Life Lines

35: Just Like Last Year

Chapter Thirty-Five

The second I stepped back through the closet and my toes touched the familiar carpet of the guestroom; I let out a sigh of relief. I could now pretend none of that had happened and that I was back to being a normal girl.

Except the fact that I now had color on my skin where there was once only black.

And the kiss.

I couldn't really stop thinking about that. My brain was functioning like this. I'm an Elite. I kissed Cecil. What am I going to wear to the party? I really, really kissed Cecil. My father is not going to let me out of his sight for days. I freaking KISSED Cecil. I'm hungry.

So yeah, needless to say I had a one track mind which closely resembled...

"Schylar!"

He was sitting on the end of the guest bed, staring off at nothing with an expression that was a mixture of worry and anger. Apparently, he'd left the door open, awaiting our arrival back. He wasn't supposed to be there, I was guessing, since the look on Kells's face was disapproving.

But before anything could be said, Schylar was up off the bed and hugging me so tightly I thought my ribs would break through to my lungs.

"Schy, you're going to puncture a lung."

He didn't end the hug, just lessened it a little so I could breathe.

"I was so worried. They wouldn't tell me where you disappeared to. Your uncle said..."

"You shouldn't be up here," Kells said. "You were supposed to be waiting downstairs."

Schylar, like the overprotective big brother he wasn't, released me only to push me behind him. "Who are you?" His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Haven't I seen you some place before?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Crap."

"What are you doing up here?" We all looked over and found my uncle and my father standing in the doorway. "I told you to stay downstairs."

"You weren't supposed to be in here."

"Who are you?"

"Schy..."

"Why did you come out of the closet? Nat hates closets." Schylar's eyes narrowed in an accusatory manner. "Did you..."

"NO! Schy, stop! You're asking too many questions."

"What? Nat..."

"Schy." I stared at him, hoping he got the message to shut up. "Let it go."

The room remained quiet for a few heartbeats before he nodded. It wasn't a complacent nod, it was more of a sharp jerk of the head. He was still angry, and more than likely he'd pull me aside later and demand an explanation. Hopefully, when that time came, I would have something to tell him. It's not like I could say it was a magical closet. Because that was the truth and I wasn't allowed to tell the truth. That's when I started to worry that this Elite thing would turn me into a liar. I wasn't completely comfortable with that.

When I glanced back at the closet, the image of my room back at Agora was gone and the dark depths of the actual closet remained.

Maybe I could come up with something completely ridiculous that he would just get the picture that I wasn't spilling. It would take a lot though, considering I always told him everything.

"Tales."

I looked away from Schylar and at my father, getting my first real second to take in his appearance. He looked tired beyond his years but when my gaze locked with his, a smile bloomed across his face. Schylar let me go and I walked over to give him a hug, knowing he needed it in order to accept everything was going to be ok. At least as far as he knew.