Right Beside You | Stiles Stilinski | Two

41 - Invincible

"Scarlett? S-Scarlett? Wake up. Please, wake up."

It took my brain a couple of seconds to respond to the request. I couldn't remember falling asleep, and my head felt heavy and disoriented. I couldn't place the unfamiliar sheets against my skin. But that voice? That I would recognize anywhere.

"Lydia?"

I rubbed my eyes, batting my hair out of my face. I blinked the walls of Stiles's room into focus and rolled onto my back. Lydia was perched on the edge of the bed. Her hazel-green eyes were wide, rimmed with red and brimming with tears, but she didn't seem to have enough left to cry. She almost pulled her hand back from my shoulder, but her hands were gripping the blanket someone had draped over me.

"I—I'm sorry," she said shakily. "Stiles told me not to wake you up, but..."

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it." I pulled the blanket off, shivering as I sat up. "What's wrong?"

Lydia actually laughed. She shook her head and turned away from me, clasping her hands in her lap and avoiding my eyes.

"Okay. Stupid question."

She didn't say anything for a while, staring down at her white knuckles in her lap. When she did speak, her voice was small.

"They won't let me see him."

"Maybe that's for the best, Lydia."

"No, you—you don't understand. I have to see him. He's been asking for it back over and over again, and I have to give it back to him. I have to give it back."

Lydia shifted her fingers, letting a small strip of gold slip between them. It was just a peek, but I didn't need to see any more. I'd seen that flash of gold often enough to know what it was. It was always peeking out of the neckline of Lydia's dresses, just out of sight, like my dog tags. My silver dog tags and Lydia's golden key—the one she wore on a necklace in case she ever had to go to Jackson's house.

She rubbed a thumb over the metal and I could feel my heart breaking for her all over again.

"Lyd..."

"He wanted it back," she said, holding it up to the light. "He didn't want me to have it anymore."

"Of course he did." I threw my legs over the edge of the bed, scooting next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. I pulled her to my side and leaned my head against hers. "I know the past few months have been hard for you, and for Jackson. For all of us, really. And a lot of things changed, but I know that Jackson would want you to keep that. He gave it to you for a reason. And, if nothing else, you know he wouldn't want to take the chance he'd ever be forgotten."

Lydia snorted, weakly slapping my leg with the back of her hand. I grinned.

"Come here. Let me help you."

Gently, I pried the key loose from her hands. I pushed her hair to the side to reveal the gold chain I knew would still be around her neck. After a little fumbling, the clasp came undone and I was able to slide the key back into its rightful place.

Lydia reached up and grabbed it again, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. The tension began to leave her shoulders, and for the first time in hours, she actually looked calm. She smiled.

"Is it stupid if this actually makes me feel better?"

"No. That's what you're used to. Not...any of this other stuff."

She kept ahold of Jackson's house key, but her free hand reached over to grab mine. I wove our fingers together and gave a soft squeeze. It felt like a stupidly tiny motion of support, but I wasn't sure what else to do. Lydia squeezed back, and for a few minutes, we sat that way in silence. Until...