SILVER EYES (GXG)

Chapter 23: Vanishing people

As I headed back to the table, I couldn't resist scanning the room, searching for the red-haired girl who had completely flipped my afternoon in mere seconds. A few glances and there she was, a few tables away, chatting with a brunette. They exchanged whispers, then both glanced over at me. Heather had her back turned and couldn't catch sight of them.

I sit down without being able to shake off the thoughts of what had just happened. I was desperate to talk to Heather about it but didn't know where to begin. Instead of starting that conversation, my gaze drifted to the table where I found a slice of chocolate cake waiting for me.

"They brought the dessert, I hope you don't mind I've asked yours. I just couldn't resist, I know this will be your favorite from now on," Heather said excited. I looked at her unable to hide my concern.

"Oh-oh, this is not your chocolate cake face, what's wrong?" She said surprised. As much as I tried to keep things calm inside me I couldn't shake the whirlwind of emotions that short conversation had stirred within me. That's how I was - highly susceptible to feelings and utterly incapable of hiding them. And that, sometimes meant facing things head-on without giving them enough thought. So, the words spilled from my mouth as fast as I would have devoured that chocolate piece in an alternate reality.

"Why you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend?" Boom. She froze. It was as if I had splashed a cold glass of water on her.

"I just met her apparently, she's right over there," I said, pointing my finger at them. Heather turned around nervously and briefly caught the girl's eyes. She waved at us with a smile.

"Shit," Heather muttered, frustrated.

"Yeah, shit, that's what I thought," I replied, and then took a sip of my wine.

"What did she tell you?" Heather asked, concern flooding her face.

"Does it matter? You should have told me," I said disappointed.

"I know, I'm sorry," Heather apologized.

"Oh, so she is your girlfriend then," I retorted, feeling a bit annoyed.

"No, she is not. Not anymore," she replied

"Really? Maybe you should tell her, she wasn't sure, since apparently you vanished," I snapped, perhaps fueled by the wine, but I despised being deceived.

"So that is what she told you," she remarked.

"Isn't it true?" I pressed. There was a silence. Heather lowered her gaze and I could sense she struggling to confront the situation, so strong in some aspects, yet so weak in others. Suddenly the waitress approached us.

"Excuse me, ladies, sorry to interrupt. We'll be closing in ten minutes," he said. I glanced at him and nodded.

"We're almost finished, thank you," I replied, and he left with a smile.

"Look, there are things I'm not proud of," she suddenly confessed.

"Let's talk somewhere else," I said firmly, and Heather nodded.

As we flew back, the topic didn't come up again. Instead, Heather talked about other irrelevant things, which made me feel worse. But, I wasn't going to push; after all, it was her who owed me an explanation, and it was her choice to clarify things. We arrived at the Narval house and headed to Heather's room, but I stopped at the doorframe.

"It's getting late. I'll go to my room. Goodnight," I stated, turning to leave.

"What? Wait!" Heather exclaimed in surprise, grabbing my arm and pulling me back into the room, shutting the door behind us.

"Grace, don't go to your room," she commanded, her tone urgent.

"Okay, but don't expect me to act like nothing has happened," I warned, feeling a tinge of anger.

"I don't. I should have told you, I know. But at the time, I didn't think it was a big deal," Heather explained.

"Are you still in love with her?" I questioned, eager to hear the full story.

"What? No!" Heather denied, and then she reached for my hand.

"Look, we were together for a while before I met you. Things weren't working out, and one day you came into my life in a way..." Heather trailed off, unable to complete her sentence.

"In a way...?" I pressed on, watching as she sat, exhausted, onto her bed.

"In a way, I didn't expect," she finally admitted. "I didn't handle things right. I had no idea our thing would escalate the way it did... At the beginning, I thought I just had a silly obsession with you, but then I realized it wasn't silly at all."

And just like that, Heather was talking about her feelings towards me. Something that had not happened yet and she was struggling to find the words and looking more vulnerable than ever. In that moment, even though I was a bit angry the only thing I wanted was to wrap her in my arms. But I put down that feeling. We needed to talk. I needed to evaluate whether that incident was a warning sign I should heed or if, on the other hand, it was merely an accidental occurrence.

"The fact that you hid it is what worries me. You had many occasions to tell me; we could have laughed about it," I expressed to her.

"I didn't want to risk it," She said.

"What makes you think I can't handle that?" I inquired. Heather shrugged, and I sat beside her on the bed.

"I just didn't want you to go away," she mumbled. I took a deep breath and reached for Heather's hand. I was beginning to understand the situation. Heather was afraid of me leaving because that was her way to deal with difficulties. It was something she had learnt since she was born- people could disappear. That was the only lesson her missing parents had left her.

"Okay, look at me," I said to her, taken aback to find her eyes sparkling with a tear. I had never seen her cry before, and it was heartbreaking.

"I don't leave, it's not in my genes, okay?" I assured her, gently stroking her hand. Heather sniffled, managing a faint smile.

"Besides, I'd lose my premium access to the pool, and that just can't happen," I added with a grin. Heather smiled in response.

"Alright, so that's where all the interest came from!" she joked.

"Oh, you didn't know? Of course! You thought it was because of those beautiful eyes, this gorgeous hair, and this stunning, sexy body? Not a chance!" I teased. Heather wiped away a tear, now laughing more freely. Then, I leaned in and gently grazed her lips. She wrapped her arms around me, deepening the kiss, making it more lingering and intense.

"So, what was all that you said about having an obsession with me?" I teased playfully. Heather rolled her eyes in jest. "You won't forget it, will you?" She said as I shook my head, sporting a wide smile.

"I thought I had made it clear with my actions," she said, leaning in again, pulling me to lay on the bed, and capturing my mouth with another kiss.

We made love again that night, but this time more slow and carefully. Which made me realize that there wasn't a specific speed or perfect pace for us. The sex was incredibly good no matter what. And this time felt more caring, as if Heather wanted to protect the vulnerability we had exposed that night.

· · ·

My Reg bracelet vibrated and I woke up sleepy and confused. It was the middle of the night and Heather was fast asleep next to me. I looked at the Reg bracelet and stopped the vibration. Shit. Now I remembered. The alarm had a reason. A very important one. Tonight it was the night. I had to leave the repeater at the top of the electric tower so Eric could transmit our message. Given all that had happened the day before, I had nearly forgotten about it. I quietly slipped out of bed and dressed, trying not to disturb Heather. Yet, as I dressed, I couldn't help but steal glances at her. She looked so adorable, naked and nestled beneath the thin sheets, outlining her perfect figure. And suddenly a pang of guilt hit me. Not now Grace, I thought to myself. I had to do this. That message could be crucial to reuniting with Michael; I couldn't afford to fail him again. But should Heather know it? Should Michael know about Heather? Many questions started to swirl around my head as I approached the door.

"Where are you going?" Heather asked, her eyes barely open as she gazed at me.