Violet Eyes

27: Taken

Soul was sitting on the front steps of the lake house, she brought a cigarette up to her lips and inhaled. The smoke flowing out of her lips when she exhaled. Worry was spreading through her system. For some reason, Soul had gotten a strange feeling when Danny told her what he did. Her chest started to feel tight and her blood felt hotter. Why did she feel that way? Soul didn't even jump when she heard the front door open and close.

Nerissa sat down next to her. "Hey, hun. How ya feeling?"

"I feel...weird." Soul responded after she took another drag of her cigarette. "I've been starting to feel weird around Danny."

Nerissa raised an eyebrow. "Weird how?"

"Weird like...weird! I don't know, man, he told me that he banged Nyx and it felt like my chest got tight. It was like I could barely breathe." Soul took a drag of her cigarette and exhaled deeply.

"Can I confess something to you too?" Nerissa asked quietly. Soul nodded. "I feel some kind of weird connection to him, he doesn't make me feel weird or anything. I just feel like...I already know him, somehow." Nerissa looked off into space as she spoke.

"That's weird." Soul said as she took another drag.

"I know, right?" Nerissa looked at her solemnly before she remembered what they were actually talking about. "As for your situation, I think that the ever brooding and reserved Soul might be catching feelings." Nerissa added as she leaned against her shoulder.

"Yeah right." Soul said quietly as she took a final drag of her cigarette and flicked it away from the stairs.

"I'm serious! It would be perfect! You're both quiet and calm, you're both smart, you're both good looking." Nerissa listed off comparisons.

"Even with this?" Soul said as she used her pointer finger to slightly lift her bangs, revealing a long scar that crossed her eye.

"Oh, come on! Scars are hot! I mean...you saw Danny's scars." Nerissa said in a cheery voice.

"Yeah, both of us are scarred by the same person." Soul responded as she let her hair fall and cover her eye again. The front door opened again and the two girls looked to see who it was.

"Oh, hey." Danny sounded tired, and he looked tired too. The two girls scooted over so Danny had room to sit next to them. He pulled out his own cigarette and lit it.

"You smoke?" Nerissa asked him in quiet disbelief.

"Oh, yeah. Not very much but I have one when I'm feeling stressed, I'm smart enough to know that they're bad for you, but stressed enough to not care." Danny finished before he took another long drag and leaned back on his hands. When he exhaled he coughed a little bit and glanced at Soul and Nerissa as they looked at him. "Alright, I know what you're thinking. I shouldn't smoke with the whole asthma thing."

"Yeah, I mean...it's not ideal, I'm not one to judge people though." Soul said as she looked forward again.

"Well, I gotta go uhh...help Nyx with dinner, I think." Nerissa was obviously making an excuse to leave the two alone. Soul rolled her eyes a little bit as Nerissa got up and went back inside.

"So, what's her deal?" Danny asked as he took another gentle drag of his cigarette. Soul leaned back on her own hands and sighed.

"I don't know, she has this weird idea in her head that you and I are super similar." Soul said so matter-of-factly that it threw Danny off a little bit, he flicked his eyebrows upward for a second.

"Well, just gunna dive right in, huh?" Danny responded sarcastically before he took another drag of his cigarette. "She has a point though."

"She does?" Soul sounded surprised.