Chapter 58

OMARI

When Peighton walked away, I just sat there, staring at the spot where he had been.

The silence felt loud after he left. It was the kind of silence that pressed against your chest and made you aware of your heartbeat.

I didn’t move for a long time. I didn’t even breathe right. Every word he’d said replayed in my head before I stopped pretending too.

What did he mean by that?

I finally stood and went upstairs. The house was quiet, everyone asleep. My hands shook a little as I opened my door. The room smelled like lavender from the candle I’d forgotten to blow out earlier.

I blew it out and climbed into bed, but sleep didn’t come. I kept seeing his eyes, dark and steady, and the way he’d looked at me before walking away.

I turned over again and again, chasing comfort that didn’t come. When I finally drifted off, my dreams were full of pieces I couldn’t make sense of. fire, hands, voices whispering my name.

When I woke up, the sun was just rising.

The house was quiet except for the soft hum of the coffee machine downstairs.

I dressed quickly. The air smelled clean, like dew and roses. I went outside to the garden, hoping the cool morning air would help clear my head. The roses were wet with drops of water.

I bent down to touch one of them. It was pink, full and heavy, and it made me smile without meaning to.

“You really like those, don’t you?”

I turned sharply. Leighton stood near the fence, holding a cup of coffee. His hair was messy, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up.

“I didn’t know anyone else was awake,” I said.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “Too much noise in my head.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Same.”

He walked closer, his steps quiet on the grass. “You look tired.”

“Do I?”

He smiled a little. “You always do after you talk to him.”

My stomach turned. “Him?”

“Peighton.” His voice softened, but his eyes didn’t. “You should be careful with him, Omari.”

“Why?”

He looked down at his cup. “Because he’s not like me or Ashton. He doesn’t pull back when he should.”

I wanted to ask what he meant, but before I could, the back door opened. Ashton stepped out, stretching. “Are you two hiding from breakfast?”

Leighton rolled his eyes. “It’s too early for you to be this loud.”

Ashton grinned. “You sound like Peighton.”

At his name, my heart jumped a little again. I looked toward the doorway, half-expecting to see him standing there but he wasn’t.

Breakfast was quiet.

Kael sat with us this time. He was talking with my mom about repairs to the gate. His voice was calm but heavy, like he was thinking about other things.

Ashton tried to joke, but no one laughed much. I could feel Peighton watching me from across the table, though he didn’t say a word. Every time I looked up, his eyes met mine for just a second before he looked away again.

After breakfast, we got ready to go to school. The car ride was quiet. Ashton drove. Leighton sat beside him, and I sat in the back with Peighton.

I could feel the tension in the air. Every small sound felt louder than it should.

When the car hit a bump, my hand brushed his again. Neither of us moved it away. I could feel his warmth even through the small space between us.

When we reached the school, the same whispers were waiting. The same stares. People didn’t stop talking.

“Isn’t that her?”

“Yeah, the cursed girl.”

“She’s with them again?”

I tried to ignore them, but my chest hurt.

Leighton must have noticed, because he walked a little closer to me. Ashton glared at anyone who stared too long. But Peighton, he said nothing. He just walked beside me, silent and steady. Somehow that felt louder than words.

During class, I couldn’t focus. My pencil kept slipping. Every time I looked up, Peighton’s reflection stared back at me from the window beside my desk. He didn’t look at me directly, but he didn’t have to. I could feel it.

At lunch, I sat with Lila near the courtyard. She was talking fast, like she was trying to fill the silence.

“Violet’s at it again,” she said. “She’s saying the triplets put a spell on you. That you’re their mate or something.”

I froze. “She said what?”

“Yeah. She told people she saw a mark on your wrist glow during the last fight.”

“That’s a lie,” I said. My voice shook even though I tried to sound calm.

“I know that,” Lila said. “But people like drama.”

I nodded slowly, but my mind was far away.

A shadow fell over us.

I looked up and saw Peighton standing there, holding a bottle of water. “You okay?”

Lila glanced between us. “Uh, I’ll… give you two a minute.” She left fast.

Peighton sat down where she’d been. “You look like you’re about to cry.”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly.

“Liar,” he said simply.

I glared at him. “You don’t get to call me that.”

He leaned forward slightly, elbows on his knees. “Then stop acting like everything’s fine when it isn’t.”

“You think you know me?” I said, my voice low.

He looked up at me. “I want to.”

The words hit harder than I expected. I didn’t know what to say.

He watched me for a few more seconds, then sighed and leaned back.

“Don’t listen to what they say,” he said. “They don’t know anything about you.”

“Neither do you,” I said.

He smiled a little. “Maybe not. But I’m trying.”

Something about the way he said that made my throat tight.

The bell rang again before I could say anything. He stood and held out his hand to help me up. I took it without thinking. His hand was warm, strong.

When I let go, my fingers felt cold.

That evening, the rain started.

Soft at first, then steady.

I sat by the window, watching it slide down the glass. Everyone else was in their rooms. The house felt calm, for once.

There was a knock on my door.

Before I could answer, Peighton walked in. He was holding a towel and a small box. His hair was damp. “Mom said you left this outside.”

He handed me the box. Inside were my gardening gloves.

“Thanks,” I said softly.

He nodded and turned to leave, but then stopped. “You shouldn’t stay near the windows when it rains like this.”

“Why not?”

He looked over his shoulder. “You’ll get cold.”

I smiled. “You worry too much.”

He turned fully then, his eyes serious. “And you don’t worry enough.”

The way he said it made my chest tighten.

I stood up. “You always talk like you know what’s best for me.”

He took a step closer. “Maybe I do.”