02

BLAIR'S POV

Tossing my clothes into the hamper, I flicked the lights off to the bathroom and re-entered my room.

I seriously need to get these walls painted soon.

they were starting to get too bland to be constantly looking at every day. I let out a sigh and dropped onto the bed, swiping my phone from the nightstand and scrolled through my Instagram. I found myself lost in Lana's feed once again. her latest one was from a few months ago. A simple black and white photo of her steering wheel to her car.

No caption.

No location for it.

Just the photo.

"You stalking her socials again?" I turned off my screen, lifting my gaze to Dalton who was dressed in a simple black tee and black jeans. His cream-coloured coat draped over his forearm as he leaned against my door frame.

"Where are you going out to?"

"Drinks with Corbin then out to a party for Roman's return."

I felt my heart jump in my throat, "Roman's back?"

"Yeah, Lana won't be there so don't bother coming. But you should be expecting her tonight or tomorrow."

She was back?! Lana…My Lana was back home? She finally came back.

I swallowed hard, "she said that?"

He shrugged, "I'm just telling you what Roman told me so I don't know how accurate those words are knowing him, but I wouldn't doubt Lana would wait long before coming to see you again, Blair."

I felt like my heart was about to combust. My mind was rushing with emotions and thoughts unable to comprehend anything that was coming out of Dalton's mouth right now.

"Blair…" I was pulled out of my thoughts, "make sure to lock all the doors and turn on the alarms. Mum and dad are out of town and I won't be back until morning."

I nodded, walking him out, "listen to her when she comes okay? don't talk, just let her get out her side of the story and try to understand what he's telling you before you say anything to her okay?"

"What did she say to you, Dalton."

He shook his head, pressing a kiss to the crone of my head, "it's not my business to share…she'll tell you everything when she comes."

I pursed my lips, watching him jump into his car and speed off down the road. I locked the door before checking the rest of the house and headed back upstairs to my room.

Standing at the foot of my bedroom door, I stared blankly at the balcony door.

it was pushed wide open as the curtains fluttered with the large gushes of wind that came through the room. I could have sworn that I locked it before I went for a shower Slowly making my way across the room, I slid the door closed and pushed the latch-up.

"And here I thought you'd be the same sweet-looking sixteen-year-old girl I remember." my head snapped around finding her hiding behind the bedroom door, "but my god, you're even more beautiful than I recall. Those damn pictures you post don't do you any justice, Blair Bear."

She was here…she was really here.

Her dark brown hair fell down her back past her shoulders. I could make out the faint lines of her body hiding behind the shadows. Everything about her posture and look screamed intimidation.

I never understood people who were afraid of her. She was the sweetest person that I had ever met in my life. Sure, she had her flaws but don't we all?

She slowly emerged from the shadows and I could make out the black ink lines that scattered against her tanned skin. Her eyes were softer than the rest of her. Her lips were pulled into a thin line and her jaw clenched slightly. But her eyes wavered as they stared at me. The look in her eyes was gentle and warm. But there was that storm raging in them.

After all these years, it was still there.

"You've grown up beautifully, Blair Bear. I almost didn't recognise you for a second."

"You're really here?"

A smile pulled her face as she stepped out of closer. There was something the shadows she loved to linger in for so long. It was her favourite hiding spot even growing up as kids. The one spot she was able to somehow manipulate to her advantage and leave her unseen and undetected by everyone.

"Hi Blair Bear, you miss me?"

My arms flung around her crushing her into a hug. My eyes burned with fresh tears and a heavy weight finally lifted off my chest. And peace settled in my mind. I took in the fresh scent of smoky wood and chestnut that lingered on her skin.

She was the only person I knew who had this combination in scents

"Don't talk just listen to her and understand what she's telling you before you say anything to her."

"I have so many questions. So many things I need answering."

"I know, baby. I know, and I promise I'll tell you everything."

I pulled away, grabbed her hands, and dragged her to the bed, "where did you go, Lana? Why?"

A foreign emotion flashed in her eyes before she strayed her gaze away from me, "I got sick Blair…"

What?

"I had a tumour growing in my head and it was pressing down on it. It's what caused the fainting and everything else. When dad found out, he went searching for the best surgeon and doctors out there and they were all located in the US."

I squeezed her hand, "Dad didn't wait a second before he packed everything for us and booked plane tickets. I didn't even know what was going on until we got there. Next thing I knew I was undergoing surgery and rounds of chemo."

Her eyes were dark. Vacant. Almost empty.

"I wanted to call you…so many times I just wanted to find a phone and call you, but I couldn't, Blair."

"Why not?"

She shook her head, making the strands of hair fall over her face, "I didn't want to give you false hope. I didn't know if I was okay or not. If I was in the clear yet so I didn't want to do that to you or anyone else, so I stayed away. I made Roman swear to not say a thing to anyone. I'm so sorry Blair…I never meant to make you worry or doubt me."

I cradled her face, offering her a gentle smile, "It's okay…It's okay." I whispered holding her against my chest and rubbing my hand along the back.

Her body shook in a silent sob. "But it's not."

"What do you mean?"

"I know what you went through because of me. Because of all of this. I hurt you Blair and I hurt the girls as well and that's not okay."

"It's okay…" I wrapped myself around her like I did when we were kids, "it's okay. You're back now. You're safe and you're okay and that's all I wanted, Lana. It's okay."

I didn't know what to do. Lana wasn't a person who should her emotions that much. She was so tough with it all that she managed to never cower away no matter how much someone's words hurt her.

I envied her in that way. She was able to control her emotions so well that I envied that. I wished for that control when I was around him. To be able to hold me back from falling for him and feeling all these things when I see him or when she stands near me.

But I was nothing more than his best friend's little sister. I wasn't eager on having him change the way he saw me because it was easier. Having him not know how I feel. the possibility of him feeling what I feel for him back.

Everything was easier as it was, and it hurt less. the one-sided love.

The unrequited feelings.

It just made being around him and hearing his name so much easier than it was.

But right now, he wasn't my priority or my number one thought.

My main focus and priority were Lana and no one else and nothing else.

She was all I was going to think about.

Everything I was going to think about.