Brianna Acero and the Second One's Return

33. Tragedy strikes

"Just like before?" I muse, Kalen's words bouncing around my head. "Before what?"

I walk back to the bench on the side of the room, keeping my arm as close to my body as possible, trying to stop it from moving too much. The pain has all but disappeared, but moving it seems to make it worse, so I opt to let it hang as I settle onto the wooden surface. I rummage around my bag with my good hang and fetch my towel and a water bottle. This is the first time I managed to best Kalen, and I let my earlier excitement resurface. I did it! I would high five myself but well, circumstances.

Kalen finally appears after ten long minutes of waiting, blue ice pack in hand. He spots me right away, rushing over to where I'm sitting and slowly putting the ice pack on my burn. I grimace, but the cold feels nice against my overheated skin.

"Thanks," I sigh, using my other hand to keep the ice pack in place. Our fingers brush as I go to grab it, and Kalen quickly retracts his hand, snaking it up to rake through his hair. Is that, red on his face? The burn must have affected me more than I thought, now I'm seeing things.

He grabs a water bottle from his own bag and pours it over his towel, placing the damp cloth over his head. He told me once before, when I asked him why he did that, that it helped him lower his core temperature. He sighs and buries his head in his hands, as we sit in silence.

"Hey," I say, putting down the ice pack and using my uninjured arm to place a hand on his shoulder, trying to ignore the way he flinches under my touch. "I don't blame you for what happened."

He doesn't answer, so I keep going.

"I know how much you struggle to control it. Heck I still have trouble getting my inner voice to cooperate. Just, don't beat yourself up over this okay? And don't worry, you won't manage to scare me off with a little red on my skin."

My last remark seems to hit home because a shuddering breath escapes his throat.

"It was my fault she left," He murmurs. His eyes meet mine, and I realize we aren't talking about the present anymore.

"Leila?"

He nods.

"Practicing just like we were now. The same thing happened,  except I was the one helping her up. She couldn't use her hand for a week."

He looks at his palm, probably remembering what happened all that time ago.

"Something changed after that day. Not just around me, with all of us. She wouldn't let any of us touch her, she didn't want to be in the same room as us. Eventually, she decided to leave the team."

I gasp. You could do that? Leave a team? Why would you though, when they were there to protect and support you?

"But," a grim smile makes its way to his lips. "No one wants a defector. And the only way to make it here is with a team."

Gray eyes meet mine.

"She left a year after the incident, and I haven't seen her since."

I wince, having expected the outcome.

"But that can't be right, it wasn't because of you Kalen, there must be some other reason."

The look he sends me makes the voice die in my throat. I look away, not able to maintain his intense stare. I hear him sigh.

"It was my fault, and I take full responsibility."

"That's a lie and you know it."

I whirl around to find Jayson standing at the training room entrance. He walks up to us, towering over Kalen, who remains seated.