Fighting with Fire #2 ✔

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕 - 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

 "I am not sleeping in his room," I announced to Abi, sitting down next to her outside on the deck. "I'd rather get strangled by you whilst you were sleeping."

"Look, Ember," Jason sighed before Abi could reply, "I'm sure we can work it out somehow. Theo's just a little bit lost right now..."

"Oh, and you thought that I'd be the one to find him again?" I retorted.

"He's heartbroken." Storm patted my knee gently. "He's heartbroken over you."

I stood up at that and walked a little away from them, going to lean against the carved wooden railings.

"Maybe he shouldn't have told me he loved me at the freaking airport then," I muttered to myself.

Okay, so maybe I'd been a little cold-hearted towards him, but what else was I supposed to do? Profess my undying love for him before getting onto a plane that would take me thousands of miles away from him?

"I'm going down to the lake," I said, needing to put a little more distance between me and Theo.

The lake was beautiful: afternoon sunshine was making it glimmer and gleam, pulling me closer to it.

And it made me think of home, of Lake Oldoy.

I squatted down onto my heels at the edge of the slightly rippling water and stared at my reflection.

Theo was right; I had changed. I was skinnier, with my collarbones, wrist bones and shoulder blades sticking out sharply. I had lost weight around my hips and waist, my fingers seemed longer and thinner. My hair was different too; it was still thick and wavy, but I subconsciously wore it up more and I couldn't even remember the last time I had it down. My stomach was stretched taught like skin over a drum. My eyes seemed to be set deeper in my head.

I had changed more than I'd like to admit — and that was on the outside.

I drifted back to reality and a single, salty tear rolled down my cheek — what a waste.

At some point, Storm had joined me at the lake and sat down beside me. "You can have my bed tonight."

"How come? Are you sure?" I was hesitant about her offer.

"Yes, positive. I plan to sleep under the stars tonight." She lay back against the grass, staring up at the sky as if she was trying to see the stars before they appeared. "Of course, you'll have to contend with Jade, but I'm sure you'll manage it."

"Yeah." I sighed and flicked the water in front of me, wishing I could make my borderline-skeletal reflection disappear.

"You know Ryder's quite the cook? He's planning on feeding you up because you're so thin." She pinched my skin lightly.

I laughed at that. "What am I? A turkey or a pig now?"

"No, he's just worried about you," Storm said seriously. "We all are. That's the reason Theo's so upset."

I thought for a moment, watching across the lake. "Thank you for the offer of your bed. But I think I should sleep in Theo's room. I think he needs me right now."

"He does need you." Storm yawned. "He just won't admit it 'cos he's a guy, and guys do stupid things around girls."

"Are those some of your wise words of insight?" I grinned.

"Some of them." She shut her eyes and smiled in the sunshine.

"I better go talk to Theo," I voiced aloud as I stood up and headed back towards the ranch, hoping that we didn't end up yelling at each other again.