Breaking the Grid

Away

The moment I hear the door open, I get up quickly, feeling a bit of excitement building. Blair's back, finally. I was looking forward to spending some time with her today, maybe even watching that movie I found—it's one I think she'll like. Leaving Leah and Lia still laughing in the living room, I head towards the front to meet her.

Taking a slow breath, I head upstairs, trying to calm the unease in my chest. When I open her bedroom door, Blair's lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling like it's the most interesting thing in the world. But there's no spark in her eyes, only this dull, almost empty look. My heart clenches seeing her like this, and I carefully sit down beside her, not wanting to intrude but feeling like I need to do something, anything.

"Blair," I say softly, my voice barely a whisper, "are you okay?"

She doesn't respond, doesn't even look at me. Her jaw is tight, and her hands are clenched into fists at her sides, like she's fighting something I can't see. My gaze drifts down to her leg, and I wonder if it's hurting her again, if maybe the session didn't go well. "Is it your leg?" I ask gently, hoping to reach her somehow. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Still, nothing. She just shifts slightly, turning onto her side to face away from me, curling into herself like she's trying to shut everything out. I feel a lump form in my throat. I'm not used to feeling this helpless around her—I'm the one who's supposed to make things better, to be there when she needs someone. And right now, I feel like I'm failing her.

I reach out slowly, placing my hand on her shoulder, hoping she'll feel that I'm here for her. But before I can say anything, she tenses, her whole body going rigid beneath my touch.

"Blair?" I whisper, a hint of worry creeping into my voice.

Then, suddenly, she jerks away from me, her face tight with frustration as she turns over to glare at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of pain and anger. "Kyra," she says, her voice low and broken, "I don't want to talk. Just... leave me alone, alright?"

I open my mouth to say something, anything to reach her, but she cuts me off, her voice a little harsher this time. "I don't need you hovering over me, okay? Just... please. Go." Her words hit me like a physical blow, and I feel my heart sink, the sting of rejection sharper than I'd expected. I try to remind myself that she's in pain, that she doesn't mean it, but it doesn't make it hurt any less.

I want to say something, to argue, to stay and refuse to leave her like this. But the way she's looking at me, her eyes pleading yet distant, stops me. It's like she's built a wall around herself that I can't break through, no matter how hard I try.

"Alright," I whisper, my voice barely holding steady. I stand slowly, feeling like the weight of the world is pressing down on my shoulders. I linger for just a moment, looking at her, hoping she'll say something to stop me, to reach out in some small way. But she just turns away, her silence a cold barrier between us.

I close the door softly behind me, feeling like there's a rock lodged in my chest, heavy and painful. Downstairs, I find Lia and Leah in the kitchen, talking quietly, but they stop when they see my face. Leah gives me a concerned look, and I try to smile, but I can feel the hurt all over my face, raw and exposed.

"Can one of you drive me home?" I ask, my voice trembling slightly despite my efforts to sound casual. I feel drained, like I've given everything I had, only to be pushed away.

Leah nods, standing up and grabbing her keys without a word. She and Lia share a glance, and I can tell they want to ask me what happened, but they hold back, sensing that I don't want to talk.

As I follow Leah out, I can still feel the sting of Blair's words, echoing in my mind, each one like a small cut that I can't stop bleeding from. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold it together, but all I can think about is her face, the way she looked at me like I was just... in the way. And as much as I try to brush it off, to tell myself she's just hurting, there's a part of me that can't shake the feeling that maybe I was never enough to break through to her in the first place.