Beautifully Damaged

13. Lies

 Drake looked down at Blaise’s sleeping form, her silvery blonde hair spilling over his shoulder and chest. Even her skin had a glowing pallor to it, innocent and so very beautiful.

He’d known that coming here would be difficult; that the brilliance of her eyes and softness of her skin would lure him in, trap him. It was his arrogance, confidence and ultimately his hatred that had pushed him to take the offer.

It was the offer of a lifetime.

So what was holding him back? There was nothing that could stop him, nothing. Nothing except himself, it seemed.

She even had a scent of purity- light and airy.

Drake berated himself for thinking like that, but his soul hungered for that liveliness, that light. He gritted his teeth, reigning in his growing frustration and disappointment in himself.

His fingers dug into his palms as he carefully stood, leaving Blaise alone on the couch.

She looked so small; curled up beside that stupid animal she called Bear, so alone. Drake shook his head, clearing the perpetrating thoughts from his head. Not today.

That was the thought that always rang clear in his mind, no matter what he did. It was only when that thought faded that he would be able to rest.

Drake had to wonder if it ever would.

Before he left, he ran his hand across her forehead, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

****

I had the strangest feeling of silence when I awoke. Nightmares had failed to plague me at all during the night- or day, whatever it was. I felt like a black abyss had consumed me as I slept. It was a strange sensation to explain, and I doubted that I could ever fully describe it.

The second thing I noticed was the absence of Drake’s strong body beside me, the non-existence of his reassuring arms around my shoulders.

I sighed, pushing myself up from my position on the sofa and rolled my shoulders to release the stiffness in them.

Apparently, somewhere during the hours that I had slept, Bear had gotten hot and had removed himself to the kitchen floor. Stretching, I looked at the time on the cable box under the TV.

After the day I’d had, two o’clock was not what I was expecting. Disgruntled, I ran my fingers through my hair and got to my feet. On the counter, my iPhone vibrated, reminding me that Jenna had been worried. Or so Drake had said.

Still slow with sleep, I sauntered into the kitchen and scooped up the phone, pressing the talk button.

“Hello?”

“Blaise!” I could hear the underlying accusatory tone in her voice, but the relief was the most evident.

“Hey Jenna, I’m sorry I didn’t-”

“You should be! Jeez, you had me thinking you were dead in a ditch somewhere and-”

“I’m fine, you know-” I started, but Jenna wasn’t having it.

“… Especially after that scene in the mall with those guys and Alex-” Jenna’s voice gradually grew in volume, and I had to bite back a smile.

“Jenna! Listen to me! I’m alright.” I matched her in loudness, at least, and she finally fell silent.

“Sorry, I have a lot of siblings, you have to fight to be heard.” A short silence, she sighed. “Just don’t do that again okay?” The accusation was out of her voice, and she generally sounded like she’d been worried for me.