A Spirit Between Us (bxb)

Chapter 24 - An unlikely partnership.

The dim winter evening was cloaked in a heavy stillness, broken only by the soft hum of nearby streetlights and the faint rustle of a biting breeze. Archie and Lyla wandered aimlessly through their quiet neighborhood, their breath forming fragile clouds in the frosty air. The icy chill nipped relentlessly at their noses and cheeks, painting their skin in shades of pink and red. The world around them was muted, the crunch of frost beneath their feet the only constant in the growing quiet.

Archie had told Lyla to meet him after school so he could explain everything, no lies, no half truths. And now here they were, walking side by side under the pale glow of the streetlights, their words weighing heavier than the cold.

"Jesus... I never even—how is that—" Lyla stammered, her voice cracking slightly as she struggled to piece together her thoughts. "I don't know what to think."

Archie glanced at her from the corner of his eye, surprised by her reaction. He had expected laughter, maybe an incredulous scoff, or even accusations of him losing his mind. But instead, she hung onto every word he'd said, absorbing the impossible truths with a quiet intensity that caught him off guard.

"It's a lot, I know," Archie replied softly, his voice laced with exhaustion. "It sounds made up, like some horror movie plot. But it's the truth. Whether you believe me or not... that's up to you."

Lyla didn't respond, her silence heavy and contemplative. She kept walking, her boots crunching through the thin layer of frost, each step deliberate and slow. The sky above was growing darker, the last vestiges of daylight fading into a deep navy hue as if a shadow was stretching across the world. Her face was pale, her brown eyes glossy, and Archie wondered if she might break down right there. The subtle flutter of her lashes as she blinked away her thoughts only made her seem more fragile, as though everything he'd told her might crush her at any moment.

"Why though...? Why is this happening? Why him?" Her voice, barely above a whisper, carried a fragile edge that mirrored Archie's own confusion. He exhaled a long, weary sigh, his breath misting in the cold. He wished he had an answer, but how could he? The book couldn't predict the future, couldn't explain the chaos unraveling around them. Yet, despite her apparent bewilderment, something about Lyla's calm unsettled him.

"You're taking this... really well," he said, his words slow and deliberate. Despite the choice of phrasing, his tone wasn't complimentary. It was edged with skepticism, almost accusatory, as if her composure were more suspicious than reassuring.

Lyla tilted her head slightly, her auburn hair catching the dim glow of the streetlights. She hummed softly, a sound that carried layers of conflict, doubt, resignation, and a trace of fear. "I don't want to believe it, to be completely honest," she admitted, her voice quiet yet firm. "But it... makes sense."

"Sense?" Archie echoed, his curiosity piqued but guarded, the word falling from his lips like a cautious probe.

She nodded, her gaze locking with his in a way that felt almost intimate, like she was offering him a silent assurance. "There are rumors about you," she said, her tone gentle but deliberate. "They make sense when you factor in the idea of you being a medium."

Her lips curved into a faint smile, the kind meant to soothe rather than connect. It was polite but lacked warmth, never quite reaching her eyes. Archie stared at her, unimpressed by the gesture and unwilling to offer one in return.

"And no offense," she continued hesitantly, glancing briefly away before meeting his gaze again, "but... I don't think Finn is the kind of person who would be interested in you outside of your... ghostly abilities."

Her words, spoken without malice, still hit with a dull sting, and Archie's lips quirked in a humorless smirk. His mind flickered to Finn's clumsy attempts at flirting, the way the usually confident quarterback tripped over his words when trying to impress him. He let out a soft snort, biting back the urge to correct her.