Let Me Open Your Eyes

Chapter 15- The Boy Next Door

{"How do you turn a forest fire like me 

                                             so soft that I turn into running water"}

I had ignored Aspen's insistent calls for the past days after hanging up the phone. I had told him that everything was okay, and after a while I suppose he started to believe me as he had stopped calling. Maybe he couldn't read me as well as he thought.

The flashbacks had been getting worse. I wish that they could be labelled as nightmares but that would mean that they were not real, that they stopped once I was awake. But the flashbacks had been playing over and over again in my head, like a cassette tape stuck on a continuous loop. For months on end I would almost seem to forget everything that had happened and then they would reappear, as if taunting me and reminding me of how I got to where I am.

But there was a small part of me that would not stop hanging on to the new feeling that made my heart sink when I checked my phone everyday only to see the lack of notifications. The feeling of disappointment. For reasons that I had been trying to ignore, I was disappointed that he had not tried harder to make sure I was okay and to see me. The other half of me understood why he would want to stay away after how I treated him every time I saw him. But I had no choice. I told myself a million times that he meant nothing to me and that I was relieved that he wasn't contacting me. How could I be angry at him?

After all he had only started to do what I had been asking of him all along...leaving me alone.

"Honey? Someone is at the door" My mother knocked on my door gently a few days later and my heart automatically lifted slightly within my chest.

Sending her a confused look, she sent me a small smile.

"We have new neighbors. They wanted to meet you, I met them yesterday in the front garden while watering my flowers."

My heart sank and my eyes went to the floor.

"It's okay, sweetie. They already know. I explained everything but they still want to meet you."

I frowned. Who would want to meet a girl that wouldn't even speak to them? Are these neighbors that lonely or simply over-enthusiastic people pleasers?

When the door opened, I peeked over my mother's shoulder and saw a middle aged couple that were smiling at me awkwardly. Turning my head slightly, my eyes locked onto hazel ones that looked at me with curiosity. My heart jumped in my chest when I locked onto the gaze of a boy around my age, with black shaggy hair and long eyelashes. He smiled at me gently, holding out a hand for me to shake. I hesitated but gently placed my hand in his, feeling the softness of his hand in mine which caused me to blush slightly while he grinned even wider.

"I'm Kai Stevens" he spoke softly, nudging towards his parents who were watching me cautiously as if they were not sure what to do. "These are my parents, Mark and Cindy. We moved in next door and I wanted to meet you."

I nodded gently, sending him an awkward smile.

"We are going to start on dinner, I invited them over and they are quite enthusiastic cooks themselves. Why don't you show Kai to your room?" my mother nudged me slightly, as if reminding me to relax.

It put me on edge, knowing that Kai wanted to spend time with me despite knowing that I could never talk back to him. He seemed friendly enough but I watched him carefully as we headed up the stairs, trying to work him out and if he had any other intentions.

"I know you're properly wondering why I wanted to meet you" he added gently as we made it to my room. My eyebrows raised, shocked that he could seem to almost read my mind. "I had a friend back where we used to live, and she couldn't speak either. I had known her my whole life and it didn't matter, so I figured that you may want a friend who is used to it. I hope I don't seem rude..."