Shadows of The Heart

Chapter 22

"Hi, baby," Maddy answered almost immediately when Lyra called, her voice cheerful.

"I saw the news. How are you holding up?" she asked, knowing full well that Lyra wasn't someone who enjoyed being the center of attention.

"I don't know," Lyra admitted, her voice uncertain.

"Was your husband upset?" Maddy asked, cutting straight to the point as usual. She had always been able to see through Lyra, no matter how much she tried to hide.

Lyra nodded. Maddy could always see right through her.

"Why in the world would he be?" Maddy huffed. "He has no right. Although I've got to say, I loved the rumor about you and Adrian." Maddy dramatically feigned drooling, clearly enjoying the chaos. "Imagine if you were my sister-in-law. Damn."

Lyra rolled her eyes, exasperated by her friend's enthusiasm. "Maddy, we're just friends. That's it," she said, not enjoying the comparison. The idea of being tied to Adrian romantically didn't sit well with her, not when things were already so complicated with Orion.

"You know what you should do?" Madeline said suddenly, her voice sparking with an idea. "Dance. Remember how much fun we used to have dancing?"

"I've got the perfect music. Do it." Without waiting for a response, Madeline tapped her phone, and the speaker crackled to life.

"I don't know, Maddy..." Lyra hesitated, glancing around nervously. Dancing felt awkward with Orion in the house. She was shy about it. But then she heard the front door close softly, and the quiet that followed made her think he had left.

"I'm not taking no for an answer. I wish I could be there with you. Let's do this!" Madeline urged, hitting play once more. Lyra grabbed her remote and turned the speaker on, too.

A familiar melody floated through the room. Lyra's breath caught as she recognized it. "This Is What Makes Us Girls by Lana Del Rey," she whispered. She hadn't heard that song in years.

"There she was, my new best friend.
High heels in her hand, swayin' in the wind
While she starts to cry
Mascara running down her little Bambi eyes
"Lana, how I hate those guys."

Lyra's hips swayed in perfect harmony with the music, her movements fluid and hypnotic, as if the melody itself was coursing through her veins. Eyes half-closed, she danced like a dream—floating, weightless. Every step, every subtle turn of her body seemed to pull her further into a world untouched by time or worry. She hadn't danced like this since before she married Orion. Life had drained her of energy, of passion. But tonight, something had shifted. She wanted to dance tonight until she felt alive again, and her feet ached with the reminder that she could still feel.

The music thumped loudly, spilling through the house like a heartbeat. Orion heard it the moment he stepped inside. Irritation flared in his chest. What in the fuck? His mind snapped to the sound, the beat pounding in his ears as he moved quickly down the hall, his annoyance growing with each step. Who the fuck is playing music this loud?

He reached the door, his hand gripping the knob tightly. He opened it with a slow, deliberate twist, ready to unleash his frustration. But the moment his eyes landed on Lyra, the air in his lungs vanished. His heart stopped.

She was dancing, bathed in soft, golden light, her silhouette moving like a dream. Her shirt had been discarded, and she stood there, clad only in her bra, her bare skin shimmering as if lit from within. Every movement was graceful, almost otherworldly—her arms stretching and flowing like wings, her feet barely seeming to touch the floor.

Orion was frozen, unable to speak, unable to move. It was as if time had slowed; all he could do was watch her. She was something more—ethereal, radiant as an angel descended to earth. She hadn't noticed him and didn't feel his eyes on her, which made it more mesmerizing. There was grace in her dance but pain in her voice. The pain was too evident to ignore.