Bitter Heart √

Twenty Four

Skylar's POV

After weighing the pros and cons for the umpteenth time, I eventually decided to meet up with Blake.

What was the worst that could happen? I found myself asking every time I started pacing in front of the living room couch.

Chicken meowed loudly from the couch, fixing me with her stare. I think my cat could sense my stupidity even from afar.

"I'll be fine," I told Chicken, before pulling my hair up into a high ponytail. "I need answers. Blake might be the only one willing to give me answers until my parents come back."

I walked to my room, picked up a large cardigan, and shrugged it on.

"Or, I might get successfully shot in the head this time," I added, once again having a one-sided conversation with my cat.

I could've waited for my parents to come back. I could've even called Mom or Dad and asked them what this whole Blake thing was about. But I knew my parents. They wouldn't speak of anything unless they were here in front of me. Unless I forced it out of them.

I sent a quick text to Caden, letting him know that I was leaving to see Blake (just in case), right before locking the doors behind me. Then I ventured off to the almost empty, dark streets behind my house.

What if I didn't make it back? I thought, right as my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I stopped by one corner of the street, saw it was just Alex sending me a picture of some Calculus problem he couldn't bother solving alone, and slid it back in my pocket once again.

Caden hadn't texted back yet. But he'd be there if I speed-dialled him, right?

Before I could've further chickened out, I pulled both ends of my cardigan closer against myself and started making my way towards the abandoned apartment Blake had mentioned in his text.

It took me a few minutes to finally come across said apartment and I stopped as I neared it, looking up at the tall building. The dark and old exterior did make it look abandoned. I went closer towards the entrance and noticed the chipped off paint on the crumbling walls. The few orange cones flipped across the entrance told me that it had once been a nice construction spot. Long, long ago.

After a few more minutes of searching around for an entrance route, I saw an old rusty staircase at one corner, basking in the moon's glow.

Cautiously, I started making my way upstairs, not sure where I was going. It was so dark that I had to keep myself from stumbling on my own feet again and again. When I finally reached the last stair, I saw how up I actually was. The spiral staircase below was enveloped in complete darkness.

A shudder went through me.

I might just be walking into hell.

Taking in a large, encouraging breath, I pushed past a metal door that was left open, leading to the roof. In just a few seconds, I found myself looking at the dark, night sky all around. The entire roof was empty safe for a boy, just around my age, sitting along one edge.

My phone buzzed again in my pocket.

I squinted my eyes and noticed that his back was towards me, his hands on either side of him as he leaned back and looked ahead at the city line.

Blake. It was Blake, with his dishevelled blond hair and the wind whipping against his denim jacket. He looked harmless--as harmless as a guy like him could look.