had an angry streak. She'd seen it on two occasions, once the day after her father's death and a second time, aimed at Indiya after their breakup. He'd never yell, shout, or scream, but he had a way of speaking in which his words seemed to drip with venom.

"It is Ria's anklet." Indiya, who had remained silent for most of the evening, spoke up, an almost invisible being who saw and heard everything. Everybody's head turned towards her, each irradiating a different emotion except for Blaine and Ria, who emitted pure fear and betrayal in their eyes.

Blaine felt his body tremble with fear. Indiya had warned Blaine, and he hadn't listened. And now, she would tell Reid it all. But she wouldn't stop there. She'd tell Ria about what had happened all those years ago. Or at least part of what happened. Blaine was so sure that he held his breath in preparation for the inevitable fallout.

"But," Indiya breathed, "But, I erm, thought the anklet really matched my outfit today, so I asked to borrow it. But, I erm, I accidentally broke the clasp, and this stupid dress doesn't have any pockets," she gestured at the floral white and pink frock-dress she was wearing, "so, I asked Blaine to keep a hold of it for me," She laughed rather awkwardly, the faces around her still perplexed, "I'm sorry about the confusion."

"Really?" Reid asked; he screwed up his face into a frown, "why didn't you  just say that to start with?"

"Honestly, everything in this family has to be so dramatic all the time," Lydia interrupted, "At least, I know I'll never be bored for long." She tittered as she began to dig into the souvlakia that had been placed in front of her. "Honestly though, you should've seen your face, Reid. For a second, I actually thought you were going to punch Blaine."

"She's right," Hazel jumped in, "I can't believe we all doubted them for a second. These two," She laughed as she pointed the end of her fork between Ria and Blaine, "it would never happen."

Reid sighed, before chuckling, "I don't even know what I was thinking. I know you'd never go there. I mean, she's practically your little sister, too, right, Blaine?"

The food in front of Blaine suddenly seemed unappetising as Reid's words hit him. He'd never considered Ria his sister; she'd always been a little too attractive and annoying for the thought to have ever occurred. "It's okay. Ria's definitely not my type; you have nothing to worry about," his shoulders slumped as he lied. He didn't dare make eye contact with Ria, too ashamed to see the expression on her face.

Ria and Blaine spent the remainder of the evening in silence, Ria more so than Blaine. The guilt of lying to her older brother was gnawing away at her. Her growing relationship, or situationship with Blaine, wasn't inherently wrong, but it would infuriate Reid, which was guilt-striking enough.