Chapter 19: Scared

The morning light filtering through the windows beckoned to Chyler's eyes like a beacon on a hill. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking to separate the haze of sleep from the conscious world. She lay on her back, an arm beneath Capri's sleeping form and another draped around her waist. Exactly how they fell asleep. She could feel the steady rise and fall of Capri's breath against her chest and for a while she didn't move, fearing that she would awake her.

She watched the room instead taking in it's quiet elegance and everything she hadn't cared to notice yesterday. Her gaze landed across the space to a tall wooden cabinet with glass doors next to a closet. Inside sat a perfectly arranged display of medals, trophies and certificates. Capri's name shone on every one of them in giant letters. All from her childhood ballet and gymnastics to highschool scholar and extracurriculars achievements to her college certificates.

Looking at the girl breathing right next to her, one wouldn't guess she was that overachiever that every parent was proud of. It was surreal how Capri managed to keep the looks, the popularity, and the top achievements.

Chyler felt her shift and turned quickly, like she had been caught doing something bad.

"Have you been awake long?" Capri asked, her voice heavy with remnant of sleep.

"Just a bit."

Capri yawned, eyes still closed. "Next time wake me up with a kiss."

Chyler smiled. "That could be arranged." She leaned in and kissed her forehead, then her nose, then her lips unhurried. Capri giggled. Her fingers lazily found Chyler's hip and tugged her closer under the sheets. She groaned and closed her eyes again, sinking back into Chyler's chest. Chyler let out a reluctant sigh.

"I have to leave," she said softly.

Capri's eyes blinked open. "What? Why? You are not working."

"I'm still working. Just not officially."

Capri sat up and looked at her face, raising an eyebrow. "Rebellious much?"

Chyler gave a low chuckle, swinging her feet off the bed. "You love it."

"Mm, God help me but I do. Always did." Capri stretched lazily, her bare skin gleaming in the light and Chyler had to kick herself back into her senses before she could get carried away again. "Are you going to attend Jason's and Serena's memorial service tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll be there." Her voice softened. "You?"

"Of course." She sat up completely, her expression shifting. "I'm scared, Chy." Chyler paused looking back at her. "I don't know what's happening or why..." she admitted, fingers curling into the sheets around her. "I just don't get why someone would kill them. Do you know anything more yet?"

Chyler's stomach dipped. She looked away, her mind flashing back to the discovery back at her house, to Caden's images with those men, Maddie's investigation into some shady business... The cold possible facts were piling up. Yet she couldn't tell Capri the truth.

"Not yet," she said. "I'm still trying to figure things out and with my suspension and the force holding back things from me... it's hard."

Capri watched her for a beat but didn't press further. Chyler began gathering the rest of her clothes, whichever she could find in that room. She was pretty sure they were spread through the house. As she reached for her sports bra, something on the middle shelf of the trophy cabinet caught her eye. It was a small sapphire, square box. She knew that box.

She blinked stepping closer and reached for it, her heart eloping. It was the one she had given Capri on her sixteenth birthday. A gift she had picked out excitedly but handed it to her nervously wondering if it was good enough to give her. Inside was a silver chain with delicate butterfly charms, pink, black and sapphire too. It had cost her a months savings and more confidence than her whole life had built.

And Capri had smiled and hugged her. Worn it for a while until she and Caden had become the official power couple at Sycamore high.

"You kept it," Chyler whispered, looking up slowly to find Capri watching her.

"Of course I did," Capri said with a smile, walking up to her with a sheet wrapped around her.

"I didn't think..."

Capri picked up the bracelet and held it out. "Help me put it on?"

Chyler chuckled. "You sure? It might ruin your whole look."

"Too late for that." Capri held out her wrist. "This is the purest gift I got that day. Everyone else gave me expensive things just to get close. They were competing to impress me but you didn't do that."

"Yeah, I did worse. I did it so you would be my girlfriend," Chyler chuckled faintly.

"It was genuine, out of love and not status." Their gazes locked, a beat passing with tense air building up between them. "And I was stupid back then to not see it. Or avoid it rather." She leaned in pressing a gentle affectionate kiss on her lips, like a quiet admission that she had finally come home. Then leaned back and smiled. "Breakfast before you go?"

"Yes please."

★★★

Downstairs, the smell of buttered toast filled the kitchen. Chyler watched her move around gracefully, sliding toast onto a plate like she'd had years of practice.

"I have to say," Chyler chuckled, leaning on the counter. "I didn't think you could cook."

"Excuse me?" Capri arched a brow.

"I expected... I don't know. A cook in uniform. A butler waiting in the corner for a bell."

"Don't be ridiculous," Capri snorted, buttering another slice of bread. "If I had a house servant, I'd die of boredom. I don't do anything else but make appearances beside Caden and smile politely for people I want to punch, just so they can keep us rich."

Chyler smirked. "So you picked up making toast as a hobby?"

Capri handed her a plate. "It started with toast. Now I'm a genius when it comes to Gordon Ramsay's cookbooks. Remind me to make you Risotto."

"As long as I get Capri Elliott Nolan for dessert," Chyler winked biting into her toast.

Capri cackled with laughter, joining her. "You are not a very nice person, Chyler Lee. I like that about you."

They ate breakfast side by side at the kitchen island, legs occasionally brushing. It took a huge amount of self-control from both of them to focus on breakfast instead of falling back in bed. When they were done, Chyler stood stretching and collected her things. Capri walked her to the front door and they lingered there for a moment, neither of them moving until Capri pulled her into an embrace. A kiss followed, warm with the promise of more before they pulled apart.

"See you soon?"

"Count on it," Capri nodded.

★★★

Back at home, Chyler threw her keys in a tray on the kitchen counter, a smile still playing on her lips. Brye looked up from his bowl of cereal and frowned.

"Why the hell are you— No, don't bother," he changed his course quickly. "I know that glow."

"I don't know what you are talking about," she said, walking past him headed straight to her room.

"You are going to deny the evidence crafted all over your face?" Brye shouted after her. "Who was it? Barbie Channing?"

"I'm going to take a shower, Brye."

"Uh-huh. And when you are done, I'll be waiting for the full Capri report."

Chyler shut her bedroom door shaking her head with a stubborn smile tugging at her lips. When she came out minutes later looking fresh, Brye was still waiting for her eagerly like a kid waiting for a bedtime story.

"So... are you two a thing now?"

"We are figuring it out." She shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

"Girl, you lie to yourself better than anyone I know." She gave him a look but didn't argue. "You are so in trouble!" he laughed.