The Empaths (Book one in The Empaths series)

Chapter Four

"Hey, did you speak to Scarlett before you left today?" Jared followed Lucy to the kitchen later as she went to get some more chips.

"I did, but only to let her know I'd be staying here at Sarah's tonight. Why?"

"She was asking about you this afternoon. She looked worried." Jared leaned against the counter with his arms crossed.

Lucy avoided his eyes. She knew Scarlett wanted to talk to her the other day, but she had managed to avoid it. She got the feeling it was something to do with how she had been acting lately.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow."

Jared nodded. "Okay. Just don't put it off for too long. I don't like seeing her upset either."

Guilt flooded Lucy's chest and she took a deep breath. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising to me, Lucy. I'm your brother. I'm always going to be honest with you and I definitely don't expect an apology every time I bring something up. I'm just letting you know, that's all." He gave her a light jab on the arm before grabbing another beer and heading back to the others.

Lucy stood alone in the kitchen for a moment longer. She was so scared of what Scarlett was going to say. What would she tell her when she asked what was going on? It was not like she could be honest.

The last thing she wanted to do was think about it right now, so she brushed it off and went back into the sitting room. Everyone had picked out a spot to lounge comfortably while they chatted and filled Lilith in on what to expect on her first day at Blackwood high.

"It's really not that bad," Jared was saying as he laid on his back on the floor, staring at the ceiling. "It was a little weird when we first started, but that was mostly due to the circumstances."

"Why?" Lilith asked. "What were the circumstances?"

Lucy sat down on the couch next to Rachel, putting her glass of wine on the coffee table. "The reason we moved was because both of our parents were killed in a car accident." Rachel reached over and rubbed Lucy's back. "People didn't really know what to say to us, so they just sort of left us alone." She finished with a shrug.

Lilith looked uncomfortable for a moment. "I'm so sorry," she said in barely a whisper.

"It's okay," Lucy replied. "It hasn't been the best time, but these guys have made it a whole lot easier." She smiled at both Rachel and Riley.

"Sometimes having good friends is all the support you need," Lilith said, half-smiling, but it was tinted with sadness.

Lucy and Rachel shared a quick glance. Even Riley shifted in his seat a little.

Jared rolled on to his side and rested his head on his hand. "What brings you and your family to this strange little town in the middle of nowhere?" he asked, drinking the last of his beer before reaching up to put the can on the coffee table, completely unaware of Lilith's discomfort.

Once again, Lucy felt Lilith's fear seeping through, and just like before, it was laced with a deep sorrow. "You know what?" Lucy interjected. "Lilith isn't ready to talk about that right now." She glanced at Lilith quickly and gave her an encouraging wink. "How about we give her the time and space to get to know us first before we start poking around in her personal business."

Lilith relaxed a little. "Thanks Lucy." She looked at the floor for a few seconds before going on. "It's not that I don't trust you guys. It's just that... I'm not really ready to talk about it."

"Completely understandable," Jared replied with a comforting pat on Lilith's shoulder. "Get to know us first, then decide if you'd like to share your story."