Page 21 of Nyx
“What are you…”
I crinkle my nose at the tickle of the grass touching my soles, and I flex my toes against the ground. They’re not the prettiest feet, not like his, and an annoying patch of black fuzz grows sporadically on my big toe… but right now, that doesn’t matter. “If you’re worried about being strange, then we’ll be strange together.”
“To-together?” Crystal droplets build in his eyes as they land on mine and stick, staring at me for longer than he’s ever maintained eye contact.
“Yeah, fuck it,” I say with a shaky grin that feigns nonchalance, pretending that my heart isn’t trying to beat its way straight out of my chest to fall at his sweet bare feet. “Let’s be weird together.”
It happens then.
Nyx smiles at me.
Fragile, uncertain, and paper-thin, but it’s there. It’sthere, and, gods, if it isn’t mine. Barely more than a lift of the corner of his lips, it crinkles his eyes and plumps his cheeks. Even the teardrop leaving an emerald trail along his skin doesn’t take away from the radiance that lights his face. “Okay,” he says in his quiet, breathy way.
“Yeah?” I ask, my own smile spreading until my cheeks ache.
“I think… I would like to be…weirdwith you.”
“Alright then.” I give him room to secure his door, and the top of his head barely comes above my shoulder as he steps close to my side. An idea hits me as he glances up at me. “Stay here for just a second, okay? I have something for you.”
He nods, and I dart into my house to unearth a few forgotten bags of things stuffed underneath my bed. The yellow-gold color snags my eye, and I grin, pulling it from the bag before jogging outside again. Nyx stands where I left him, watching me closely. Curious little thing. It makes me stifle another smile as I approach.
His eyes dart to my hand before bouncing back to mine in silent question. The floppy straw hat is smashed from its travels in my bag, and I push the dents into place as best I can. “Can’t have you getting too much sun today, can we?” He watches me intently, and I almost fold under the weight of the trust in his stare. “May I?”
He dips his chin for me to place it, and the brim is so wide, it sags until it nearly touches his narrow shoulders. His head tilts further than normal to peek at me from underneath. Dark shadows cover his face, but thoseeyes… those damn eyes sparkle in the darkness like they have their own light source.
“You’re beautiful,” I whisper, and a shuttering breath pushes from his nose.
“I have never been beautiful.”
“You can’t possibly believe that.” I throw all my conviction into my voice as I shake my head. His hands tremble as they tuck his hair behind his ear, exposing that pointed tip. It’s so long it brushes the woven straw brim.
“Beauty did not matter there,” he says, and I try not to be overwhelmed by his mention of that place. His hell on earth.
“Of course it did,” I argue, and he blinks at me, once again silently asking the question. “Not the sort of beauty that comes from pretty faces and flowing hair. Some people are beautiful inside, where they do the best they can to make this awful world better.”
He considers this with a conceding nod. “Like you,” he says, then ducks his head to shield himself behind the hat. I’m second-guessing my decision to give it to him, since it makes it easier for him to hide. But I don’t have to see his face to know how his cheeks burn.
“Like you, too,” I finally say, before my lips pull up in a slight grin. “Though you’re cute on the outside too.” His head whips up with his eyes wide and his mouth dropped open, and his adorable surprise makes me chuckle. “Come on, Nyx. The plants are waiting for us.”
Another hint of those tiny smiles flickers on his lips, and we set off towards the gardens side-by-side and barefoot.
Nyx
HarvestdayisoneI enjoy very much. The entire village comes out to help, and everything is a little chaotic. There are more people than I’m used to, but aside from the occasional smile and wave, they keep their distance. A few times they look as if they might try to strike up a conversation, but a cough and glare from Reyes makes them change their minds. I suspect he spoke to them in advance, and the gesture causes more of those flutters to form in my chest.
Reyes and I work behind the barrier of the wooden fence, and the semi-private space allows me to focus on the plants. The giant hat hides me easily with its wide brim. I appreciate the obscurity, although I can’t help but worry it makes me look like an animal wearing blinders. Skittish and spooked, only able to handle the tunnel vision in front of me.
I peek around the brim and watch the clumsily synchronized movements of those around us. Elas and Lillithcarry woven baskets of vegetables to Ronan and Taryn, who determine the destination of the produce. Some is put aside for immediate use, while the rest is for drying or canning. Xeni is situated away from the others with a long table and knives, chopping vegetables into small enough pieces to can. Once he’s finished, Cameron and August heat jars filled with colorful foods in the giant iron cauldron.
There’s bickering and teasing—and a lot of complaining from Ronan about how things should be done to his standards—but mostly, everyone works in harmony.
Reyes speaks to me often, telling me about the plants and what they’re called. He softly corrects me and tries to hide a smile as I struggle to pronouncezucchini, but I still notice it. I think I notice everything about him. I say little, but listen intently as he explains what sorts of dishes we might make with their fruits, and which ones he thinks I’ll enjoy the most.
My mind stays engaged, and his constant chatter keeps me from retreating into myself. He checks on me often, and not as discreetly as he believes. It doesn’t feel invasive, though. If he saw signs of me needing to run, he’d be the first to open the gates and grant me my freedom. There would be no questions, no need for explanation, just support.Empowerment to make my own decisions, even if he doesn’t agree with them.
It’s a novelty I’ve never experienced.
“These have to be pulled harder.” Reyes yanks a long, skinny section from a thick, rigid stem. It’s wrapped in bright green leaves with strange threads sticking from oneend, and, like he can read my mind, he peels them back. I lean in to examine the yellow bumps underneath.
