"You're… beautiful," she says.
The words hit like she punched me.
I flinch away from them.
Must have misheard.
Or she's lying.
Lying to spare me.
But her eyes hold steady on mine.
Ocean eyes unflinching and sincere.
"You are," she insists, as if reading my disbelief. "You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. So blue. Like arctic ice, but warmer."
A hallucination.
Has to be.
I'm losing my mind.
I shake my head hard, desperate denial.
I should pull back.
But I don't.
Can't bring myself to increase the distance between us.
She just smiles.
A soft, sad smile.
It hurts.
"I wish you could see yourself the way I see you," she murmurs. Her fingers trace up to my eyes again, outlining the shape of them through my lashes.
Can't breathe past the lump in my throat.
Can't do anything but stare down at her.
She lifts her head slightly, bringing her face closer to mine. "Can I kiss you?"
The question doesn't register at first. The words reach my ears but fail to form meaning in my brain. Impossible syllables that can't possibly be meant for me.
"Wraith?" she prompts gently.
Kiss?
Me?
I lift my hand to sign again.
H-O-W?
"Through the mask," she says, understanding immediately. "Just to feel you. To be close to you."
