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Xander
I livedfor this time of night. The silence. The stillness. A canvas of stars twinkling against the inky night.
My mom had told me once, when I was just a young boy scared of what the future held, that whenever I was afraid, whenever things felt too much for my little mind to process, all I had to do was look to the sky and wish upon a star and she would be with me.
I didn’t remember much about her, but I remembered that.
As I sat on the embankment of the river, staring up at the night’s sky, I felt her.
I always did.
Maybe it was the three glasses of whiskey I had before heading down here, or maybe it was all the shit floating around in my head, but being out here, under the vastness of the stars, I felt her.
“Hi, Mom,” I gritted out. Her name, a bittersweet taste on my tongue.
If anyone could see me now, they’d think I’d lost it, sitting here, talking to the silence. Staring at the sky like it held all the answers.
I couldn’t explain it, had long given up trying… but the hole in my chest left by her, by my father, felt that little bit smaller when I was out here.
It was late, past midnight. I expected to see the odd jogger or dog walker. I didn’t expect to see the flash of blonde out the corner of my eye.
“Xander?” Peyton croaked. Hands stuffed in her hoodie pocket, she blended with the shadows save for the golden braid hanging loosely over one shoulder.
“What the fuck are you doing out here?”
She flinched at my tone, and I let out a heavy sigh as I raked a hand down my face. “Shit, I didn’t mean… it’s late. Does Jase know you’re out here?”
“What do you think?” Her lips thinned as her eyes darted to the ground beneath her feet.
“So, you snuck out?”
“I couldn’t sleep.” She peeked back at me.
“It’s at least a fifteen-minute walk to their house. Anything could have happened to you.”
I knew Jase, and I knew if he found out about this, he’d probably put a lock on her windows. She was his responsibility now, his ward. Because she’s still a kid, a little voice warned me as I ran my eyes over her again.
Peyton didn’t look like a kid though. All long legs and shapely curves as she stood there bathed in moonlight. She had these big blue doe eyes, full of pain. It was that haunted look on her face that hit something deep inside me.
I knew that look.
I’d lived with it every day since I was a four-year-old kid learning about things—seeing things—no kids that young ever should.
“I’ll walk you home,” I said, starting to clamber to my feet.
“Wait,” she blurted out. “Just give me a few minutes. I feel like… I feel like I can’t breathe in that house.”
My brows knitted together as she slowly approached me, dropping her baby blues to the patch of grass beside me. A silent request.
Before I could stop myself, I nodded, and she sat down, kicking her long legs out in front of her. “I didn’t know you’d be down here,” she whispered.
“I come here sometimes.”
“Is that how you… saw me?” The words caught in her throat.
“Yeah.”
“Lucky me.” Strained laughter spilled from her lips, and I peeked over at her and our eyes collided. Something passed between us, something that shot through me like electric shock.
