THESE HIDDEN WINGS

[124] DOUBTS

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Besides, he had known her for so much longer than I had, and from all he explained to me about her, she did seem to show him a side of her, not even I, as her roommate had seen yet.

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THIS WAS THE longest thirty seconds of my life, unable to see the expression on Daya's face and yet, was quite able to feel the emotion emitting through the air around us.

I didn't know if it was better like this, not being able to see her due to Lucas blocking my line of sight, but the inevitable feeling in my bones confirmed the unpleasantness that accompanied the prolonged silence.

"Really Lucas?" she spoke up, her tone sounding bitter and doused in disbelief, whilst I felt myself being dug down into a hole at the way she said his name.

Lucas- not Luca

Yes, that was not a good sign-

I should do something to rectify the situation.

Daya had seen how close we had gotten, I didn't even want to think about how close it had looked at the distance at which she saw us, standing under the Whiting tree.

I hate to say it but this spot seemed to be the most romantic in the King's Court at the moment.

Despite that, I dutifully recognized the emotion coming from him.

Anger.

One, I was quite sure did not only come from the mere fact that Daya had referred to me as 'mute.'

He was genuinely mad at her for all the little things she had been doing to him and I just didn't want him to say something off base just because of me.

Something that he would more or less eventually regret in his quest to win her back.

I had no love for the fact that he was so entranced with Daya even though I knew she was much more enamored with Harvest than she was with Luca, evidently, but I was quite aware I had no right to decide or dictate what was best for him.

Besides, he had known her for so much longer than I had, and from all he explained to me about her, she did seem to show him a side of her, not even I, as her roommate had seen yet.

I only hoped that it was genuine for his sake.

Just before he could reply to her, I tapped his back, causing him to turn slightly revealing the straight line of sight to Daya.

Causing him to turn had also stopped him from something he would regret with that fury I could see in his eyes, though it was slowly dissolving the longer we held eye contact.

I just didn't want to live with that burden, being the one that caused everything to end between the two of them, especially with the moment we just had shared.

I don't know, it kind of made me feel extremely guilty at this point, with her staring right at me and all.

I glanced between the two of them momentarily, swallowing, because in that second I had a feeling of being number two.

Because I was right about one thing.

He was mad at her.

And yes, it was for more than her small comment about me and now, I had no way to recognize whether what he had told me about not regretting anything was genuinely true, or like Harvest had said, since he did find himself to be alone at this time, was using me as a secondary base.

I felt ashamed at this reasoning, only because I knew it was heavily influenced by what Harvest had said, and that should have never surfaced after knowing for a fact that Lucas was not exactly the type to 'use' someone just to make someone else jealous.

At least that was what I always thought until those seeds of doubt were sown, courtesy of Harvest.

'I-I'll just leave-" I signed trying to portray that I understood the situation he was in now by a soft smile on my face.

As his eyes searched mine, they drew in together as he seemed to read my face, "Taland, don't think things like that. I would never-"

''I'll let you talk things out,' I signed one more time, cutting him off, my eyes trailing to a scowling Daya whose inquisitive green eyes seemed to study the two of us carefully

It made me inwardly woe the time of the day I would have to spend locked in a room with her,

'You need it-" I finished slowly, searching his eyes for a second as his look spread out into understanding and I nodded pursing my lips, turning away, only to be pulled back.

My heart thumped within me softly as he stared down into my eyes

"Alright," he whispered lowly, his tone gentle, whilst I felt the scorching heat from Daya's eyes, that dulled the longer I was entranced in his, "but I'll come to find you later-" he murmured lowly.

My breathing seemed nonexistent as I nodded, glancing one more time at a tight-lipped Daya before walking away.

The farther I walked away from the two of them and the bicker that I could faintly hear, the easier I found it to breathe.

I kept thinking about what I was doing with my life and if I was being really smart about this- and by this,

I meant all of it.

It can't be smart being involved with Lucas anymore, is it? Yes, I considered him a good friend but did I want Daya as an enemy?

At this point, I could only say that everything seemed to be happening too fast and in a large blur.

I needed a space to think about everything, set goals, and make decisions- hopefully, the right ones around this time.

Walking through the low grass, I focused on the low crunching of my footsteps, turning momentarily at the sound of a car.

A dark raven flew overhead and I grunted moving out of the entrance of the King's courts, scratching my wrists, only to spot a Gravis by it, his folded arms staring out into the courts seemingly watching me.

My heart skipped a moment.

Firstly, I hoped he hadn't seen my altercation with Lucas and Daya, then again I believed he was too far away to have heard anything.

Other than that, I began to feel anxious the closer I came to him.

Gravis only came looking for me if it was something to do with my mother, and though at this point all I truly thought I wanted to do was curl down in Clair's bed and bury myself in any place that was not in the abyss of my thoughts, maybe listening to Lira ramble on, or Claire and David bicker, seeing my mother now would be the best medicine.

Nothing could beat curling at her side at this moment.

I paused a few feet away from him, hopeful eyes set on him, a question echoing through them.

I wanted to know if she was awake, better, and stronger than she had been last time- when I had barely gotten a good second with her.

When he slowly nodded, a warm glow in his brown eyes, I could feel relieved tears gather up in my eyes.

I missed her so much, and she was exactly the right thing I needed at this time. I smiled as he held out a hand for me, and I walked toward him, his large hand rubbing my back as I slid into a pattern beside him, the breeze between us,

Finally, a little bit of sunshine.

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