Hard To Balance: Trials & Tribulations #1 | An MM Paranormal Romance

( 7 ) CHAPTER SEVEN | OWEN SYKES

After what happened with that guy–crap, I forgot to ask his name–I'm left in a confused state by the time I arrive back at home.

I park the car in the driveway but I don't get out immediately. Staring over at the empty seat beside me, I feel a strong urge to reach over and touch it. To see if it was still warm where he sat.

They really were going to walk all the way up that mountain. How far up the mountain did they live, anyway? I've never gone up that road so I don't know where the campgrounds were.

Maybe I can check it out sometime. Is it even allowed? I'm gonna have to ask around . . .

I'm not sure how long I sat for before I remember I still have things to do. I jump out of the truck with the groceries and hurry inside. I shiver all the way from my truck to the doorway. You would think living in Alaska all my life would make me used to the cold...Not.

There's no sound, which means Atticus hasn't come back from hanging out with his friends. He might not even be back, which means I'll practically be on my own tonight.

In the comfort of my own home, that doesn't scare me. After how I acted in the store earlier, I'd have thought the idea of being alone would set me off again, but apparently not. It was good to know.

Dark had set in already. I turn on the lights on the first floor before dropping the groceries in the kitchen. I already know what I'm going to make for dinner, so I get started.

I put on a playlist on my phone and let the music play as I move around the kitchen, singing along to the lyrics.

Though I try to keep my mind busy, other thoughts keep interrupting.

First, there was that panic attack at the store. At least, I think that's what it was. I'd been struck by fear plenty of times, but nothing like that had ever happened to me before.

It was probably an indication that I was more affected than I thought about my bad dreams. Which meant, I can no longer act like it doesn't matter. I can't go to anyone about this, either, so I have to deal with it myself. How to go about it, though? Now I'd have to think about that.

The other thing is that guy who met me at the store. It was going to get annoying for me if he spread what happened in school. Since pre-school, I've done my best to stay out of the rumor mill. I don't want to stand out in any way, and if I have to, then let it be because of my academic abilities. Let it be because I can do something worth talking about, not because some asshole needed to feel big about themselves to spread something. Otherwise, I could get more annoyances like Ainsley attaching themselves to me.

I have nothing against making friends, really. I just believe that friendship had to be a mutually beneficial relationship, so if I'm not getting anything out of it, it's nothing but a waste of time and effort.

Finally, my mind keeps going back to that guy.

The guy whose eyes turned gold out of nowhere.

If I had only seen it once, I could just tell myself I was seeing things.

Eyes didn't change color, not really. Sure, it's possible for eyes to seem a different color, like hazel eyes, depending on a number of factors. The first time, I might have thought it really was a trick of the light after thinking it over. But the second time, while it happened right in front of me for a few seconds? No. No. Fucking. Way.

His eyes changed color. He was aware of it, too, and didn't want to talk about it. A medical condition, maybe? Or something genetic?

I can always ask Mom about it... but he seemed to want to keep it a secret.