“What Shawn did to you was wrong.” The former Navy Seal began, gaze sweeping the floor as he spoke as if to seek out the culprit in conversation. But green hues never did land on on his childhood bestfriend, whom it seemed largely remained a ghost when it suited him. “And while I know whatever happens there is none of my business, don’t think he deserves your forgiveness right away. Because he doesn’t.“ Ryan ushered, at least in his opinion anyway. He had given a great deal of thought to the entirety of the eldest Owens actions and while he understood that to some extend Shawn’s living the life of a ghost was not so far removed his own duty of leading two separate lives. Nevertheless, the driving force of accepting such an opportunity on the task force was his younger sister and she continued to be the reason he did what he did in an effort to fight for her freedom. Even if recent events had him considering alternative routes to achieve such things, he had not yet reached that level of desperation. Whether fate would play out in his favor or against him would ultimately tip the scales.
Settling into silence was like second nature for Ryan, as the woman questioned what he had assumed to be a reasonably straightforward comment and not one that was so easily over analyzed. Teeth bit into the fleshy inside of his cheek meanwhile because he knew where this was going, where it had been leading too for some time now. His stubborn pride and selfish desire to have held up a promise he had made decades prior to ensure she remained safe and protected, had inspired him to maintain the small teether of friendship that persisted in the wake of her escapades with his brother. Even if he had not yet forgotten the image of the pair that had been perpetually imprinted within the forefront of his mind, he could begun in the very least to lay the cobblestones on the path to forgiveness. And while he knew his over-protective tendencies were not just from a place of a promise, but too formed from a place of raw emotion that not even time could shatter. He loved her, perhaps he always would, even after the fog of betrayal faded and the confusion subsided to make way for the clarity that was; Zane had filled in the hole that he had left behind. Which was not something he could hold against his younger brother, even if he wanted too.
Calculating hues lowered some to flicker from the firm grip she had upon his wrist and while there were so many words that came to mind in that instant, all stuck in the back of his throat as his jaw locked in place. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, swallowing thickly as the tension that settled upon his shoulders increased with every passing syllable that escaped her. Stepping forward he raised his free hand to gently brush away the few stray tears that cascaded down her cheek, before pulling her into his warm embrace as his other hand cradled her head against his chest. It was what he wanted to do it, what the thumping organ in his chest demanded he do. However, his head won out and instead he remained firm in place, green hues staring on in strained silence as she literally poured her heart out. Even as she walked away, he remained rooted to the ground, hopelessly aware that his only option to keep her safe now, was to let her go for good.
AROUND 3 AM ON JANUARY 2ND
Time was rendered to nothing but a unit of measurement as day turned to night and the hours passed fleetingly. It seemed all there was to do was to sleep away the shadow of fatigue that seemed to have riddled his body in the aftermath of being shot. It was but a consequence of the drugs that he had been pumped with days prior and in days that followed his surgery. However one thing he had gotten to understand was the nurses schedules and knowing the time was fast approaching where they came to check up on him and ask the same irritating questions, he allowed his head to fall back against the pillow and green hues fluttered closed. The footsteps that came a short while later however, were lighter a profound contrast from that of the usual. But it was the voice that broke the eerie intermittent silence and beeping of machines beside him that took him by surprise. Against his better judgement he allowed her to say her piece, hand loose in hers before green hues flickered open, blinking some as he adjusted to the lights overhead before settling upon the halo of the blonde. “How long were practicing that little speech?” He teased, lips pulling into the ghost of his lopsided smirk as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance. “I told you I wasn’t going anywhere, I meant it.” He was alive and it was going to take a lot more that a few stray bullets to land him in an early grave.
Expression quickly sobering, he retracted his hand from hers in an effort to place his palms at his sides before forcing himself to sit up more so. Only once he was comfortable did his gaze settle upon the woman sat at his bedside and he swallowed thickly in anticipation of what he knew he needed to do next. Keeping Skylar Owens safe would always be the priority, even if it meant hurting her to do so. Lying had become second nature to the man that had been brought up by two parents that encouraged honesty and integrity to no end. But in a world where walking the line of life and death, the space between the truth and a lie becomes deeply blurred which only serves to aid his present mission. “I care about you Sky, I do. And I will always be there for you when you need me.” He started, pausing to raise a shaky hand to pluck the glass of water from his bedside to take a small sip before returning the vessel. “But what we were, we can never be again. And that sign you’re waiting for. It’s can’t come because the whole thing between you and Zane — I just can’t see past it Sky. No matter how much I want too. It’s always there.” He added, watching the array of emotion flicker across her porcelain features, which only served to make the ache in his chest that much worse. “I wish it were different and that there was another way to tell you this but there’s not so there’s no point keeping it from you—” Hesitating, his gaze dropped from hers as he struggled to find the right words. ”I’m going to be a father. And while the mother and I aren’t together. I do need to do my part in supporting her.” He mused, hoping, no praying that it would be enough to make her believe the façade. “That has to be my priority for the foreseeable future.”
Lifting her own gaze up towards him as his green hues land on her, a soft and shaky exhale leaves her lips as she stares. He’s alive. It’s the relief that fills her chest because she wasn’t sure if she could have lived with all the unspoken words between them. Softly laughing, Skylar shook her head at his words. “Not much,” she swallows even though it’s painful. She nods her head at his words about keeping his promises about not going anywhere but she can’t bring herself to talk because she knows she’s holding onto a thread, barely being able to contain the emotions boiling up inside of her because once again she has laid it all the table. For the second time of the night and the guilt that she’s even doing it settles in her chest. His words about Peter being worth it had played on repeat and she keeps wondering if it was a sign. Another sign to lay it all on the table one more time but as his hand leaves hers and his speech begins. Everything in her drops.
She’s sitting in his apartment again, the first time she confesses her feelings all those months ago as the same speech begins but this time he has a reason to reject her. It’s in this moment she has to disconnect herself from the conversion to keep the emotion from coming across her features because she should have known better. She should have realized that his comment at the party was not an opening but a statement. Maybe it didn’t even have nothing to do with them which makes her feel even more stupid in this moment as she tilts her head down to look at her hands and the stupid dress she wore that night, the one that looks rattled and the bags under her eyes are enough evidence to know she’s been here the whole time and has barely slept. She lifts her eyes up towards him when he says there’s no point in withholding something from her and the next set of words punch her out her body. Lips parting as only a single breath leaves her.
“Uh... hmm...” It’s all she can let out as she pushes back the chair, creating distance between them as she stands up and turns herself to look away from him as she lifts her hand up to brush the tear from her eye. There’s a mixture of emotions forming inside her but most of all she doesn’t know why she keeps putting herself in this position with him. “That’s...” She whispers, breathing through the tears that filling her eyes as she keeps her head turned away from him. “Wow.” She swallows down the pain as she lets her hand slowly fall down to her side, her hand shaking as she clamps it together with her other to make it stop. “That’s great news,” she keeps her voice quiet, knowing if she tries to talk any louder that her voice is going to crack. “I’m... happy for you.” She breathes as she turns to look back at him. “Uh... I’m gl... glad you’re okay and maybe I’ll see you around soon.” She turns around and raises her hands up towards the clasps of the locket around her neck, unclipping it and dropping it into the palm of her hand. Her fingers tightening around it even though now it just feels like it’s burning a hole onto her skin. “I’ll be seeing you, Marshall.” She glances her head over her shoulder to look at him for a second before she turns away, grabbing the knob of the door, twisting it and pulling it open, stepping out of the room and letting the door click shut behind her as she raises her hand towards the little clipboard holder outside of the room. She opens her hand and listens to the clink of the necklace hitting the bottom of it as she glances towards the little window to look at him one more time before she walks away.
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