The last tape

Chapter twelve

They'd sat in silence for so long now that Skye basically felt compelled to answer the question obviously lingering in Clay's mind.
'He raped me.'

She said it so casually, that it shocked clay. Why didn't she at least stutter when recalling a horrendous event?
'Then he dumped me.. and I went back to being an outsider.. sometimes I wish I always stayed one, that I never dated Bryce.'

Clay knew now why she was so comfortable talking about this, because she was finally getting it out, finally letting the words slip from her lips that had been suffocating inside her for what felt like centuries.
But there was one more thing clay didn't understand..

'Why would Hannah make you a tape? You seemed like the victim in this story not the villain..'
He questioned this more to himself, but Skye heard him as his volume wasn't low enough.
'I'm not sure why she made me a tape..' she glanced at her monochrome black boots, 'but I think I am a villain..'

Anger spread through clays body and fused with his blood, running towards his heart and pumping through him. 'You are NOT the villain,' his words were so passionate, 'so what you cheated on someone? Sure you shouldn't do that but HES the one that retaliated in ABUSE!'

'BUT I KILLED HIM CLAY!'

Silence between the two as drops of water fell from Skye's dull eyes, making them glisten and spreading their way across her porcelain cheeks, causing her to look like a broken doll.

'H-he was the f-first boy I loved..'
Her words were quieter now, more vulnerable and she stumbled across them like pebbles skipping over waves, and like a storm that heightened the water, Skye began breaking down.

Clays hands itched to wrap her own cold fingers in his, so he reached out gently and held her hand. Maybe this wasn't the best timing to make a 'move', but he considered this more of a friendly, caring gesture.

'You didn't kill him Skye.. trust me.. you didn't kill him.'

***

The walk back to her house was sweet, clay didn't try too hard to talk much, but he would still answer when Skye needed him to and that was enough for her.
They created small talk, even pondering together about the weather for a bit like grandmas do at Christmas, but soon the talk was over as they re entered Skye's house and made their way to the garage.

'Do you think there's more?' Skye didn't want to know the answer, but she felt the need to ask anyway, as it was obvious. 'I'm sorry Skye but I think there must be,' he was so gentle in his words, so caring that Skye had to resist the urge to jump into his arms right then and there.

'What else is there to say.. that's where my story ends right?' A simple question, also a fair one, 'I still don't know why she felt the need to repeat it to me but to be honest I don't want to.'
The boy beside her chuckled, 'Hannah always has her reasons,' the way his eyes brightened up when he mentioned her name made Skye whimper.
He has the same look in his eyes that Skye did when she thought of Jeff.

'You..' she started, finding the words difficult to say, 'um.. loved her.. didn't you?'

Clay seemed taken back but supposed it was obvious, he'd literally spent the years before her passing fawning over her like a puppy. 'I.. suppose you could call it love.'
'How did you get through it.. her death?' Skye was begging for answers, her heart still struggling to let go of the boy she loved and lost so quickly.

'I haven't.'

'Of course you haven't I'm sorry..' guilt spread through her as she stuttered out a,'I-I just wondered h-how to-' but her stuttering was cut short when clay put his hand on her thigh, not in the creepy way, not in the flirty way but.. in the caring, sympathetic way.
'I know.'

His touch spread fire through her body, warmth that radiated and moved from her legs to her feet, from her torso to her hands. Feeling better just from his touch, she leant over and turned the tapes back on.

'Let's find out why I'm on here shall we.'