See No Evil (Anthony Lockwood)

Chapter 57

Violet scrawled slowly in her journal, huffing as she messed up the words every once in a while. Her writing was back to its neat state, but she had yet to perfect getting all the letters in order. She had debated going to a dyslexia specialist, but it felt odd because she knew she didn't have dyslexia. She had brain damage.

"How do you spell 'itinerary'?" Violet asked Lockwood begrudgingly.

Lockwood was laid back on his bed, holding up a magazine that he was flipping through while Violet sat next to him. Just another domestic routine they had picked up over time.

"I-T-I-N-E-R-A-R-Y," he answered without skipping a beat, "One step at a time, Vi."

"I know," she muttered in annoyance.

"Careful not to break that pencil then. We might run out before the night is over."

Violet reached under the bed and tossed a large packet of identical pencils onto his stomach, "Doubt it."

"I told you that you could use a drawer."

Violet just shrugged. She had taken to putting all of her things under the bed. Everything but her clothes, which were tucked neatly into the back corner of Lockwood's closet. He had offered to move things aside for her to hang them up, but Violet had a big thing about her stuff being completely separate from other people's. She didn't want any mistake of what was hers. She still had a lot of problems with anyone touching her things, even Lockwood, though she had become the slightest bit more lax over time.

Violet glanced down at Lockwood as he flipped a page, "You know, you don't need to make page one, Ani. We know you're good enough."

"...I know."

"But that's not enough?" Violet guessed.

Lockwood sat up, "I value your opinion more than anything, Vi. You know that."

"I know. You just don't value your own."

It was no secret to Violet that while Lockwood pretended to have an air of arrogance and confidence, he thought very little of himself. There were times when she was sure he thought he'd be better off dead. On those nights, he would hug her even tighter and she would whisper comforts in his ear that he never asked for, but loved nonetheless.

Lockwood thought the world of her. At the end of the day, he would be just fine if he only had her approval and love, but it never dulled his need to have the approval and attention of everyone else too. He wanted to be as good as his parents had been. As his sister.

Violet smiled, a soft one reserved for his eyes, and brushed her hand through his hair, "I'm proud of you...and I'm still very sorry about accidentally setting you on fire."

"I don't know," Lockwood sighed dramatically, "I still feel very hurt about that."

"What do you want me to do? Kiss it better?" she asked sarcastically.

Lockwood grinned, "Yes."

Violet let out a deep sigh before grabbing his face gently in her hands. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead, and another to his temple, and then his cheek, and down to his jaw, and back around again. She kissed over his face as a smile grew on both of their lips.

Lockwood felt such a warmth in his heart. It was a fuzzy feeling that spread and spread until it covered his whole body. He felt loved. Cared for. He felt important.

"Better now?" Violet asked quietly.

"Yes."

Violet felt a sarcastic comment on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't dare ruin the moment for either of them. She was too content to allow her sassy habits to slip out. Instead, she leaned into the softness, and pressed her lips against his.