Flickering Sparks

chapter 3

"Ouch," one of the twins says, feigning hurt with a dramatic pout.

The other twin shakes his head, suppressing a grin. "Don't listen to Martinus," he says with a teasing nudge toward his brother. "I'm Marcus." He stands up from where he was sitting and offers his hand to you with a warm smile.

I glance at his outstretched hand for a moment, still trying to process everything. Slowly, I reach out and shake it. "Y/N," I say quietly, still feeling the weight of the conversation with Ryan lingering in the back of my mind.

As I release his hand, Marcus leans back slightly, giving me a reassuring nod. "It's cool if you haven't heard of us," he says lightly. "We're kind of a big deal in some circles, but we're just normal guys at the end of the day."

Martinus, still sitting, raises an eyebrow and smirks. "Normal might be a stretch for you, Marcus."

I can't help but let out a small, nervous laugh at their banter. The tension in the room seems to ease just a bit, and for the first time, I feel like I can breathe. 

Marcus chuckles, playfully swatting Martinus on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm not the one who wears sunglasses indoors." He turns back to me with an exaggerated eye roll. "Ignore him, he's just jealous."

Martinus crosses his arms, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. "Yeah, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

The lighthearted exchange between the twins brings a slight smile to my face. It's odd how natural their humor feels, despite the strange, overwhelming situation I've just been thrust into. My mind still races with the revelation from Ryan, but Marcus and Martinus's energy momentarily distracts me.

Ryan, who had been watching our interaction quietly, clears his throat, drawing my attention back to him. His eyes are still filled with emotion, but he's trying to keep it together. "I understand this is a lot to take in," he says softly. "But I just want you to know that I've been searching for you ever since... well, ever since I had to let you go."

My stomach twists at his words. Let me go? Questions bubble up inside me, but I can't quite find the courage to ask them yet. My emotions are too raw, too tangled.

"I never wanted to lose you," Ryan continues, his voice breaking slightly. "There were... circumstances. Things I couldn't control. But I never stopped thinking about you, Y/N. Not for a single day."

His words hang in the air, heavy with years of pain and regret. I want to ask what happened, why he wasn't there for me, but the words won't come. All I can manage is a quiet, "Why now? Why find me now?"

Ryan's face softens as he lets out a shaky breath. "I didn't have the resources back then. But I finally found a lead recently, and I couldn't waste any more time."

I nod, though the weight of his explanation doesn't fully ease the ache in my chest. "I get that," I whisper, trying to sound understanding, but the hurt lingers.

"I need to go find my friends," I say, my voice wavering slightly as the weight of the situation presses on my chest. It's too much to handle all at once, and I need space—space to think, to breathe, to process everything that's just happened. The tension in the air is thick, and I can feel Ryan's eyes on me, filled with hope, but I just can't deal with it right now.

Ryan nods immediately, his expression softening. "Of course," he replies gently, though there's an undercurrent of sadness in his tone. "Take all the time you need, Y/n. I won't push you."

His understanding gives me a strange sense of relief, but also guilt. He's waited all these years to find me, and here I am, running off the moment things get too real. But I need to leave—I need to see Emily, Lena, anyone who can ground me right now.