Shadowed Love

Nothing To Say

My heart pounds. Behind me, I hear racing footsteps running up the alley. Thump. Thump. Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump

I grit my teeth and my breath comes in harsh pants. If I can just get away, run and run until I collapse into the soft earth beyond the city limits where none but the dead are there to judge. I feel like I'm about to explode- panic and pangs of humiliation, guilt, and disgust for myself threaten to rip me apart. My hands are shaking as I hurl myself around a corner, slam into the brick wall.

The cold, rough brick is almost a relief, a tether to clutch at tremblingly as my worst fear draws nearer. Hoarse shouts ring through the hot- cold night. I draw a gasping, shuddering breath and the mob barrels around the corner, the torchlight illuminating their hate- twisted faces and dancing and flickering on the walls of the alley, flaming and worse than any hellfire. I scream, and the sound echoes through the labyrinth of alleyways, shrieking in my ears and fueling the frenzy of the crowd.

A man, looking eerily familiar, darts forward and I watch in horror as I realize what he's trying to do, as he brings the torch closer and closer, brushing the smooth flame roughly against my side. I scream again, and this time it was the sound that echoed in my own ears as I bolted awake, sweat soaked and feeling sick.

Emotionally drained, I collapsed back against the pillow, but I was unable to even relax my death grip on the sheets. I stayed that way, wide eyed and stiff, until the first rays of sun shine through the crack between the blackout drapes. Shaken, I curled up and stretched out, reluctantly rising to meet the day and whatever new demands that entailed. I shuffled into the kitchen for some cereal. Breakfast passed in a blur as I continued to relive my nightmare over and over. When I finished my cereal, I strode over to the sink and tossed my bowl in. As I turned the tap on, I was so preoccupied that I let the water fill the bowl before I remembered to shut it off. Just as I started to pour it out, I was startled by a blurry image beginning to form in the liquid- an iris message...?

"Um?"

Someone cleared their throat on the other end and I squinted to make out their features. I made a few strangled sounds. This is my attempt at social interactions, apparently.

"Hello, who is this? I can't see you, the connection, it's not good." I mumbled,confused.

"I- Hey. It's, um, me. Percy."

My eyes went wide. He didn't need to identify himself. Like I could ever forget his voice.

"Ahh.... Um- I- Hi," Panicked, I almost spilled the water. I set the bowl down carefully in the sink and ran a hand through my hair. What the hades did he want? He coughed awkwardly again, and I was suddenly dizzy, imagining him looking helplessly (adorably) into the water as if wondering what to say. My amusement faded. There is nothing to say.

"Percy... What do you want," I said flatly.

He seemed confused, and... hurt? "Nic- I just-" he made a frustrated sound. "What the hell Nico?!"

I flinched. What did he just say? "What are you talking about?!" I said through clenched teeth, unable to keep the pain I feel at his exclamation inside. My voice burst out, too harsh and too loud, taking us both by surprise. He paused.

"Nico." His voice was calm now, but I could hear a trace of tension underneath. What happened to my happy Sea Prince? I froze. He's not YOUR anything, idiot!

"What?" said Percy. With a shock, I realized I'd said it aloud.

"Nothing, I, I just, it's the tv, in the other room," I said, praying he couldn't hear it too clearly.

"Oh, ok. I thought you were calling me an idiot!" He laughed happily, the tension dispelled for a fleeting moment, and my heart melted.

"Listen, ah, I've. I've gotta go. I'll... see you around... Percy." My voice almost cracked, to my embarrassment, but luckily I managed to turn it into a cough. I'm beyond grateful for the wavering connection to mask my lies and awkwardness.

"What?!" he yelped. "But I just- you haven't even told me-" Inexplicably, my eyes welled up. Brushing furiously at my eyes, I said roughly,

"Percy! I've got to go now, okay?"

"But-"

"Just leave me alone!" I spat without meaning to.

As I emptied the bowl, I heard his voice say,

"Gods... now I've ruined everything."

No, I wanted to tell him. I ruined everything. I always do. I'm sorry.

•••••••••

Author's Note:

This is my first wattpad book 😬 I probably won't put an a/n on most of the chapters but PLEASE COMMENT about anything confusing or any criticism you have!! I'll try to update several times a week but I always edit each chapter insanely first so it might take a bit.... 💕💎💎 THANK YOU FOR READING THIS

~Hannah💋💋💃