Something happened that she didn’t see, something behind his eyes that shuttered and pulled him out of the moment that was stretching between them. She tilted her head, her brow wrinkling just a little as she watched him pull back, watched him look away and settle his wings against his body. Closed off, the way he got sometimes.
That he spoke out loud confirmed it, and she frowned, confused. “Okay, Khari,” she said softly, trying to puzzle out what she’d missed. Are you okay? She didn’t mean to ask it, not quite, but she worried just a little when he did that. It wasn’t always, but sometimes when they spent time like this, when they were soft and close and together, he’d shut off like that. So fast it left her reeling a little with the change.
You can talk to me, if you want. She wanted to reach out and touch him, bump her nose against him, ruffle his hair, but it felt less welcome somehow. Instead, she followed his lead, drawing herself up and looking out at the ocean. “We can walk toward the river, if...I mean, if that’s what you want to do.” The words were soft, her certainty chased away by the sudden change in him. “Or we could go farther. Maybe there’s another island out there that we haven’t seen yet.”
That he spoke out loud confirmed it, and she frowned, confused. “Okay, Khari,” she said softly, trying to puzzle out what she’d missed. Are you okay? She didn’t mean to ask it, not quite, but she worried just a little when he did that. It wasn’t always, but sometimes when they spent time like this, when they were soft and close and together, he’d shut off like that. So fast it left her reeling a little with the change.
You can talk to me, if you want. She wanted to reach out and touch him, bump her nose against him, ruffle his hair, but it felt less welcome somehow. Instead, she followed his lead, drawing herself up and looking out at the ocean. “We can walk toward the river, if...I mean, if that’s what you want to do.” The words were soft, her certainty chased away by the sudden change in him. “Or we could go farther. Maybe there’s another island out there that we haven’t seen yet.”
Kirby and Lacey's
little whisper girl
little whisper girl