PICS and IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

44. The Cloak

The whole world seems to light up as the lake reflects the lightning from above.

The weather decided to surprise us after all on the last day of our trip.

Everyone comes out of the lake and runs over to me who's sitting on the lounge chair under the parasol.

It wasn't only the weather that surprised me today, so did my period. That's why I was not in the water.

When everyone starts squeezing me in, I take the small umbrella and open it. I use it to cover me and head for the cabin.

After I step in I flick the switch on.

No current.

Suddenly something big slams into me from behind.

"Why are you standing on the way?" Raylan shouts. He must've not seen me in the dark.

When he comes over to my front, I start crying.

"What the? You are hurt?" He says.

I shake my head.

"Why are you crying?"

"I don't know."

Which is true. I don't know why I'm crying. Am I crying because this is the last day of the trip? Or because I won't be seeing my friends everyday soon? Or because I'm scared of moving out? Is it my hormones? There could be a million reasons why I suddenly feel sad.

Raylan wraps his arm around me and pulls me to him.

That day I was drunk. But not today. However, it doesn't surprise me when I put my arms around him and hug him tight as if I let him go, I'll loose the last thing I've known forever.

A loud thunder makes me cringe. I slide back my arms to free myself up to look for light.

Suddenly, I feel his lips over mine.

For a moment, I think. I think about what I should or shouldn't do.

That moment passes when his hand tightens over my lower back as he presses me against him.

The unbelievably dark room whose silence is only broken by the rain and thunders feels incredibly sensual to be inside of as I feel his lips trail my neck.

My palms curl over his bare back.

Then we hear loud footsteps of people running over pooled water.

I pull away from Raylan as everyone rush in. "Come on," Raylan mutters under his breath annoyed by the intrusion. I guess they all had decided the rain wasn't gonna lift anytime soon. Wish they'd decided so a little later.

I go look for the light after all.

Everyone warms up after we get the generator going.

Once it's late enough, I settle onto my bed, staring at the pitch black window behind which is a wall of rainfall.

I don't hear him come in, but I know it's him when he lies down next to me.

He puts his arm around me and snuggles to my back. I hold his arm and close my eyes, letting go of this melancholy once and for all.

I wake up early next day since the window is alight over my face. Squinting I turn around on the mattress and see Raylan.

He definitely looks less of a dragon and more of a salamander when he's asleep.

I touch his fingernail with my fingertip. This will not wake him up.

I look at his face. Does he really like me? Everything he does... it doesn't look like a prank. Has he always been right next to me, and I just didn't realize it?

I wiggle towards him and rest my face against his arm and close my eyes for a much needed post-wake-up-nap.

By late morning everyone is awake and packed up. I manage to escape Raylan's hands that just seem to be reaching out for me more than usual.

Becca drives on the way back. We are all home by afternoon.

Early evening, mom packs up cakes in a couple of boxes for her friend and asks me to take them. I look at the clock. Raylan and Tony were talking about going somewhere before. They must've left by now.

I take the boxes to Raylan's house. When I see someone sitting on the couch, for a second I think it's Raylan, but it's his second older brother, Victor.

He takes one of the boxes before I could reach the kitchen. I leave the remaining one on the counter for his mom to later find.

I turn to leave for Raylan's room to see the kittens when Victor calls me and asks me sit down for a chat.

"What happened between Tony and Raylan? I heard there was a brawl," Victor says.

Last time I forgot to tell Victor everything so I update him now, except the parts where I kiss Raylan.

After finishing up the epic saga, Victor looks at me stunned. I know, it is something. Then he says, "You thought Raylan had a fling with Tony's sister?"

My forehead creases. That's from way ahead in the story and that's what he's stunned by?

I nod. "I saw Raylan and Tony argue in front of my house last year. They mentioned Iris. That's why I knew when I took those photos I could safely use them to blackmail Raylan since Tony was already upset with him because of the thing with Iris." After all, the very first big fight between Raylan and Tony happened last year when Raylan broke the bro code of staying away from the sister.

Victor breaks out laughing.

I suppose it is funny.

"You're so gullible," he says.

Eh?

"It wasn't Raylan," Victor says, leaning back on the couch and taking a bite of the cake.

I'm confused for a moment. Then the bulb lights up. My eyes go wide. "You?! You were the one with Iris?"

"Raylan found out. And you know Tony doesn't like me so I told Raylan to keep it a secret from Tony. But Tony also found out and he got angry at Raylan for not telling him," Victor says.

Of course, Tony doesn't like Victor. Any guy in our neighborhood with a sister old enough doesn't like Victor. But if Raylan wasn't the culprit, why didn't he just tell Tony about what Tony's ex did to him?

Victor puts down the empty box on the table.

"You sure you were the one playing my brother? From what I see, it seems to be the other way around," Victor says, grinning.

I narrow my eyes at him. What did that dragon do to me?

End of chapter

A/N - Thanks for reading, and don't forget to tune back in tomorrow :) 💕