Under My Skin

31 | you heard wrong

Chapter Thirty-One:

"I'm sure he's fine. Trust me, Reid's all talk." Indiya reassured Ria as they sat on the customer benches at Terminal Ten in Larnaca Airport forty-five minutes before their flight was due to depart.

"Maybe, but why has he been declining all my calls? Ignoring my messages?" Ria mewled, uncertain of Indiya's words, "I knew I shouldn't have left them yesterday. Reid's obviously said something to scare him off."

"Good thing Blaine's not someone that scares easily, then," Indiya retaliated, but even she was growing unsure. She wouldn't place anything past Reid anymore; she felt she barely knew him now. Had he stooped so low as to threaten Blaine with the night of Rayhan's death? She wouldn't be surprised. She wouldn't be shocked by anything he did again after his antics with Hazel.

Ria glanced at the stack of bags lying by their feet; she kicked her legs up and down against the chair railings endeavouring to preoccupy herself, "You know what he said to me yesterday?" She didn't pause for Indiya's verbal response, nor did she look at her, before whispering, "he said... he's always felt this way towards me. For the last five years." She chewed on the sensitive inner skin of her cheek.

"And it's the truth." Indiya insisted, placing an arm through Ria's and dragging her towards her in a sisterly hug, "He has."

"He told you?"

"He didn't have to." She whispered, "It's obvious in how he looks at you, in how he cares for you, even in how he talks to you. It's not how he acts around me, Hazel, or even Leela. It's different with you."

"Yeah? Then why's he ignoring me now?" She hated that she had been reduced to a girl who checked her phone every five minutes to see if he'd texted. She hated that she had placed a pillow behind her back last night just to pretend she could feel his presence. She hated missing his voice and silly jokes before she went to sleep.

"Reid's probably really angry. Blaine knows he needs to be cautious right now. Come on, Ria, It's less than one day. Give Reid some time to come to terms with it, yeah?" Indiya nudged her, "Blaine will fight for you. I believe that." She winced as she recalled the time she'd encouraged Blaine to end things with Ria. She'd thought it would be the right thing to do, but was that the truth or was she thinking about what Reid would have wanted as always? It was clear that Blaine truly cared for Ria. And even though he knew about Hazel and Reid's transgression, Blaine was a good guy. Indiya knew that. The sacrifices he made confirmed that.

Ria nodded unhurriedly before shifting to Indiya, "Indiya, I haven't forgotten about...everything that you told us that night." Ria positioned her hand against Indiya's face lovingly, and as she did so, she thought she looked different. As though she wasn't the same girl that had boarded the flight with them a week ago. Or maybe Indiya had been this girl for a while, but Ria hadn't noticed. It was how her usual hazelnut-coloured eyes were now a muddy brown colour, more lacklustre than they had once been. The way the curve of her smile stopped short before reaching her cheeks and finally the way she'd only superficially combed her hair, a messy nest hidden beneath a neat façade. "It sounded like you'd been in a pretty dark place for a while."

Indiya shook her head, preventing Ria from speaking further, "I'd had one too many shots that day. I don't even remember half of what I said, so don't pay any attention to me. I'm fine; Lydia's released me of bridesmaids' duties, and you and Blaine have given me plenty of distractions. I'm okay." She re-iterated.

"But you were talking about there being no hope anymore. You said you didn't see a point in life anymore." Ria pressed, "Look, I don't know exactly how you feel because I've never been through...something like what you have, but I know what it feels like when you think there's no purpose in life because I felt like that for a bit after dad died." She articulated softly.