With newfound confidence, I kneel down to the ground and let the dog, Jackson, jump all over me, attacking me with slobbery kisses and soft barks. For the first time in a very long time, I feel genuinely happy.
“Hey boy.” I smile, brushing my hands through his fur; it’s long, and golden, and beautiful. This whole place is beautiful and peaceful. Bella wakes up at the sound of the dog, and squeals,
“Oh my god, a golden retriever! I haven’t seen one of these in years!” And suddenly Jackson has a new best friend, clinging to Bella for attention.
Traitor.
I must be pouting because Cayden is laughing to my side, looking down at me. He looks calm here, too. It’s nice to see him like this again, his shoulders relaxed and his muscles not always tense.
Nope, I’m still mad. He thought I could hurt his sister. Not thinking like that.
But then a girl runs out, yelling Cayden’s name and jumping into his arms. I feel a pit in my stomach at the sight. Who the fuck is she?
“Olive.” Cayden sighs, closing his eyes and pulling her close. Too close. He holds her for a while, relishing in the sight of her, and every part of me hates it. If this is what jealousy feels like, I hate it. I want nothing to do with it, this is a cruel feeling. He relaxes into the embrace, and I feel my heart plummet at the sight.
The girl, Olive, steps back and looks down at me as I stand up. All my sensors on high alert.
“Cayden, who is this?” My voice is carefully calm, dangerous. But then it hits me; Cayden told me about his sister, that she was hidden away here with his mother. Could this be her?
I take a moment to look her over. Olive has golden-brown hair, her eyes are blue with green flecks compared to Cayden’s brown with golden flecks. She’s my height, but her skin isn’t as tanned as Cayden’s. I don’t see much of a resemblance.
But she greets me kindly anyway, pulling me into a hug that makes my body tense and Cayden stand up straighter, as if waiting for me to snap.
“I’m Cayden’s little sister, Olivia. You must be Darlia, I’ve heard so much about you! Please, come in. Mum will make some tea!”
She’s the complete opposite of Cayden, just like he said. Cayden’s guarded and reserved. She’s warm and open. I don’t like it, it feels unnatural.
“Um, sure?” I pull away, standing up straight and throwing my hands into the jumpsuit pocket, fidgeting with my nails, trying to hide my nerves. But Cayden sees straight through me, placing his hand in the pocket and grabbing my hand in his.
“Relax, love. You’re safe.”
Realistically, I know that. We’re eight hours away from The Academy and in the middle of nowhere. I know I’m safe wherever Cayden is. But I can’t relax. Maybe it’s a reflex, but I just can’t do it. I can’t let my guard down.
“You’re somewhere new. It’s okay, no one is expecting you to trust them instantly. Just trust me, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you, never again.” There’s a sincerity in his voice like I’ve never heard before, and it makes me relax slightly.
“Oh, you two are cute! Mum is going to love her,” Olivia says, reminding me she’s still here and taking me out of the moment with Cayden. I smile, finally seeing the familiarity in both of them.
“Oh ha-ha, go make tea and be useful,” Cayden says, rolling his eyes, and I laugh as Olivia drags me inside.
“He’s so calm with you, it’s unnerving,” she whispers like we’re friends as we walk into the house and towards the kitchen where his mum is standing. Again, I’m smothered in another hug and I tense, although this time not as much.
“Welcome, dear. Oh you poor thing, please make yourself comfortable. My name is Moria.”
Moria leads me to a chair, forcing me to sit down. I don’t say anything immediately, I just observe like I’ve been trained to do. Bella gets the hug next; she definitely takes it better than me, hugging Moria back before sitting down beside me with a smile.
“Ready to admit he’s your boyfriend now? You’ve met the family, that seems official to me.” Bella smiles, nudging me slightly, but I’m not interested.
“Don’t, Bella.” I’m on edge. Too much is happening all at once, and I need a moment. Just a single moment to pull myself together. Thankfully, I am left alone after the one attempt at conversation. Moria does hand me a cup of what they call tea, but only offers me a warm smile, no attempt at conversation.
“Go easy on her. This is her first time seeing everything since she was four. She doesn’t remember the world like we do,” Cayden whispers to Olivia, thinking I can’t hear, but I can.
“I just can’t imagine having to live the life she has, the poor thing. Mumma is going to smother her.”
“I won’t let her, don’t worry. Just let everyone know to keep their distance and give her time to adjust.”
That catches my interest. I look up to Cayden trying my best to convey my confusion. “Others? Are there more people here? You said just your mum and sister ran off together?”
Cayden smiles, shaking his head. “Nothing gets past you, does it, love? Don’t worry about it for now, okay? We will show you later, take some time to adjust.”
