The Exile

Chapter 15: One Night Stands and Lonely Days

Something was pressed into my side. Which was unusual because usually I woke up with my arms spread open. The blanket was wrapped around me and I could instantly tell I wasn't wearing anything underneath these covers. My eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the dim light in the room. The curtains were closed and the door was closed and locked. I looked to my side and instantly saw why. 

Her back was facing me, which means I saw all the scars. The scars I've already seen but it's been years since I laid eyes on them, so I wanted to inspect them again. I roll over on my side, using my right hand to trace the scars on her back. 

"Mm," she hums, shifting a bit. I pause, thinking she'd woken up, but she remained where she was, still and softly breathing. 

How long could I stretch this? I thought, as I continued drawing along the scars on her back. Pretending to be a couple... she'll be running out of my room as soon as she realizes what's going on. 

I stopped tracing, feeling repulsed by myself for allowing this to happen. As soon as the bedroom door was open, my self control was out the window. And when it was closed, I let it all go. 

I'm still sore. But I am happy as well, so it was worth the discomfort for the knowledge of the blissful hours I shared with her last night. 

The shift beside me awakened me from my thoughts and the blue eyes fell on mine as she settles against the covers again. "Hi." She says in a sleep-laced voice. It coaxes a sleepy smile from me. 

"Hey."

She smiles softly back and crawls closer, until she's pressed to my side. I open my arm naturally and let her settle, pressing up beside me. "I had fun last night."

"Me too," I say around a yawn, still half asleep. I let my hand trail up the length of her spine, then back down again, to the small of her back. 

Then my eyes fly open when my thoughts catch up with me. "Whoa!" I sat up, nearly throwing Myrina out of the bed as I do so. "W-we... we had..."

"Sex," Myrina offers with raised eyebrows. She sits up, not bothering to cover herself up as the sheet falls into her lap. 

"How are you so relaxed about this? Oh, god, I just had sex with a client," I raised both hands to thread through my hair and pull the strands back. "Listen, Myrina, you can't mention this to anyone, okay? I can seriously get into a lot of trouble if anyone finds out I had sex with a client."

She surprises me by narrowing her eyes at me. "Don't worry, Erin. I'll make sure to keep your dirty little secret safe." She throws the blankets off of her and stomps over to where her clothes lay on the floor. 

"W-wait a second, Myrina--"

"I said I wouldn't tell, Erin," she bites back, slipping her shirt back on over her head. "We won't speak of it." 

"No, that's not what I meant, I--"

"I'll be downstairs," she slams the door on the way out and I cringe as the mirror rattles from the force of it. 

Welp.

---

"I think I'm learning how to control it," Fletcher tells me. "Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night and I knew I had a vision coming on, but I managed to keep walking down the steps without falling. It's like nothing happened."

"What did you see?"

"Ah," he scrunches up his face in thought, like he was trying to remember it. "That's the weird thing. If I pretend like nothing's happening, I can't see it very well. Or remember it even. If it's really important, I'm not sure. I don't know if I'll get it again, but that seems like a big problem."