Broken Souls (Souls #1)

Chapter 19 - Matthews

"My middle name is Elizabeth," Destiny says as she twirls a lock of blonde hair around her pointer finger. "It was my Mother's name."

I look at her from under my lashes and smile up at her comfortingly. She rarely speaks about her Mother or Father, so when she says little things about them I stay silent because I'm scared that I will frighten her and she will close off like she usually does.

We have been sharing with each other for over two weeks now. At lunch time or after school we meet by the bleachers, divulge in one another's company, and talk about things with each other that we don't tell others. She does not talk about how she lost her parents and I don't tell her about how I lost my Mom. It seems to be an unspoken agreement between us that we don't speak about loss. I have already heard about how she and her mother share an alike birthmark and she told me last week about how she had to drag my drunk self home. She was the one who put that glass of water on my bedside table. I listened as she told the whole story - embarrassed of myself.

I like this rare version of Destiny that I am lucky to see. It's the one who smiles more, laughs often and opens her heart just a little bit. Her heart is usually like it's locked in a jail cell. Though, whenever we have these conversations it seems like she puts the key in my reach, sometimes even in my hand. I never open that cell though. Opening that jail cell may just make her lock down afterwards and up her security, and I don't want that to happen.

"Your turn," she says with a smile tugging at her lips and making me stare at them longer than I'm supposed to. I tear my gaze away from her mouth and meet her eyes.

"What should I tell you today? I can't seem to find something that I haven't told you before."

"That's what I sometimes think whenever you tell me to share." She tilts her head to the side and slowly says, "Sometimes I feel like you know me better than anyone else does. " I watch her and know that if I don't say something any moment soon she is going to shut off from me. I've seen this look on her face before and it is always just before she goes distant.

"How about I tell you about my brother," I say out in a rush. This wasn't something that I wanted to talk to her about. It was one of the things that was next to my Mother on the list, but now that those words are out there there is no way I can take it back. But, oh, how much I wish I could eat back up the words.

"Brother? You never mentioned a brother. Does he go to this school?"

"He graduated from this school already. He's nine years older than me."

"Nine? That's many years older." Her eyebrows rise in shock.

I shrug. "When my parents had my brother they were young and stupid. They weren't thinking. Then, nine years later they decided to give my brother a playmate or something. So, here I am. Didn't hang out with him a lot though. What type of nine year old boy would like to be changing his baby brother's diapers? None that I know of." From the tone in my voice I know she can tell that I do not want to continue this conversation.

She nods her head and turns to look forward. I stay silent beside her and together we watch as the sky turns lovely soft shades of pink, violet, and orange. Then, I feel slim fingers slip between mine and cling on. I slowly turn my head to the side to look at her but find her staring straight ahead at the sky. A smile crosses my lips and I squeeze our joined hands.