Game Theory × NH

087 | francium

× Horan

It was passed two in the morning when we decided to call it a night. After we had gotten out of the hot tub, Lynn and I had stayed up and watched a series called Stranger Things and we refused to go to sleep until we saw every episode. We were not disappointed.

Lynn's hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her white Nike shirt was tight along her chest. The bottom hem went just below her navel and exposed a thin line of her tan stomach.

I watched her from the bed as she milled around the room, just looking around at the knickknacks and books on the dresser, peering outside at the backyard, or flipping open a book on one of the shelves. She already brushed her teeth and gotten ready for bed, but apparently she got a new burst of energy. I on the other hand couldn't seem to keep my eyes open.

Then suddenly Lynn stopped walking around when she saw something on the dresser. It was a candle. Then she was moving again, to her duffel bag and dug out her purse. She found what she was looking for and went back to the candle before picking it up and climbing onto the bed next to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Conquering a fear," she explained without looking at me.

The candle was big with three wicks sticking out of the glass dish. The label on the front said hot buttered rum. Lynn looked down at the lighter she had gotten out from her purse. I recognized the pattern on the lighter as the one I had given her for Christmas and grinned to myself. I watched her movements as Lynn's breathing became shallow and hands start to shake.

"Are you alright?" I asked her, scooting closer.

She nodded robustly, like she was trying to convince herself more than she was me. "Yes. I'm fine. Just... I'm fine."

Lynn was afraid of fire. I knew that, of course, but I guess I never realized how bad she had it. The bonfire a couple of weeks after she joined the team was a big blow out so it was a little understandable. This was just a little flame and Lynn was hesitant with it.

I reached over and tried to take the lighter from her so I could help, but she jerked away, her grip on the lighter tightening.

"No, let me do this," she pressed. "I can't let a stupid little flame prevent me from smelling nice things."

She made it clear that she wanted to do this alone, but I didn't move away from her. Her thumb was over the wheel and I watched as she pushed down, a small flame immersing the wick. From the sudden light of the spark, Lynn jumped a little, but kept holding onto the lighter nevertheless and proceeded to light the candle. When all the wicks were lit, she capped the lighter and the flame disappeared.

"You did it," I whispered, knowing how much the accomplishment meant to her.

She nodded timidly. "I did."

Lynn kept her eyes on the small flames, the golden glow bouncing off her skin. There were shadows casting down one side of her face, the flickering fires making the darkness dance. She looked absolutely beautiful in the soft glow of the flame.

"Alina is the reason I'm afraid of the dark," I said into the silence.

Thinking about how Lynn invited me to her once childhood home and having me there to watch the video her mum left her, I figured it was only appropriate that I didn't keep any secrets from her anymore.