Fractured Echoes

chapter 8

" Morning in Blue Eyes "

The morning hit like a wave after a long night of confusion. The room felt heavy with the residue of everything unspoken, every unsorted feeling that drifted between Charlotte and me. The air was cool, the sheets soft against my skin, but none of it felt comforting—not after the sleepless night.

I turned over, carefully, not wanting to wake her. Charlotte was still fast asleep beside me, her chest rising and falling slowly. Her soft blonde hair spread over the pillow, and I watched her for a moment. She looked peaceful, so far removed from the mess of thoughts that still churned in my head.

I blinked, forcing myself to focus, and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. The screen flashed 5:00 AM. Way too early to be up, but there was no going back to sleep now. I needed to clear my head, to feel in control again, even if it was just by getting ready for the day.

I slid out of bed as quietly as I could, grabbing my white crop top and black leather skirt from the chair where I'd tossed them last night. The leather felt smooth and familiar against my fingers, and slipping into those favorite black boots of mine was like grounding myself, finding a bit of solid footing amidst the mental fog.

As I was fastening the last buckle on my boots, I heard her stir behind me. I turned, and there she was—those blue eyes, striking against her sleepy face. She just stared at me, her gaze cutting through the room, through whatever words I could have said. Charlotte always had this way of making silence feel like its own conversation.

"Good morning," I said, trying to fill the void between us. But she didn't answer at first, just kept looking at me, her eyes slightly unfocused but still intense.

My heart raced in the quiet. What did that look mean? Was she upset? Thinking? The night had been filled with too many unsorted emotions, and now, standing in this stillness, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was lingering beneath the surface.

Finally, she blinked, her face softening as she rubbed her eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled, her voice low and a little raspy from sleep. "I'm still sleepy."

Before I could say anything else, she got up from the bed and moved toward me, slowly at first, still holding my gaze. Her steps were deliberate, and even though her face didn't say much, her eyes were locked on mine in a way that made my heart beat faster.

I stood there, frozen, as she closed the space between us. Her presence felt heavier than usual, more charged. And then, without thinking, I stepped toward her. One step, then another, until there was nothing but inches between us. Her eyes searched mine, and without another word, I leaned in and kissed her.

The moment our lips met, it was like everything else melted away. All the confusion from last night, the silence this morning, none of it mattered. Just the soft pressure of her lips against mine, the warmth that spread through me like a calming balm.

When we pulled apart, she smiled, that small, teasing grin I knew too well. "Just what I need in the morning," she murmured, her voice still heavy with sleep, but now laced with something else—something warmer, deeper.

I smiled back, the tension inside me easing as I reached for my top again. As I started pulling it over my head, she caught my wrist gently. "No," she said with a playful smirk, her blue eyes glinting. "We don't need the top yet. It's still early, and we've got two more hours before breakfast."

Her words caught me off guard. Two hours? I frowned, glancing at her, still half-confused from the intensity of the past few minutes. "What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.

Charlotte just laughed softly, closing the gap between us again, her hands resting on my waist. "What I mean, Iris, is that there's no rush." Her voice was soft, her fingers warm against my skin. "We don't have to go anywhere yet. We've got time... time for us."

Her words settled over me like a gentle whisper, and suddenly, I understood. I let my hand drop from the hem of my top, the leather skirt still hugging my hips, my boots firmly on, but it didn't matter. Not in this moment. The confusion of the night, the silence of the morning—it all faded into the background as we stood there, wrapped in a quiet that felt anything but empty.

For once, the only thing I needed to understand was right in front of me.