The Five [COMPLETED]

Part Twenty-One

I woke the next morning to find I was no longer laying on the mythical meadow. Instead, I was lying on top of the bedding in the middle of the sleeping quarters down below the healing quarters. Groggily, I rubbed my eyes and let out a long yawn. Looking around, I saw the other nests were empty. I immediately sprang to my feet, alarmed I had overslept. "Take it easy, Sky."

At the sound of his voice I turned to see Kai leaning against the wall on his elbow, watching me with amusement in his amber eyes.   "I told the others not to disturb you," he told me. "You had a pretty rough night."

"That's kind of you," I responded, half-appreciative and half-annoyed, "but I can expect to have broken nights. I'm the leader of the Furious Five."

"But you're not just a leader," Kai pointed out, pushing off the wall and walking over to me. "You're a person, too. You need to look after yourself just as well as everyone else." He looked away, and added quietly, "Especially when you're still recovering from the pain."

Memories of the night before filled the blank expanse in my mind. How can I act around him now that I've told him all that? 

"Don't worry," Kai said, almost as if he'd read my thoughts. "I haven't told anyone. And I won't, either." He sighed. "Look. I just want to say that I'll be here if you need me to." He licked his lips and met my eyes. "You'd do the same for me, right?"

I couldn't answer for a few moments. I was scared by how similar his words were to Matthew's: both of them had claimed to be there for me. I closed my eyes, memories swirling through my brain. Then, I opened them and  whispered, "Yes. I would."

Kai's gaze softened slightly as his eyes met my own. "Your friends are outside," he murmured to me before leaving. For some reason, I felt a pang in my chest - almost as if I was sad to see him go. I furrowed my brows, shaking my head incredulously. What the heck is wrong with you, Skylar?

Suddenly, a shard of pain stabbed my side, and I gasped, gently lowering myself back down onto my bedding. I clutched my side, taking slow, deep breaths. I laid there and rested for a while, continuing the same breathing pattern over and over. Finally, I slowly but surely lifted my torso off the ground until I was in a sitting position. I sat in silence, staring at a patch of dirt on the ground. 

"Hey." The sound of Matthew's voice filled the cave, and I jumped, startled, rewarded with another stab of pain in my side. Looking down at where my hand had gripped my side even tighter than before, I said shakily, "Hey."

I heard his footsteps padding across the cave to reach me. I felt him settle beside me. Naturally, I leaned into him, placing my head where I knew his heart would be beating. His arm snaked around me, holding me firm and close. I couldn't help thinking of Kai - how he had held me in this exact same way. I shook the memories away and tried to enjoy his company. We didn't speak for a few moments, but the feeling of his hand rummaging around in his pocket stirred me. He gently moved me off him for a few moments as he continued the action until his hand stopped and pulled out a small object. He licked his lips as he stared down at it. When his eyes met mine, the intensity of his gaze startled me. It was almost smoldering as he sat, still, silent. Once again, the stupid flashbacks filled my brain, and I immediately looked away. It was almost like I couldn't even look at him anymore. Not since the betrayal. Not since our fallout.

His voice shook as he spoke. "I . . . I found this outside the camp when I went for a walk a couple of nights ago." Sneaking a look at his hand, he was rolling the object in between his fingers. He was gazing at it tenderly, almost as if the object was me. "It reminded me of you," he whispered. He started reaching for my hand, but hesitated. He met my eyes, and the question that was being held in them was clear: Is this okay?