"HUDSON WAS STARING at you."
The world around them was a colorful blur. Tyson and Lyla picked up the rhythm with ease, their bodies in sync with the music. The song was upbeat and Lyla prayed for her knees to keep pulling through and not give out beneath her any moment.
"He was?" she asked amidst hasty breaths, the blood in her ears pounding. She could barely make sense of him upon the erratic beats of her heart, her adrenaline at its zenith.
"Yeah. Probably undressing you with his eyes if the hunger in them is anything to go by."
Lyla sighed. "That's the final straw. You'll never get to keep me company during my writing sessions again." It was all she could do since one hand was holding his shoulder firmly while the other was clasped in his. Settling for verbal responses instead of a deserved punch was a compromise difficult adjusting to.
"At least they paid off. I can describe sexual tension with a variety of words."
Lyla suppressed a grin, that tickling sensation against the corners of her lips urging them to lift upwards. He paid attention to the details even though he wasn't obliged to.
"They did," she agreed with a nod, giving in to her desire to smile at last. "Seriously though." She lowered her voice despite it wasn't the smartest idea in a public space where music was echoed everywhere. "Was he?"
Tyson almost snapped. Her anxiety combined with an intense, yet well-masked insecurity whenever she truly liked someone resurfaced. "What do you think?" He met her troubled features with his characteristic pointed look of brows arched and eyes focused with decisiveness. "He'd be a blind ass if he wasn't."
Lyla ran her tongue across her bottom lip to relieve the dryness. "Not necessarily. There are many girls who are stunning..." she trailed off and squirmed under his relentless gaze.
"I'm not belittling myself in case you're worried," she clarified and switched the subject. "What about you? How come this sudden interest in changing Hilary's perspective?"
Pressuring her would result in an adverse reaction. His temporary deference spoke volumes, but Tyson missed her bone-reaching sigh of relief and gratitude. He was occupied with finding a proper answer.
When he did, he wasn't pleased with the truth. "Because I'm tired. I don't care what she says anymore, I just want to tie up any loose ends and avoid dealing with her from now on."
The shock on Lyla's face was unmissable. It didn't stop him nonetheless. "I don't mind her being on the team, but the longer we stay away from each other's radar, the better."
"I see," she told him with a dim, condescending smile. "If you believe it's better that way, do it."
"There's no better in the situation, but thanks," he told her as he signalled an oblivious Max with a nod of his head to spin Hilary closer.
Lyla chuckled at Max's confusion. It was too weird -even for her- to voice aloud, but if anyone could pull off a troubled expression and still look deliciously handsome and cute, then Max was the person for the job.
The beat of the rhythm they were swaying their bodies to accelerated and Tyson was determined to seize the opportunity. He was equally glad and baffled once he saw people swapping partners because the song belonged to a kind that included moves like the aforementioned.
As soon as he caught Hilary's hand, lifted it higher and set his other arm relaxed around her waist, he returned to his cocky demeanor. He flashed her a dazzling smile that brightened his ocean irises, unable to help himself. "Missed me?"
Hilary's breath was lodged in her throat. For a moment she was clueless as to which affront should she fire first. Instead, her civil answer came to both of them as a surprise. "Hardly," she said, her tone colorless as reality struck her. "What did I do now to deserve to put up with you?"
Tyson's lips twisted in a fake, thoughtful pout. "I'd say existing, but it's quite heavy. No one has gone too far to earn that insult. Not even you."
It was impossible not to roll her eyes. "Glad to know I'm not the worst person on the planet."
Hilary ignored the silent laughter he had the illusion he concealed. Having to deal with his presence was a challenge on its own, but sharing a dance with him? She hadn't believed there would be something more frightening than death, but life tended to prove her wrong quite often.
She lifted her head for their windows to the soul to meet halfway. "What are you up to, Tyson?" she demanded, her mouth curling with disdain.
"Honestly? I don't know either. I just figured this closure thing wasn't as wrapped up as it should. Not when you bitched at me for being right. Again."
Hilary regarded him with shrewd eyes. "You also happened to figure that the sensible thing to do to fix it was to dance with me, didn't you?"
Tyson released a heavy, weary sigh. "Can't you listen to someone without acting like a stuck-up brat? I'm tired of trying to make things right when the effort is clearly one-sided. Needless to remind you, you were the one who complained that we stayed in the same vicious cycle because both parties had their heads shoved in their asses."
Hilary bit the inside of her cheek. He made a damning justified point, but the way he phrased it rose a wave of anger inside her and an overwhelming urge to slap him. An act of violence was inhuman. She'd never been supportive of utter disrespect to another's existence, but Tyson's jackass attitude minimised her options.
"You didn't have to stop yourself from calling me a bitch you know," she retorted and held a hand at his attempt to protest. "I will listen to you once you're done with the insults."
Tyson's mischief combined with subtle traces of mockery resurfaced. "Can't wait to see how that'll work for you."
Hilary's immense pleading to God to show mercy and spare her ire from exploding turned out effective. "It won't if you're persistent on breathing jerk-oxygen."
"Jerk-oxygen?" he asked with mirth welling up within him. A fleeting smile of amusement found its way to his lips.
"I can be innovative too, sometimes," she said nonchalantly, her face sober as she waited for him to carry on with his train of thought.
"Right." He gave her an absent-minded nod and composed his brain. "I was saying you have to start seeing outside of your little world because I sure as hell won't put up with it – or you anymore."
Hilary's wide-eyed exasperation only prompted him to keep going. "Don't claim the opposite. When something bursts your bubble of happiness all hell breaks loose and the worst is you harm others in the process without even knowing it."
She knew he was referring to her standoffish behavior back at the hotel, yet it wasn't adequate to cease her from defending herself entirely. "For the record, I didn't ask anyone to follow me, and I won't apologize for having feelings. I thought that people who I can consider friends had an understanding nature of one's problems. I guess I was wrong."
Tyson was positive she would castrate him at the end of this, but he couldn't find it in him to worry. "No, you didn't, but you didn't respect them either. You drowned in your problem instead, and when you felt someone -namely me- stepping forward to put you in your place, you acted like a wounded puppy. It's about damn time you grow up Hilary. Everyone has their issues."
He couldn't place a finger on as to why he was willing to go out of his way for her, why to dive in waters unknown for her. Maybe the rational part of him, the part that gained great satisfaction in seeing others thrive, shoved aside any warning bells. It was a habit he developed after being assigned as a teacher of basic tricks to a group of wind-wielder newbies for the previous semester. The warmth that exhilarated and softened his heart all the same at the acknowledgement of him being the reason behind a person climbed to the next step was prodigious.
As much he supported the opposite, Hilary wasn't absorbed in her ego. So, without second thought, she got straight to the point. "All this while, you've been going out of your way for me. Why?"
It wasn't easy for him to admit it to her due to the countless manners she could perceive it, yet he was sincere. "I don't know what you think of me – actually scratch that, I do, and I couldn't care less – but I like to help people who can go further, people who have the potential of becoming better."
Her astonishment in the form of brown eyes ablaze and her breath lost almost drew a heartfelt laugh. However, he planned to stay in her good graces and suppressed it. His solemnity was quick to remind him the meaning of this conversation. "You can do better than this, and you will. You just have to stop lashing out at the person who opposites you when their intention is to help."
Hilary was speechless. She desperately craved someone to pinch her. This was a dream, otherwise it didn't make any sense. This was Tyson Adams she was having a strange conversation with under even stranger circumstances. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.
Yet it felt too real...
She was careful with him this time. "Not all people can see, much less appreciate an effort of this kind," she told him, her voice a fraction lower, but loud enough to be heard above the blaring music.
His nod of agreement had her heart beating faster. "I know, but I can't be sure unless I try."
Try.
One word, three letters. So small and powerful nonetheless.
Try.
It was etched in her mind, like an addicting melody on replay. It filled her with faith and a strong reality.
He had been trying with her this whole time, not for his sake, but hers. There was no ulterior motive, no benefit to gain.
Maybe this was a beginning of a new era. A signal to start viewing him from a different light.
Light zero.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Sleep was adamant on not favoring her.
Lyla twisted and turned on the single bed. She had tossed the soft blanket aside long ago. The blood in her body pumped with tension, her body drowning in agitation.
She buried her face in the pillow, retreating in humiliating defeat from the battle with her mind. It was one of those nights where she couldn't stop thinking about him.
What was wrong with her? This wasn't normal. She may've been exchanging a few words with Kai occasionally and subtle glances of longing from her part with the hopes of passing by unnoticed, but other than that there was nothing.
That isn't exactly true...her brain argued.
Yes, she had a small collection of moments with him, however besides that, there wasn't much to tell.
Lyla squeezed her eyes shut with force. She was doing it again. The desperation of someone loving her to her very core of existence she tried so hard to hide from herself, combined with her overthinking nature were driving her mad.
It had to come an end.
Just like with her past, she'd placed Kai subconsciously on a pedestal, on a non-existent, daydreaming version of him, living countless nights her fantasies with him – and that was a scary thought from his point of view, she noted. Not all of them were pure, but this was the least of her concern.
The depths of her heart were full of love to give. It didn't matter she handed it to the wrong person in the past who concluded to take advantage of it and her for granted. She bloomed stronger and had the honor of discovering that no one could really drain her of love, of kindness, of any authentic emotion, or herself. They wouldn't have the power, unless she was willing to quit.
The pain didn't darken her brightness. It contributed to skyrocketing it to the stars, with the universe being the final destination.
As long she never forgot who she was and her purpose, she had everything.
Lyla stood from the bed and grabbed her coat. Donned in slim fit, white sweatpants and a matching hoodie, she was the personification of a human snowflake. She patted the pocket of the coat to confirm she still carried the access card to their room and with silent steps headed outside.
The mild, calm atmosphere of the night was a small cure to her soul, the gentle breeze cooling the warmth of intensity the thought of Kai Hudson brought to her cheeks. The soft glow of the lamppost gave an ethereal beauty to the hazel of her eyes, her lips curving to a serene smile. A sense of peace embraced her heart as she lifted her head. It was a starry night.
She averted her gaze from the fascinating veil of blue embedded with the exquisite light of the stars and moved forward to the bridge. Nothing could sooth her to the full extent, except for a breath-taking landscape under a beautiful sky.
Her plan of uninterrupted soul-recharging was shattered as she spotted him sitting on the bridge. One ray of the moon was cast on his handsome face, accentuating his features that represented his wildness to the bone.
She released a melancholic sigh. He truly had a striking face.
With tentative, measured steps she walked over to him, only to halt a little further away beside him. Now that she was closer, she could see the crease between his brows and the way the night forest green she adored was fixated ahead, his mind travelling elsewhere. No wiseman was needed to deduce something was bothering him.
For a moment she remained still. She rested her elbows on the bridge, her jaw in the palm of her hands. She sneaked a few glances at him and eventually turned to the river below them. The peaceful flow stole her attention briefly, yet it wasn't enough to make her forget the imposing presence of the person beside her.
It was impossible to be so close without saying something, anything.
Unsure which route to take with him, she settled for the obvious. "Can't sleep?"
Kai pressed his eyelids shut. Although he hated disruption of any form, he couldn't find it in him to be mad at her. Indeed, he was pissed someone ruined his moment of solitude, yet it wasn't adequate to demand from her to leave him alone.
"Something like that," he told her, at last.
He hesitated as to whether he was supposed to ask her back. In the end, he stayed wordless.
Lyla couldn't take her eyes off of him. She didn't care that he'd notice, but she'd never encountered someone like him before. One moment he was witty, sarcastic and approachable, the other a firmly-closed shell. She was amused to an extent.
She looked down and ran her tongue across her lower lip – a movement he didn't miss. Silence covered with an almost incredible success the voids between them, the words and conversations they wanted to voice, but neither of them possessed the courage to make the start.
Maybe if they did, it wouldn't be right.
It all came down to trust, a trust that wasn't pressuring or judging, a trust built on genuine concern for the being next to her, Lyla thought. Trust was one of the most powerful things, especially for beginnings.
She shifted away from the bridge and made to squeeze his shoulder in a light, comforting touch when she weighted the possible reactions and decided against it. One thing she'd come to understand about him was that Kai didn't handle surprises well and even more the ones who involved physical contact. His momentary stillness to Mariah's sudden, affectionate pat on the back due to her great impression at his and Hilary's training schedule one day was a characteristic example.
I can't believe you forgot the fist you aimed at his chest for abandoning you at the infirmary after the shadow attacked you at the library...
Oh, that too...
Despite the doubt clouding her, she had to make a start, without hoping and expecting too much.
She inhaled a deep breath of believable surety. "Look, I don't know what goes on in your head, but whatever it is, you'll find the way to pull through. You always do."
The corner of his lip tilted to a hint of a smile for a beat she was unfortunate to miss. He appreciated the fact that she meant it, that she acknowledged his mighty front and didn't pity him when he wasn't alright, when all the weight on his shoulders came crashing down.
He respected with every fibre of his being the way she was always real around everyone.
He nodded. "Thanks," he told her, his voice barely above a whisper she caught just in time.
Her smile mirrored his not too long ago. Lyla stared ahead; her soul relaxed. The wind held a colder bite to it and she shivered, her hands rubbing her arms in an effort to retain the heat in her body.
Kai glanced at her from his peripheral vision. "Do your zip," he told her with an unrecognizable softness that melted her heart to pieces.
She flushed and hastened to zip her coat up to her neck, her fingers fumbling with the zipper. Kai swallowed a chuckle, but the glimmer of mirth lasted. One second she was fierce and powerful, with an unwavering determination to help and push herself higher. The next, she was beaming with the enthusiasm of a timeless soul with occasional traces of timidness.
He peeked over at her. Her eyes were drooping. Lyla brought her fingers to her lips to stifle a yawn.
It was about damn time she felt the need to sleep.
She stretched her arms. "I guess that's my cue to go. Good night."
"Night, Lyla."
She couldn't get over the way her name rolled off of the mouth she hoped to taste someday, the sound so delicate and unusual, just as he couldn't get over the way she looked and carried herself with.
He watched her back retreat to the hotel, all the while picturing the softness of her hair that she straightened —even though he couldn't understand why; her original waves added to her vibe— and framed her face exquisitely. The white of her clothes accented the pink undertones of the skin on her neck, leaving room for one to focus on the rare color of ginger.
She was beautiful, there was nothing shocking there. What came as a pleasant surprise to him though was her openness and her ability to stay kind, even under the cruellest of circumstances.
It inspired him to have more faith, to be more human.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
A / N
Hi everyone! I hope you're doing well.
First things first, let me share with you my excitement about this chapter & it's brand new cover I'm really proud of — the fantastic pictures I used are from DeviantArt, something different since the images I find are usually from Pinterest. Although simple, it's one of my absolute favorites. I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much as I did while writing it. A fun fact about this is even though I promised to myself to sleep before half past one in the morning, I couldn't cut the streak of inspiration just to go to sleep. So, with a messed up sleeping schedule (which I'm working on) there you have it! A chapter I hold dearly to my heart.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. A vote and your opinion on the chapter mean so much for they always motivate a writer to keep going. And, if it isn't much of a hassle, you could share the story to a friend.
For the ones who stayed after quite the hiatus and still look forward to more craziness of the A-Team, I'm glad you're here. You won't be disappointed.
Also, I recently rewatched the Divergent trilogy, three of my favorite movies (I'd love to read the books someday) besides the CW Series, Arrow. What about you? Do you have a movie or series you love? If so, I'm always keen on discovering new gems. Any suggestions?
P.S. The banners are missing because I had to change my previous device due to technical issues, but I'm working on new ones.
Much love,
Pavlina x.