Closer

Chapter 1~Heather’s POV:

I didn’t really think Laylie would affect my life so much. Being stranded in an island in the middle of nowhere…You wouldn’t think there was any happiness in a life like that. But there was. I met people I didn’t think existed, people with passionate hearts, understanding eyes, glowing warmth. But Laylie, she was the highlight of my life that kept bringing me out of my pain and misery. She was the sun in my world.
Jackson was to thank for bringing Laylie to me. It started out with his sister, Verona finding a large pack of alcohol washed up in shore. How lucky was that? Everyone got drunk, me one of them and we played Spin the Bottle. How weird, Spin the Bottle in an island in the middle of the ocean.
Well, I had to kiss Jackson. It was hot, I had to admit, a really hot kiss. His hands were practically everywhere, and I was into it as much as him. He really wasn’t my type at first, jerkish, flirty guys appealed to me more, but we were drunk. And he was a great kisser. Spin The Bottle turned into a totally sexy party later, after everyone spun once. The girls were acting like sluts. I feel horrible thinking about it, but I was one of them. Grinding, making-out, ugh. And God, was I out of my mind, too. Arrow had rejected me and I went to Jackson who greeted me with open arms and his major heavenly lips.
We were totally into the kiss again and I don’t know how, but the next thing I knew was that we were both naked, in the forest, at night, completely alone, making love. It was exciting…And totally passionate as if we really did love each other. Well yah, I loved him. But then, it was as friends. He was one of my best friend’s brother and we were pretty close, too.
I guess we passed out after that. We woke up and I didn’t even remember what had happened. Well, until I realized I was lying on top of Jackson and both of us were naked. I freaked and quickly pulled on my clothes. He woke up right as he heard my yell and did the same. I was running my fingers through my long waist length blonde hair, my pale blue eyes closed, not believing it.
Then, I was scared. I was 17 and I didn’t really know anything about being a mom. I knew I was pregnant. He didn’t have a condom on, and really, how was he supposed to have one? We were in a stranded island for heaven’s sake. And I wasn’t on the pill, I couldn’t have been, I had lived in Blacklist, our island for half of my life.
I wanted to kill myself, but after a while, it really did get better. Jackson comforted me, he was there for me the entire time, held me in his arms, let me cry on his shoulder when Blake, my brother was injured and almost dying and loved me like no one had ever.
And in the island, an island that was practically magical, Jackson actually proposed to me a few days before the baby with a ring his grandmother had given Verona, his sister. We were pretty young, but we loved each other. I knew it was love, because everyday I woke, and saw his sleeping feature, it brought tears to my eyes and when his smile was turned towards me, I felt like I was flying. We were like a normal happy couple, but it was much more than a teenage love. Much, much more.
Oh God, and when the baby was born, when Laylie came into my life, I couldn’t be any happier. The curious wide brown eyes that looked at me as if to say hold me, love me, trust me. And Jackson was there with me the whole time. I don’t know what I would’ve done to myself without Jackson and Laylie. Even with the amazing friends I have, they were the greatest joy to my young life.


Chapter 2~Blake’s POV:

It was a relief to see Heather again. I thought I’d lost her in that crash when our parents and she went on a cruise. I was happier than I’d ever been in my life to see her again. After all the troubles I had in my life, she was the one to be there for me. She let me cry on her shoulder, even though it was my job to comfort her since I was the older brother, not the other way around. Heather was the reason I kept living.
After I crash landed on Blacklist, trying to search for Heather anywhere I could, I didn’t think there was any more hope of finding her. But I actually did. I had searched 7 years for her, she was no where. I couldn’t bring myself to think she was dead and I worked hard to earn money and go to different places.
When I realized that the girl with the flowing scarlet hair and pale blue violet eyes was the girl I’ve been trying to find, I thought I would literally explode with happiness. We cried and I held her for dear life, as if, if I actually let go, she’d disappear for years again.
And the real surprise to me was that she was pregnant and that I was going to be an uncle. When the baby came, I was as happy as if I had found Heather again after losing her once more. Laylie was the absolute prettiest baby I had ever seen.
Heather and I had always been close, always. She was the rebel and skipping school girl since 1st grade and I was the one getting her out of troubles. She was the one helping me when guys tried to beat me up. I was never too well with fighting and Heather was a master at that. She came home with black eyes almost everyday and new scars, but at school there were girls and guys with broken bones.
We were closer than people thought possible, almost inseparable. We went to movies together, no matter how dorky it was and we did literally everything together. She was my best friend and I was hers. Heather kept the girls from flocking me and I tried to ward off guys that tried to swoon her. Tried.
Losing her was like losing everything. Losing the part of my heart that belonged to her. I loved her; she was the only girl I paid attention to. Not loved as in the love you feel when you see a girl and she’s the one you need to be with for the rest of your life or something like that. Loved her like a best friend and a sibling.
I didn’t think anyone could ever come between our brother and sister relationship, that close line we had that always kept us together. But after a while, we weren’t as close as we were in the old days. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t see someone for 7 years. And not just the time, but I was actually falling for a girl, really loving her.
As hard to believe as that sounded, it was true. I fell in love with her, the girl with the straight, beautiful blackish brown hair and dark curious, suspicious eyes. Eve, her name was Eve, and she was sweet and innocent and just mad pretty, I couldn’t take it anymore. Over the years I had toughen up, and I became quite the flirt, but I still didn’t have interests in any girls, but her.
But Eve, oh god, she made my pulse race with a single touch.
And I was so happy when we were finally together, so happy that I could tangle my fingers in her hair, and kiss her, that I didn’t pay as much attention to Heather anymore. And I didn’t pay attention to the knots of the line that loosened. The knots of the line that was holding us close and together.

Chapter 3~Heather’s POV:

Laylie clapped her small baby hands, fingers spread apart and giggled, staring in wonder at the tall waterfall. Her brown eyes were everywhere, taking the trees, the water, the fish, everything in. She was a girl, brought new to the world that found exactly everything fascinating and beautiful. And seeing her face made me almost cry.
I sat down on the ground and Laylie crawled over to the water and sat so the water was to her waist. She clapped again, her hands in the water and giggled. I sighed happily watching her play and went over to her, and sat in front of her.
“Momma,” I said, pointing to myself.
Laylie tilted her head. “Muhhh…muhhh…,” she said slowly.
I smiled and nodded. “Yes, momma. I am your momma.”
Giggling, Laylie mimicked me and pointed to herself with her small baby finger. “Muh ma,” she said slowly, but didn’t drag out the words this time.
“Do you love momma?” I asked, with a smile, my blue eyes sparkling.
Reaching out her small arms toward me, she took my face in her hands and pulled me closer to her. She touched her lips to mine, in a sloppy kiss. I giggled and leaned my forehead against hers.
“Is that a yes, baby?” I asked, staring into her deep, twinkling brown eyes.
Laylie giggled and clapped her hands against my cheeks.
“Owwwieeee,” I mumbled, which made Laylie giggled even more.
Hearing my baby’s laughter, the sweetness and innocence of the sound, the joy and wonder of it, tears sprung to my eyes again. I scooted closer to Laylie, my baby, my own daughter, and I hugged her close to me, close to my chest, close to my heart, where there will always be a place for her.

Chapter 4~Blake’s POV:

My arms snaked around Eve’s waist and I pulled her onto my lap. I moved locks of hair the fell over her face, and kissed her forehead gently. She looked at me and smiled, but the smile…It didn’t have the usual cheerfulness and joy it had usually. It was full of guilt and sadness.
Eyebrows furrowed, I rested a hand on her cheek. “What’s wrong?” I asked, slowly.
Eve shook her head and then smiled sweetly. “Nothing’s wrong, Blake, why do you ask?”
“Tell me,” I whispered to her, dreading the awkwardness that settled in the air around us.
Again, Eve shook her head. “Everything’s fine,” she said firmly.
I looked around and realized that there were a few people staring at us. Quickly, I stood up, my hand locked around Eve’s wrist and I pulled her to the Meadow.
Eve was reluctant, I could tell. Each step was dragging and forceful. She didn’t want to be alone with me. Something was definitely wrong. And I think I knew…
“I want you to be honest with me, Eve, and if you like somebody else, I’m completely cool with it,” I said slowly, the words clawed out of my throat. It was actually painful saying it.
As if I had slapped her across the face, she winced and her gaze dropped to the ground. Her hair fell around her face like a curtain and oh God, how tempted I was to move it away from her face like I usually did.
“Eve…I don’t want to force you to be with me…I love you too much to see you like this…Tell me…,” I mumbled, quietly. I reached out – a little hesitantly and lifted her face up with my index finger.
Tears glistened on her face. There was guilt and pain in her eyes. And it broke my heart seeing her like that. “I’m sorry, Blake…,” she whispered.

Chapter 5~Heather’s POV:

Laylie giggled and clapped. She seemed to do that a lot. I watched her with a smile on her face that never seemed to leave after the little angel was born. I was 17, but pretty mature. The mother of the island sort of. I healed and just bossed everyone around. I never thought all that mothering would come in handy.
Dipping her hands in the water, Laylie clapped again, her fingers spread apart. Water droplets flew and a couple splashed my face. I chuckled and watched her. God. I cannot believe I tried to kill myself. Kill myself with this precious life in my stomach. It was a mistake to even think such a thing.
I was glad I didn’t do it. I knew I was in love with Jackson and maybe having a daughter wasn’t the best thing, it certainly wasn’t the worst and it wasn’t a mistake. I loved Laylie and I would die for her any day.
“M-mama!”
Her cry broke my mental babble. I looked over at her and my eyes widened in horror. There was a cut on her knee, she had fallen and scraped it on a sharp rock. I cried out in panic just as she started to wail. Tears streamed down her small delicate face and I quickly bolted to her side.
Take her gently in my arms, I set her down on my lap and lifted her leg up. Laylie sniffed and buried her face in my soaked shirt. I carefully cleaned the cut and wrapped a thin layer of cloth around it, working intently. It hurt me to see my baby cry and tears sprung to my eyes. I rocked her in my arms.
“I’m sorry, baby, I’m sorry, I won’t let you get hurt again, sweetheart, I’m sorry,” I murmured.
Laylie stopped crying and just lay numb, her face buried in my shirt. She wasn’t asleep, but her eyes were closed and I thought that maybe she was trying to block out the pain of the cut.
I guess another thing she picked up from me. When ever I was in pain, I closed my eyes and blocked everything bad from my mind. Thought about all the nice things in life and the remembered the joyful memories. Laylie had picked up my personality and Jackson’s looks. I smiled down at her. Her curly brown hair like Jacksons, God, was she pretty.


Chapter 6~Blake’s POV:

I could feel my heart shattering. I’m sorry. Saying I’m sorry won’t make me feel better, I wanted to yell. I didn’t though, it would’ve made everything worse. Tears pricked my eyes and threatened to slip from my eyes, but I held it in.
Don’t cry, I ordered myself, but was it any use? Of course I was going to cry, bawl in front of the girl I loved like a baby. No wonder she was leaving me. But why? After being together for so long, why? I wanted to shout and yell, but I did my best to remain calm.
“Who is he, Eve?” I asked, and did what I could to keep my voice steady.
Tears escaped her eyes in small streams. “I’m so sorry, Blake, I really am,” she mumbled again and held her head in her hands.
I wanted to reach out and comfort her, take her in my arms, hug her, hold her, and oh god, especially kiss her. But did I have a right to anymore? She was breaking up with me.
“Tell me, Eve. I just want the best for you, stop crying and look at me. Tell me,” I said, my voice serious and stern, trying to be as nonchalant and cool, although I was breaking into a million pieces inside.
“I didn’t mean to start to like, I didn’t mean it! I swear, don’t be mad at me, I didn’t mean to fall in love with him!” she wailed, crying. She probably didn’t even hear what I had said.
“Eve!” I yelled, my voice containing so much anger, so much sadness, and so much power, she looked up, dark eyes wide. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. “I won’t be mad…I want you to be happy…And if it’s with who ever you like now, I’m fine with it,” I said slowly.
At first, Eve stared at me with a confused expression as if I was speaking foreign language. But then a sad smile climbed up her face and her gaze dropped to the grass. “Wouldn’t it be better if we were friends, Blake? This all started out with a kiss from Spin The Bottle…That’s not how lovers meet…,” she said softly.
I wanted to cry then. I didn’t start to like her after Spin The Bottle. That was just my chance, chance to kiss her, hold her! I loved her when I first saw her, saw her pretty curious eyes, long dark hair over her face. I really wanted to cry. I thought she’d know…
“You’re right,” I whispered.
And then I asked the stupidest question there was. The answer was obvious and I was still asking. It came out in a squeaky voice, like a confused child’s.
“Are you breaking up with me?”

Chapter 7~Heather’s POV:

Laylie was feeling better now. My heart warmed up as soon as I saw her adorable little toothless smile. Her big brown eyes stared up at me with affection and love and my blue eyes softened. I smile and leaned down to kiss her forehead.
“Heather…,” I heard a familiar voice mumble my name.
My head turned and I was shocked to see Blake standing there, tears dripping down his chin. I set Laylie down on the ground and stumbled over to my brother. “What’s wrong? What happened?” I asked, concerned. I have never seen Blake crying before. Never.
“S-she’s gone…She left me….She likes someone else…,” he whispered and leaned down, and rested his forehead on my shoulder.
I was stunned. My body was frozen in place. I didn’t know what to think. What to do. Eve. She was one of my best friends. She has been for a long time. And my best friend had broken my brother’s heart. Trembling, I raised an arm and wrapped it around him.
His tears soaked into my shirt. I could feel it on my skin. His tears, the ones he’s been saving up so long, it was flowing from his eyes and onto me. I blinked and bowed my head. How my heart broke at the sight of him. He wasn’t his cool, calm, flirty self now. He was broken, shattered, completely lost in a world he thought he had found love.
Tears slipped from my eyes. “B-Blake…Don’t, don’t cry…I’m sorry. Don’t cry…,” I whispered.
Blake cried, silently, wrapped both his arms around my waist. I was the only one who could comfort him. His little sister, the one who’s been beating the crap outta anyone who messed with him. The sister he’s been comforted by when we were kids. Seven years. I haven’t seen him cry, even after he was beat up, even after our mother had died. His pain, he had a tendency to keep it locked up. He shed tears, though they weren’t visible. He shed tears no one could see.
I saw his tears now, and my heart broke along with his.

Chapter 8~Blake’s POV:

I had never cried in my life. But I had never loved a girl like I had loved Eve. She was actually the only girl I had loved. Besides Heather and Laylie of course. Still, Eve…she was the girl, who was not family, I have ever really loved. But she broke my heart…
Was I glad Heather was there. If she wasn’t…I don’t know what I would have done. She was there for me again, like she was there back when we were kids. Always ready to lend me a shoulder to cry on even though it was my job, always there to comfort me in my times of need.
“Heather…,” I whispered again, but it was choked. A broken, pitiful, sad whisper, filled with agony and sorrow. I broke down crying again.
“Blakey…honey, don’t cry, please don’t cry…It’s going to be alright, everything’s going to be alright,” she murmured, one of her arms reaching upward to my head and stroking my hair. “It’ll be okay,” I whispered.
How can someone be living in an island with danger and fighting and war almost everyday and be as gentle as her?
“I promise, it’ll all be okay,” she whispered again.
I kept my forehead on her shoulder and sniffed. “How do you know?” I asked. Right after I said it, I wanted to slap myself. It probably came out rude.
But as always, she understood what I meant. “I know how you feel,” she mumbled and I looked at her from the corner of my eyes. She was leaning her head on my shoulder as well.
It felt like a dagger was stabbed into my heart. She had her heart broken before, too? I wanted to kill the boy.
“Trust me, Blake, everything is going to be okay.”

Chapter 9~Heather’s POV:

Of course I knew how he was feeling. Slash – that wasn’t his real name, he just went by it --, we had been going out for so long. Yes, on this island. Didn’t I say I was stranded on this island for about, hm, let’s see, 7 years?
I thought I was in love with him, I really did. The feel of his soft blonde hair in between my fingers, the warm, comforting chocolaty brown eyes that stared at me with such longing and passion, I really did think I was in love. He said he loved me, and I believed him, the truth was in his eyes.
But I wasn’t enough for him to not leave, not break-up. I wasn’t enough for him to stay alive and not jump off that damned cliff, where many others had lost their lives. I wasn’t enough.
Even with Laylie and Jackson, I still couldn’t forget him. Couldn’t forget his strong, muscled arms around my waist and soft lips on my forehead. I couldn’t forget his touch, his warmth, his voice, his love. There are some things, I guess, you could just never forget.
I knew how much pain he was going through, I knew. I understood the sorrow of losing someone close to you even though you didn’t really lose them. But I also knew what it felt like to be Eve. I knew how much guilt she was in, how much pain she had gone through to tell Blake.
My eyes were shut tight. I was trying to keep the tears from falling. Blake was crying again, almost soaking one side of my shirt. How much he could cry, it hurt me. It hurt me to see my brother in this much pain. I wanted to take it away, I really did, but a sister’s love couldn’t match the passionate, intense love he felt for Eve.
I hugged him tighter, pulled him closer to me. I wanted him to know I would always be here for him, no matter what. I loved him, loved him so much. We were close, closer that most brothers and sisters. Our relationship was stronger and we were best friends as well as siblings. I desperately wanted him to know it would never change.

Chapter 10~Blake’s POV:

Heather. I was soaking her shirt, I could tell. I could tell how much sorrow I put on her shoulders. I wanted to stop and assure her now that I would be okay. But that would be a lie and she hated liars. She would know I was lying and she would get pissed. She knew me too well.
And I couldn’t bring myself to pull away from her either. I needed her to much. I needed my little sister way too much. I needed her to comfort me and save me from this dark whole of endless suffering, endless pain.
There was a whimper from below and startled both Heather and I looked down. And there was the little angel, with her small curly brown hair and big brown eyes. She stared up at us, sadly, as if she knew what was happening. She saw the tears in my eyes and hugged my leg.
“Un-cooww Baaah-laaake,” she said slowly. I wanted to smile when she said my name, but my heart was too heavy. My lips seemed to be in a permanent frown.
Heather bent down and picked Laylie up. She held the baby in between us and I wrapped one arm around Laylie, the other still around my sister. Heather did the same and both of us held the precious baby. I rested my forehead on Heather’s shoulder again and my eyes were brimmed with tears instantly.
I wanted to stop crying. I didn’t want my little niece to see her Uncle Blake crying. I wanted her to see a stronger, better me. But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop the salty drops from falling.
Heather bowed her head and cried, too. And seeing her mother and uncle cry, made Laylie wail. Tears streamed down her small face. The three of us sniffed, the sadness in the air thick and heavy.
Laylie sniffed and cried silently, unlike most babies. She buried her face in my shirt, right above my heart and I felt her warmth hit me like a gust of hot wind.
Tears stopped leaking from my eyes and I realized Heather noticed it, too, because she looked up at me. I smiled, actually smile and leaned my forehead against hers, closing my eyes, both of us holding Laylie.
I wanted to hit myself right now. Maybe I didn’t have Eve, but I had Heather. This break-up – and Laylie – had brought Heather and me closer than ever before.

The End