Forbidden Knots (Shadow Duet #1)

3. THREE

THREE

Storm

I t was one of those moments of realization when I felt something burning inside me, only to realize it was just my skin under this unbearably sunny day at the beach. The temperature outside was nearly thirty-five degrees, and when I closed my eyes, all I could see were a few dark spots from staring too long into the sun.

I'm one of those people who go to the beach solely to get a tan, not to enjoy the sea or get refreshed. The truth is, I've always been afraid of deep water, and living surrounded by the sea hasn't exactly played in my favor.

I used to jump in and have fun, but now it's all about appearances and who might see me in the same spot. I'm that dark cloud walking down rays of sunshine, hiding light just because I want shade. Then I would turn into a storm, creating lightning, disappearing into thin air just so others would stay away.

But the shadow didn't. It followed me wherever I went, and I stayed above, creating shade for that shadow because, for once in my life, I felt worth it.

"Hey," a voice whispered above me, casting a shadow over my face. "Would you mind if I put my towel next to yours?"

It was an oddly interesting girl, with brown curly hair tied up in a messy bun, eyes darker than my thoughts, and a pale face dotted with freckles. She wore a pink bucket hat and orange crocs, each hole adorned with daisies. Her black swimsuit clashed against her vibrant outfit, making her look like a character from a cartoon. She wore so many colors that it hurt my eyes more than the sun.

I nodded as she extended her hand, which was trembling slightly. "Sophie."

I nodded again as she placed her towel beside mine. "Thalia," I said.

"I'm new in town," she chuckled, applying sunscreen with a factor of fifty-plus to her pale body. I chuckled too as I slathered myself in my grandmother's old olive oil, eager to fry my skin even more for a better tan.

"Same," I said, offering her a gentle smile.

"What brings you here?" she asked, still curious as she continued applying sunscreen.

"Want some?" she offered, holding the entire tube in front of me.

"No," I simply replied, closing my eyes.

"Well?" she prodded.

"My parents divorced, so they sent me to my grandma in Italy," I explained. "What's your story?"

"Oh," she replied, "I'm just here on holiday with my brother."

"Interesting," I mused.

"Not so much. He's in his thirties, and he brought me here just because he felt guilty because our parents died."

I turned around to face her, slipping my sunglasses to the tip of my nose. "I am sorry," I said.

"Sometimes I wish..." she started, but then she shook her head, "Never mind."

"How did they die?" I asked, then lay back on my towel, blushing that I had even asked such a question to a stranger.

"It was just a dumb accident ," she said. "They crashed." Then she chuckled, "I blamed my brother for such a long time for it, but then I was equally to blame for letting them go."

"I learned a long time ago that we can't change what happened, but we can change how we feel," I whispered. "I am sure no one is to blame. Don't live in that blame."

"You are wise, Thalia," she chuckled. "My brother would hate you, but I would like to be your friend."

I smiled at her. "And why is that?"

"He just hates people who are wiser than him," she said, looking at me.

"Are you calling your brother dumb?" I laughed. "We can be friends."

"Okay," she said, laying down next to me, her pink hat slipping from her forehead. "Friend to friend, you need sunscreen. Your skin is almost cherry red."

"I'll skip," I whispered. "I like the feeling of the sun on my skin."

"Well," she chuckled, "you might as well get cancer from that much sun."

"Ha," I chuckled back. "Let's not think about that."

"Did you ever think about it?" she asked, standing above me. "You know... dying?"

If she were a man, she might have creeped me out, but in the few minutes I'd spent with her, I felt a connection. I sensed she carried the same wounded soul with clipped wings that I did, and we both harbored dark thoughts that needed some light.

So, I replied, "Never. We're too young to think about it. We should enjoy."

Standing up, I offered her a hand. With a nod to the left, I grasped her hand and pulled her along as we both jumped off the cliff.

Her screams were louder than mine, but just before we hit the water, she glanced at me and laughed.

I closed my eyes, feeling the seabed beneath my feet and the bubbles on my skin as I hurried to swim to the surface. Opening my eyes just a little, I squinted to see the sunlight touching my face as I floated up, catching my breath, my hair in disarray. As I turned my head, a splash hit my face, and a loud chuckle echoed nearby.

"I lost my favorite hat," Sophie said, still chuckling. "But I needed this."

Turning around in the water, I asked her, "Do you often have thoughts? You know... about death?"

"Just sometimes," she answered.

As she drew closer, I noticed healed cuts on her wrists. I could only imagine the times she'd contemplated, the struggles she'd faced. But somehow, I knew Sophie would become my friend, and even though I thought I was the dark one, I would try to be the light. Maybe if I saved her, I could save myself too.

We reached the rocks and climbed back up. As we reached the top, I offered her my hand, pulling her up, and we walked silently back to our spot.

"I was fourteen," she said, continuing, "when I first thought about dying."

I sat down on my towel, my eyes on her. "My mom had the same thoughts after divorcing my father," I confessed. "He wasn't perfect, and they never got along. I thought she would be happy after he left, but all she did was lay in bed for days. Then one day, I found her on the bathroom floor, unresponsive."

A tear slipped from my eye, and I wiped it away quickly, but she took my hand.

"Don't do that to anyone, Sophie," I whispered. "My mom survived, but she can't look me in the eyes. Sometimes I feel she can't forgive me for not letting her go, and sometimes I feel she's embarrassed I found her in that state."

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes now looking at the horizon. "I never thought..."

I interrupted, "You may think it's the way out, but I know firsthand it's a trap. If you love your brother, you won't do that to him. My mom broke me. I saw darkness, and I can't sleep at night anymore."

She whispered, "I am so sorry," tears falling down her cheeks.

"Don't ever think about it, okay?" My voice grew a tone louder as I wrapped my arms around the strange girl in front of me.

She nodded silently, and we both faced the cliffs, looking at the horizon. As I heard some people approaching, I turned to her, "Let's keep this a secret and pretend."

She smiled. "That's what I do best."

We turned back and lay on the towels next to each other, and then in front of us, a few shadows appeared.

"You two are at our spot," one of the girls said with an Italian accent.

"And you are blocking the sun," I said, staring up at her.

She was short, chubby, and pretty, an Italian brunette with a sharp tongue, like most of them around here. I knew this because my mom used to be like that, and sometimes I hated myself for not being more like her.

The girl turned her back and walked towards the other two girls, commenting in Italian before all of them started laughing.

Sophie sat up and whispered, "Maybe we should go."

"I'm not going anywhere," I said to her. "This is a public spot, and we have just as much right to be here as they do."

Sophie placed her chin on top of her knees, staring at me. "I'm not comfortable."

I rolled my eyes, standing up. "Fine."

I started to pack my bag, and just as I was about to fold my towel, the three girls approached and pushed us aside before laying their towels on the rocks.

"Are you serious?" I shouted. "We didn't even leave yet."

" Arrivederci ," one of them said, waving her thin fingers.

Just as I was about to lift my hand to slap her, Sophie caught my hand. "It's not worth it, trust me."

I clenched my fist as we walked away, their laughter fading into the distance. The path was steep and filled with rocks, but that cliff was famous around here. Deep down, I knew this would happen, but I had hoped it wouldn't happen so soon. I enjoyed Sophie's company, but now I wanted to be alone. I walked in front of her, each step filled with fury, mumbling, "How dare they..." under my breath. My fists were still clenched as I held my bag, which barely hung from my shoulder.

Above us was a road lined with pine trees. As we got closer, I could hear the cars. I lifted my gaze and saw him—the neighbor was watching us from the shadows above.

His dark curls fellacross his forehead as he looked toward us. He wore a sleeveless hoodie, revealing his muscular arms adorned with tattoos. He was smoking, each breath he took sending my heart racing as I approached closer. My eyes were on him, only on him.

"Watch out," Sophie shouted, just before I slipped. My knees and hands hit the ground, my bag slamming into my back.

"Fuck," I shouted, hearing those mean girls laughing even harder.

Sophie handed me her hand, helping me stand. As I lifted myself, wiping the dust from my knees, dirt clung to my skin from the oil I used. I looked up again, and he was gone. Like he didn't exist, like he was just a shadow watching me.

"Are you okay?" Sophie asked, concern etched on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered, brushing off the remaining dirt. "Let's just get out of here."