What the hell is happening

We Live in the Past

Lilith's POV

"You're distracted."

"I'm not," I mutter, trying to contain my frustration. I once read a story with a character who could control the charge of a bullet. How I envy him right now. I set down the gun and look at my target sheet. The bullet passed by its forearm. I was aiming for its chest.

Haniel walks over to me. I can't control the way my breathing falters. "Your aim wavers at the last second." He sounds like a general, and I'm his soldier in training. I was hoping for encouraging words but till now, he hasn't said any. 

He picks up the gun, aims it at the target while his eyes are on me. He takes three precise shots, forming a small triangle on the heart. I should be disturbed by how good he is, but I'm impressed. I won't tell him that though. 

My arms cross over my chest. "You're supposed to be helping me, not showing off."

A smirk plays on his lips. He hands me the gun. It's a mere coincidence how my fingers linger on his. "Focus on your aim till the last second. It's not over till the bullet strikes exactly where you want it to." He presses a button, and a new target sheet is presented.

I roll my shoulders and raise the gun. He stands behind me. I can feel the heat of his body even though he isn't touching me. It's disturbing. He should see a doctor about that. I pull the trigger and the shot misses the sheet completely. There's something wrong with the sheet. Maybe if it looked like Rye, I'd have better aim. I groan in frustration. 

"What's distracting you?"

Oh I don't know. Maybe you breathing down my neck and flexing your abs. "This isn't working. I cant-"

He places his hands firmly on my shoulders. "You can."

"Just imagine the target is someone you really want dead." 

I jump, startled. Alissa has been so still I forgot she was there. She practically blended with the walls. She walks over towards us. Her shoes make no sound. She's a ghost. She grabs my arms and fixes my aim. Haniel takes a step back, and the room temperature drops twenty degrees. Alissa's cold fingers don't help.

Who do I really want dead? The guy at McDonald's who keeps forgetting my fries. The girl who said my hair looked like her cat's favorite toy. The woman who locked my in here.

I pull the trigger. Straight to the heart. A smile breaks through my lips. I turn around to thank Alissa, but she's not here anymore. Where'd she go? Next time I see her, I'm giving her bells. I set the gun down. "I did it!"

Haniel smiles. "Told you."

"Well you didn't really do anything."

He raises an eyebrow. "I'm a great teacher. You just suck at following instructions."

"Then how come Alissa helped?"

"You were tense when I was near you." His smile falters. He knew but I'm guessing the 'why' is far off. 

I refill the gun with bullets. "I should practice more."

I turn my back to him but can hear him exhale a long breath. Haniel and I can never go back to what we used to be. I can't let my guard down around him. Even if every part of me wants to.

»»——⍟——««

I shut the door behind me. "Well it's very white." I walk into Tony's apartment. It's identical to mine only a tad smaller. There's still an awkwardness between us. It's not everyday that you meet your twin brother after getting kidnapped and forced into preparing to rule a country.