Before I Forget

Not Today, Satan.

The unbearable noise of the doorbell had finally stopped. Sky was on the floor, lying on her side her cheek against the floor tiles, clutching the phone in her ice-cold fingers, focusing on Dad's voice that kept promising her he would soon be there, soon, any moment now—

The knife lay under the table where Sky had thrown it. It was still calling her name, she saw the dark waters of River Styx reflected on the shiny surface of the blade, but she kept gripping the phone, she kept clinging to it with all her might, the last lifeline that could save her miserable life.

It had taken all she had to throw the knife away and call Dad instead. It had felt like fighting a tidal wave, like climbing Mount Everest.

But the truth was she didn't want to die. She just wanted the pain to stop, and maybe - just maybe - there were other ways to do that than jumping into the River Styx.

The knife stared back at her from under the table and Sky glared at it with narrowing eyes as she wearily pushed herself a bit farther away from it.

Not today, Satan. Not today.

And then she heard Dad opening the front door and running inside, calling her name with a broken voice, and she started crying again, tears flooded her eyes, because she wasn't alone, she didn't have to do this, she wasn't going to die, not today.

"In here—" she managed, her voice nothing but a broken sob, but Dad heard her nevertheless, just like he always did.

Sky looked up and saw him there in the doorway, in his jeans and his sweater, and everything about him was safe and good and home. He fell to the floor on his knees and then his arms were around Sky's hurting body, pulling her into his lap.

"It's okay, I'm here, I'm here—" Dad cradled her in his arms. "It's gonna be okay, sweetie—"

Sky buried her face into his shirt and cried like a baby.

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A couple of hours later, Hawk was still sitting on the front steps, leaning his back on the wall next to the door. The battery of his phone had died a long time ago, saving him from Dad's constant attempts to reach him and from the idiotic texts the Cobras kept sending. He knew he should have left, that there was nothing here for him anymore, but every time he thought of getting up, he pushed that decision off for a couple of minutes more, and thus those minutes had turned into hours, the noon had turned into afternoon and here he still was, hoping against all hope.

Hearing the front door opening, Hawk startled and turned to look. His heart jumped against his ribs in the hope it was Sky, but—

Nicholas stood in the doorway, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and looked down at Hawk. His blond hair was a mess, he looked disheveled and tired, but what really freaked Hawk out was the look on his angular face.

He looked at Hawk as if he didn't even know him.

"Is– is Sky okay?" Hawk stammered, barely getting the words out of his mouth.

"Yes," Nicholas replied with a sigh and took a seat next to Hawk. "No thanks to you, though."

His cruel words felt like a punch in the gut, but Hawk knew he deserved it. Hell, he deserved a lot worse after what he had done.

"What— what happened? Did she try to—?"

"I don't think Sky would appreciate me telling her private things to you, Eli. She tells me you broke up." Nicholas replied. He leaned his elbows to his knees, and he didn't look at Hawk. Even if they were sitting right next to each other it suddenly felt like there was an ocean between them.