Page 10 of Fight for Us

Kayleigh is in the hallway when I step out. Her hair is swept into a high knot on the top of her head, and her reading glasses are perched on her nose. She has a washing basket full of clothes resting on her hip. Our gazes connect and the corner of her mouth twitches.

I offer a tight-lipped, awkward smile and hurry in the opposite direction, feeling as if I just got caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to.

The rest of the day passes in a disorientated haze. I eat, sleep, study and repeat, attempting to get myself into a routine and feel somewhat normal again. As I sit at my desk, I drum my fingers on the top of the table. The walls creak and groan as the wind passes through the window, and it seems as if the house is exhaling, like it too feels the weight of the world on its shoulders.

My chin jerks up at the sight of a few of the boys out the back. They’re dressed in all black with duffel bags slung over their shoulders. Squinting, I try to make out what might be inside, but all the bags are locked up tight, and they’re so far from me, it’s hard to even tell who is who. I do wonder what they get up to during the day. Sometimes they come back covered in filth, as though they’ve been wrestling in the dirt. Sometimes I think I see blood on their clothes. Whether it’s theirs, or someone else’s, I don’t know.

Pushing my textbook aside, I drag my laptop closer to me and begin searching up articles revolving around Red Thorne. This has become a bit of an obsession for me. Researching missing people, trying to work out what happened to them. There seems to be a lot of talk of disappearances, and then there’s no more information provided. Were these people found? Are people still looking for them? Did the vampires kill them? Why does it seem like no one cares?

A light knock on the door makes me jump. I swivel, facing Kayleigh as she walks in, holding a mug in her hand. Her smile is soft as she pads toward me, placing the mug into my hand.

‘Thought you might need it, you’ve been working hard up here all day.’

‘Thank you,’ I say gratefully, taking a long sip of the tea. ‘This is just what I need.’

Kayleigh leans her hip against my desk, eyes flicking briefly to my laptop screen. ‘Still chasing ghosts?’

‘Someone has to,’ I say.

Her mouth tilts, not quite a smile, not quite a frown. ‘You don’t have to carry so much, you know.’

‘Says the one who literally carries everybody in this family.’

‘That’s different,’ she says, nudging my knee with hers. ‘You’re busy with training and school. Don’t forget to rest.’

I glance at her and for a moment, I forget that I don’t belong here. Forget the murmured spells downstairs, the way the house hums with magic I’ll never understand. With Kayleigh, it feels quiet and calm, a reminder that not everyone ignores me.

‘You’d tell me if I was being stupid, right?’ I ask.

She grins. ‘Immediately. And repeatedly.’

A laugh slips out before I can stop it. Kayleigh straightens, fingers brushing my shoulder as she moves toward the door. ‘I’ll be downstairs if you need me. Don’t stay up all night.’

‘I won’t,’ I lie.

She pauses, one hand on the doorframe. ‘Tara?’

‘Yeah?’

‘You’re not as alone as you think. I’m here for you, yeah?’

My shoulders loosen.

‘Yeah,’ I say softly.

Kayleigh’s smile widens, satisfied, as if she’s just won a silent argument she’s been having with my self-doubt for years.

‘Good,’ she says. ‘Because you’re stuck with me.’

A quiet laugh slips out of me, surprising us both. She lingers for a moment longer, like she’s making sure I’m really okay.

‘Why don’t you rest for a bit?’ she suggests, nudging me toward the bed.

Now that she mentions it, my eyelids feel quite heavy, and sleep sounds like an amazing idea.

She peels the covers back and I practically fall into the bed, my limbs weighing me down. I sink into the pillows, never having felt so tired before.

‘Rest well, Tara,’ her voice whispers, her soothing touch on my back. ‘You need it.’