The Vale Of Tears

Chapter 5: Hope

"It's okay, I've my own car. I'm just gonna follow you guys." Skye headed towards her small car parked at the corner of the parking lot.

"Sweet, you're one of those free, strong, independent kind of women, right? I get that kind of vibe from you." Flynn leaned against her car, a flash of admiration passing in his eyes.

"I wouldn't say strong, but I do like to do things on my own whenever possible. I won't depend on anyone else, that's all," she replied, leaning against her car as well.

The parking lot was almost empty save for a few other cars and some people roaming around the area.

Flynn looked up at the sky, taking in the blue sky and white clouds. He pulled his leather jacket tighter, feeling the chill in the air. Slowly, the blue was overtaken by the gray clouds that were rolling in. The wind picked up followed by a roll of thunder.

"Shit, looks like it's gonna rain. Let's get going. I'll tell Kyan to meet us there," Flynn said as they quickly slipped into her car. It wasn't long before rain started pelting against the windows.

After giving Skye the instructions to the spot, Flynn called Kyan. On the second ring, he picked up.

"Hey, change of plans. I'm going with Skye and you can meet us up there," Flynn told him.

After the phone call, they lapsed into a comfortable silence, enjoying the sound of the raindrops hitting the car's roof.

"I really love days like this." Flynn stated, breaking the silence. Seeing the rain drops trickling down the window brought a sense of calmness to him.

"I love it too. Seems like we have something in common," Skye said softly, looking ahead with a light smile playing around her lips.

Flynn stole a glance at Skye, taking in her appearance. She looked a lot different from the rest of the girls he usually sees with short skirts and dresses that left nothing to the imagination. Skye looked average with a hoodie and jeans, but in her ordinariness, Flynn found her stunning. Maybe it was how she carried herself, but something about her just grabbed his attention. It was a fact that Flynn gets all the ladies. He had dark hazel eyes that made girls go weak in the knees. He was slim and had just the right amount of muscle with an almost perfectly sculptured face. To top it off, he had tousled, thick black hair which was begging for a hand to run through it. And to complement the whole look, his playful smile would make girls swoon over him. Flynn was aware of all this and he knew the effect he had on girls. Yet, he was taken aback by his reactions to Skye.

Flynn's thoughts jerked from Skye when the car came to a halt.

"We're here." Skye killed the engine and they hopped out.

Droplets of rain assaulted them as they made a dash to the diner. Skye went inside with Flynn following behind her. They were welcomed with the mouthwatering aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The diner was deserted and there was a faint music being played in the background.

"Guys, over here," a voice called from a corner of the diner.

Flynn and Skye looked over to see Kyan frantically waving at them with a huge smile plastered on his face.

Flynn and Kyan greeted each other with their typical bro hug and Skye rolled her eyes at them as she settled down.

They ordered their meals and were in the middle of a deep conversation when a loud thunderclap was heard.

"Crap, that scared me," Skye muttered under her breath.

Kyan and Flynn looked at her with surprise. "Did you actually say crap?" Flynn clasped his hands together as a large grin creeped onto his face.

Skye's cheeks tinted with red as she tried to hide her embarrassment with a cough. "It's not even a big deal."

"Yeah but I kind of pegged you as the type of person who'd swear a lot, but you never do, and then you say this," Flynn said, laughing as Kyan join in too.

After a few minutes, Skye excused herself to go to the restroom.

"Did you talk to Ave today?" Flynn asked, popping a fry in his mouth.

"Yeah, we talk every day. We miss each other like crazy. It's just not the same without her here. I thought I'd get used to it in a few weeks but no." Kyan shook his head as his shoulders slumped.

Flynn could see the sadness in Kyan's eyes.

"So, how long have you been in love with Ave?" he asked nonchalantly.

"What?" Kyan looked up so fast Flynn thought he'd break his neck. He looked at Flynn with shock evident on his face.

"It's fucking obvious. You should know by now how observant I am." Flynn rolled his eyes.

"Damn, and I thought I hid it well."

"Don't worry, I think I'm the only one who knows since I always hung out with you two more." Flynn looked unfazed as Kyan continued to panic.

"God, I can't believe you knew all this time. You should've said something," he sighed. "I don't know when or how I fell for her. And I'm sure it's not the typical friendship love that I have for her. It's all real and sometimes it scares me. I just know that I want her in my life," Kyan said softly. "But she's gone. I don't think I can ever tell her how I feel. I don't know if she feels the same about me or not."

"It's never too late to tell her how you feel. But I do understand where you're coming from. You're afraid of rejection. You're afraid you might lose her forever. Especially since you're so far apart right now," Flynn said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"What are you guys talking about so seriously?" Skye asked, sliding back into her seat.

"Football. It's the only topic a guy could ever be serious about, right Flynn?" Kyan said without missing a beat, knowing that Flynn would have his back.

Flynn held back a laugh and agreed with Kyan, talking about football.

Kyan smiled in relief and turned to Skye, involving her in the conversation.

Skye couldn't help but stare at Kyan's smile. It was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. She could feel her heart beating fast and her hands getting sweaty. His smile made her feel giddy, something she couldn't remember ever feeling. But most important of all, his smile brought her hope. Hope that things might change for the better and that everything would work out somehow. In his smile, Skye found that she could change from the girl she had been for the last five years into someone better. It was the smile that lit a spark of happiness in her bitter life.

******

A/N

Hey guys!! A long chapter for the long wait! I hope you all like this chapter and please let me know what you think about the story. Don't forget to vote and comment 😀