[ABftP] Let Your Heart Decide
Updated: Aug 13, 2019
Next in line from my Wordpress merger!
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The second installation of Life After You. Today's inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn-NDxxPJuU
Dinner was extremely uncomfortable.
Nyx pushed her food around her plate. She couldn't bring herself to look over at Jet, who had done his best to ignore her for the last few days. It was times like these that she wished she still had Liana to lean on. Unfortunately, that thought made it all the more difficult for her to stomach Jet's presence.
Slowly, she set down her fork, looking around at the people at the table. There had once been a time when this would have terrified her. Now, it bored her. She heaved a sigh, standing from her seat. Her aide, Angela, looked to her in confusion.
"I'm going to my room," she said.
Angela frowned. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Nyx nodded brusquely. "Excuse me."
Angela's brow creased in worry as Nyx exited, her eyes shifting to Jet, who was suddenly scowling.
"Do you know what that was about?" Angela asked.
Jet heaved a sigh, rising to his feet as well. "I'll take care of it."
His thoughts were racing as he went out the door after her. He rounded the corner, slightly surprised to see her waiting for him. She was leaning against the window, her emerald eyes pinning him. They narrowed dangerously.
"You don't need to baby me," she said quietly. There was an edge to her voice.
Jet scowled. "I'm not," he said. "I want to know when you're going to be normal again."
"I am being normal," she said defensively.
Jet rolled his eyes. "Just talk to me," he said. The tension of creeping around her the last few days had finally caught up to him, and he suddenly felt exhausted. He couldn't keep tip-toeing around her anymore.
Nyx frowned, clearly surprised. "About what?" she asked. She glanced out the window. There were many things she wanted to talk to him about, but she didn't see the point. It didn't seem like he cared very much. The bitterness that had plagued her since the war seemed especially heavy and pungent today.
Her thoughts shifted once more to her grandmother. She would give anything for just one more minute with her. She just wanted one more opportunity to see her and ask her if she was doing the right thing.
Jet's face softened when he saw regret flash across her face. "What are you thinking about?"
"Liana." Her voice was soft, no hint of the emotions she was feeling. Her eyes were trained in the distant darkness beyond the window. "What would she say to me?"
Jet grimaced, leaning against the wall opposite her. "She would be proud," he said gently.
Nyx pressed her lips together, unhappy with his answer. Somehow it seemed empty and insincere coming from him. What did he know? It was his fault she was gone.
She realized her heart was racing in her chest suddenly, fury building inside her. How could she be in love with him after everything that he had done? How had she been able to put that aside to fight for him? She must have forgotten the pain for a moment. He should have died that day when she ran him through with her Soul Blade.
Carefully, she turned to face him, his onyx eyes widening at the look on her face. The last thing she wanted was to lose control of herself. "You should have died that day," she said angrily.
He frowned in confusion.
"It would have been fair penance for Liana's death."
Jet bristled, feeling wounded by her words. "Is that what you think?" he asked. Anger suddenly flooded him and he stood from where he was leaning against the wall. "You would have preferred that, I'm sure."
Nyx straightened, clenching her fists. "At least she wasn't afraid to care about me," she snapped. "She should be here, not you!"
Her words were a heavy blow. Jet didn't know what to say. His thoughts were racing, nothing coherent enough for him to grasp. After a long moment of staring dumbly at her, he turned.
"Fine," he said. "If that's how you feel, then I won't stay."
Nyx narrowed her eyes at his back. "What does that mean?" she asked darkly.
"I'm going home," he said. He stepped away from her. "Give me until the morning, then I'll be gone."
Nyx felt her breath catch as he walked away from her. Part of her was suddenly relieved, but part of her was seized with uncertainty.
Was this what she wanted?