The Lovely Twist In Our Veins (An Eyeless Jack P.O.V & Romance)

3 - Rule One... Smile.

Vision came to me - slowly, but surely.

The first thing I noticed was not that I had woken up, but that there was a smooth, tranquil feeling in my gut. It was almost peaceful, this blissful feeling. It was something my core hadn't known in such a lengthy period of time, which puzzled and perplexed me. Nonetheless, it felt lovely.

The second thing I noticed though, was not as welcomed.

"Nadia..."

"Yes, Jack?"

I stiffened at the sound of her teasing voice, her breath on my neck. Her arm was draped across my stomach, her fingers gently playing with the fabric of my black shirt as my back pressed against her chest. We were unfavourably close, and I couldn't help the bubbly warmth that split into my skin, forcing me to jump up to sitting, scurrying away from her.

She lay there, staring at me with a twinkle of amusement in her dark eyes as she sighed, resting her head on her arm as substitution for a pillow.

My heart must've been beating at an escalating pace, and I wasn't even going to question how she got into the box car without me sensing an intruder.

"I told you to leave me alone."

"No, you told me to not be a pest," she corrected, arching an eyebrow, "Unless you want me to leave you alone, for good."

I didn't necessarily want that - and why didn't I? I wasn't sure. But I was prone to call her bluff.

"You couldn't stop bothering me even if you tried," I scoffed, running a hair through my tired hair and I rubbed at my face, feeling icy prickles there.

She seemed leisurely as she sighed into the mattress, casually yawning, "I could try. And I will if that's what you really want."

That surprised me, "Why would you even consider that? You seemed quite contrary to leaving just last night."

"Well, being forcefully shoved out of a box car by the freakish guy you thought loved you makes a girl think," she explained coldly, "And I've been thinking a lot..."

That nagging guilt was beginning to fester, but I avoided the issue at hand, "I didn't shove you..."

She dead-panned, "Jack, you shoved me."

"It was more like a toss."

"It was a full on shove!"

I lightly rolled my head, the alternative to rolling my eyes, "Toss."

Her eyes on the other hand were fully intact, and she took advantage of that privilege by rolling them dramatically before the air went silent. This was strange. It was as though bickering was the only thing the two of us were good for anymore. It wasn't how it used to be; we used to be comfortable together, or at least as 'comfortable' as I was capable of being. A pinkish blush used to crawl onto my cheeks at the sight of her smile, but now, that pearly grin only burdened me - it was teasing, instead of loving. It was wicked, instead of innocent. It was, in fact, my doing; I had ruined a gem found glistening among rubbish and turned her into that very rubbish. She was trash, and I was trash for making her so.

"Stop it."

"Stop wh-"

"Looking at me like that," she interjected, her tone softer than it had been, "Like you don't know me anymore. Like you hate me."

I swallowed guiltily, sighing afterwards, "You know I hate it when you interrupt me..."

"And you know that I hate it when you avoid the truth," she shot back, sitting up.