Page 130 of Lyric Squared

Unmasking my secret.

As much as I wanted to lay the blur beside her flat on his back, the truth was I hardly noticed him. That’s how radiating Lyric was. That’s how consuming she was.

She was eighteen. She had been for five months now. Still, the brotherly love I had for her wouldn’t allow me to see anything but a little sister before me. But, when I was alone, that wasn’t the case. My feelings grew. My thoughts lingered. Our future played out right before my eyes.

“You look beautiful, baby girl,” I called out, finding it more suitable to stay the distance.

“Thank you,” she said to me, stopping my heart.

When her feet began to move, I wanted to run in the opposite direction. But, I stood taller, ten toes down, and opened my arms, giving Lyric exactly what she wanted. Exactly what I wanted her to have.

Me.

My undivided attention.

My chest.

My arms.

My life.

My love.

“Where have you been?” She asked as her body and mine collided.

I squeezed her tightly, never wanting to let go. She smelled like silk and saffron and amber.

“Keeping busy,” I admitted.

“I don’t like it,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized.

Sorry that I have feelings for you.

Sorry that I can’t be with you.

Sorry that I have to put distance between us.

Sorry that I haven’t been here.

Sorry that one day I’ll have to tell you how I’m feeling.

Sorry that I’ll disrupt our bond to make a new one.

Sorry.

She pulled away, a smile on her face but pain in her eyes. My absence had affected her. It pained me to know that.

I inhaled deeply, watching as she joined her date again. I exhaled as I heard the loud stereo in the yard as the brand new whip parked.

Fucking Laike. I chuckled. That goddamn Laike.

A damsel in distress.That’s what she was to me. As she lay in the hospital bed with her eyes closed and her hand in mine, I wondered what was going through that pretty little head of hers. Everyone had cleared. Luca and Laike had gone to pick up his truck. Liam had taken Laura home. It was just Lyric and me. The smoke had finally cleared and there was a sad, lingering silence that we sat in uncomfortably as we waited on her discharge papers.

“I felt something was wrong,” she said to me, eyes still closed, “It’s like I felt like this would happen. That’s why I wasn’t in a rush to tell my family. It’s like I knew. I don’t know how, but I knew. It didn’t even feel right when I called Ever before sitting down to eat. Somehow, I felt like I was lying to her. I can’t explain it.”

“You don’t have to.”