The Protector

SEVENTEEN

Helen's ice cold bony hand held mine, but not in her usual vise-like grip. This time she ran her thumb over the skin on the back of my hand, making small, sincere circles.

"I told you, darling. You two are going to be stronger and better than ever. This will all be worth it. You'll see." I felt tears fall, my own doubt and insecurity mixed together like freezing rain. I was desperate for this to be the answer, for our fates to align and for him to love me again, in the same earth shattering way I have always loved him. I caught my own reflection in the double sided glass, but my eyes were too wide, my chest too large, and my hair too long. It wasn't me. I was seeing through her violet eyes. Alana. Helen dropped my hand and silently exited the small room with the black twirling office chairs, but I didn't turn to watch her go. Instead, I looked past my own reflection in the slightly cracked glass to the room situated on the other side. Back in the combat room, my stomach tightened.

The room was simplistically terrifying, bright white with a single chrome metallic door. I know this place. This is the same place I visited the night of the opening ceremony. However, this time the space was not empty. A man lay face down, his strong shoulders slumped over, defeated, as his golden blonde hair covered his face. My hands clawed painfully at my palms back in the combat room. My nails felt as though they were drawing blood but I barely noticed. Alana pressed her hands against the glass and the sound was not lost on the man. He rose painfully, his beautiful honey eyes finally meeting mine, and I couldn't breathe. He was even more than I could have ever imagined. More handsome, more confident, and more incredible than anyone else. He moved slowly over to the glass and I could feel Alana's heart race, along with mine, as he reached out for her. She wanted him. She wanted him more than anything else in her entire life. His forehead and hands rested on the glass and I pressed myself, in her body, to meet him, only to feel the chill of the glass instead of the warmth of his arms.

"I will never forget what you did. No matter how hard you try or how much you love me, I will never love you the way I love her. Please Alana, give up on us," Kyler whispered, his voice gravelly like water running over rocks, exactly as I remembered. Alana jumped back from the glass, her reflection visibly stung by his open admission. Rocked to the core by his honesty, she slowly turned and nodded once at a Protection guard who somehow materialized in the room.

"We're done here, Kevin. Thank you," she said calmly as she strode out of the room, only looking back once to where Kyler was beating on the glass, causing the crack to grow in length, screaming at the top of his lungs as a bright white light surged.