Chapter 10 Nyx
Nyx
My fist clenches at my side as I stand before Reyes’s door.
He has always come to me, and I have always waited.
I’ve watched him pass my window while hoping he’ll stop, only to be disappointed those times when he doesn’t.
I could go to him— want to go to him—but I haven’t had enough courage to take those steps.
Today, though, I have something to share.
It’s quiet inside, but I sense he’s home. For the fourth time, I lift my hand, then let it drop at my side. I tell myself I can be brave. As scary as it is, he said he wanted to know me.
He said I am enough.
The thought makes me steel my spine, and I force myself to knock before I can turn and flee. It’s just a single tap of my knuckles, but Reyes answers in a rush. With my heart hammering in my chest, I draw a steadying breath as the door creaks open.
“Hi,” I whisper, then bite my lip and study the dirt on the ground. Everyone else always seems to know what words to use. Not me. Words are hard for me even at the best of times, and right now, I can’t think of anything interesting to say.
I sneak a glance up at Reyes to find he’s smiling, and it looks genuine. “Hey, you. This is a surprise. I’m really glad you came over.”
“You are?” I ask, and his smile spreads further.
“Of course I am, although I need to tell you right now that I have nothing here to eat. Don’t get your hopes up for a snack.”
I shake my head, releasing the hem of my shirt to gesture towards the forest. “There is something… in the trees. I found.”
His expression morphs into curiosity as he glances in the direction I pointed. “Something good or something bad?”
“Good. I think.” He laughs, and the sound brings with it those flutters in my stomach. “I can show you?”
“That sounds great. Give me just a second, okay?” He leaves his door open, and I peek inside at the living room.
I’ve not been in his home, but from what I see from here, it’s the opposite of mine.
Where my cottage is barren of anything except the barest necessities, his is full of color.
Boxes with blankets on top of them and baskets filled with items I don’t recognize.
He reappears at the door with his shoes on, and he notices when my gaze snags on them.
“We’re going into the woods, and I’m not as good as you at avoiding the pointy things on the ground.
” I glance at my own feet, but I don’t have time to be self-conscious.
Reyes steps outside and closes the door, then gives me another easy smile as he waits for me to lead.
We head towards the trees, and I track his movement from the corner of my eye.
There’s a knot of anxiety in my stomach that he might change his mind—decide he doesn’t want to be here and leave—but he’s steady and calm as he strolls beside me.
“All the secrecy is making me really curious. Whatever you found was exciting enough for you to come get me, so it must be cool.”
I glance up at the bright afternoon as I try to make sense of his words. “Cool? It is hot.”
He laughs and grins at my confusion. “Cool means… neat. Something interesting.”
“Cool is not cold?”
“It is… it can mean both. It just depends on how it’s used.”
“No sense,” I mutter, and he snickers quietly as he casts me a sideways glance.
“Was Ronan busy?”
My brows knit as I turn to look at him. “Ronan?”
His eyes snap forward again, and he gestures absentmindedly with his hands.
“I just figured… I thought you’d go to him if you had something important.
” I shake my head, and he finally meets my eyes again.
“You came to me first?” There’s an undertone of surprise in his words, but I nod, and he stands a little taller.
When he throws his shoulders back, more of that lightness fills my chest and I find myself wanting to smile again.
“That… that really means a lot to me, Nyx,” he says, quieter this time but still with that happiness.
“Can you tell me what it is we’re going to see? ”
“They are birds,” I try to explain, holding my hands apart to show their size. “Big.”
“Okay… this could be interesting or terrifying depending on what kind of birds they are. What color are they?”
“White.”
“Well, that doesn’t help much,” he says with a laugh as I detour off the path and wave for him to follow.
We walk for a bit before I spot the tree and lead him around the rocks that stand guard behind it.
Earlier, I had been wading in the creek when I noticed a small split I hadn’t seen before.
I followed it and ended up in this hidden cove.
Reyes rounds the corner and stops in his tracks.
For a long moment, he stands motionless, then a loud, bewildered laugh bubbles out of him.
The birds flap their wings and make their funny noises, and he stifles the rest of his laughter.
They’re beautiful—solid white with large yellow mouths and webbed feet—but most of them are swimming in their private pool.
“These are ducks,” Reyes says, and it sounds like awe in his voice… like I’ve done something special. It makes me stand a little taller, just like he did on the path. “I’ve never seen one in person before, but I’ve read about them. They live near the water because they like to swim.”
“Ducks,” I repeat, and he nods, still staring as they paddle lazily across the water’s surface. “They are nice birds?”
He scratches his head, huffing another of his amused laughs through his nose.
“Well, it doesn’t seem to bother them that we’re here.
” He takes a few tentative steps forward, but the ducks flap their wings again, harder this time, and their honking noises get louder.
Reyes backs up to my side, and they calm.
“Okay, scratch that. They obviously don’t like me, but they don’t seem to mind you.
Nyx, this could be huge for the village as a food source.
” My eyes must go wide because he immediately shakes his head and holds his hands up.
“Not the birds themselves! I’m not saying we eat them.
That’s not… no. Not what I meant. They lay eggs, and they’re full of protein, which we need.
You’d probably love the way they taste.”
I chew on the inside of my cheek. “This egg is also a duck?”
“Well, they technically are, sometimes…” He trails off as he glances around at the dozen or so ducks.
“I don’t see one that stands out as being a male, but I can’t be sure.
I don’t want to make a promise I can’t keep, and I’ve only read about them.
The females will lay eggs regardless, but without a male, they aren’t fertilized.
” My brows pinch, and he notices my confusion.
“That means the egg is just an egg, and won’t grow a baby duck inside it. Are there any nests?”
“Yes, over here,” I say as I step along the rocks. Reyes pulls in a sharp breath, but the ducks ignore me as I pass.
He snorts another laugh. “Of course they like you.”
At the far end of this alcove, the shallow water butts up against a short ledge with thick greenery on top. Under the bushes, three nests hold piles of stark white eggs. “Here.”
“How many eggs are there?”
I take a quick count, but I realize I can’t remember the names of the numbers in English. My face burns, and I fight with what to say. The silence is heavy as I struggle for the word, knowing Reyes is so excited about this place. Now I can’t answer his question, and it feels like a failure.
“Nyx?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, but he must hear me, because he makes a quiet whining sound as I stare at my feet.
“That’s my fault,” he says, and I wonder why he always wants to take the blame for my shortcomings.
“I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.” He’s watching me carefully when I glance over my shoulder, with that expression he gets sometimes when we talk.
Round eyes and pinched brows that form those wrinkles on his forehead. It makes him look so worried.
“The numbers… I forget.”
“That’s alright,” he says. Soft, always so soft with me, and I fight against those flutters in my stomach again.
“I can… take them for you?” I offer, and his eyes dart around at the ducks, peacefully swimming in circles.
“Try one and see if they get upset.” He keeps a close eye on the birds as I choose an egg from the nest, but they don’t stop their paddling to pay me any attention.
Reyes grins when I wave it in the air at him.
“Leave a few in each of the nests, but collect the rest of them. Use your shirt to carry them.”
There’s plenty of excess material on my shirt, so I grab the ends and carefully place the eggs inside into a pile.
The ducks never bother me, though I worry I look silly.
My appearance has never mattered to me, but I can’t help but wonder what he thinks when he sees me.
He is lovely to look at, with his handsome smile and those gorgeous curls, whereas I never smile, and my hair is uninteresting and flat.
My stomach takes flight at the memory I’ve replayed dozens of times since it happened. He called me cute, and beautiful, even though I’ve never felt like either of those things. He acted like he meant it, though. His eyes always show his truth.
I wonder if he knows that about himself.
When I reach the other side, Reyes laughs as he peeks into my makeshift carrier. “This is amazing, Nyx. You did so good.”
Warmth blooms in my chest as I stare up at him, and the sunlight catches on his eyelashes and hair. “This is good?”
“This is very good,” he agrees with a soft smile. “Do you think you’d be willing to come out here every few days and collect the eggs? I’ll, uh… I’ll join you when you do... if you want.”
“I want,” I agree, and he relaxes again as we make it to the path. We walk without speaking for a few minutes, and I love how comfortable it is. Reyes never makes me talk when words aren’t needed. He doesn’t mind my silence.
The quiet is interrupted by his low laugh, and I glance over in question. “Sorry,” he says with a chuckle. “I just realized that Ronan’s going to be able to bake so many new things now that he has eggs. You’ll be Cameron’s hero.”
The thought makes my face heat.
I’ve never been anyone’s hero before.
Never been anyone’s anything.
We walk into the village, and Reyes tells everyone about the ducks.
Their attention is uncomfortable, but it’s softened by the size of their excited smiles, and I don’t hide behind Reyes, even though I want to.
Something big and powerful swells inside me as I realize I can give back to those who have given me so much.
Not a liability, or a responsibility, but someone with a purpose, small as it may be.
Dinner is on the fire, but Ronan makes room for another skillet. Reyes forms a protective wall beside me so the others don’t get too close, and Ronan smacks the egg against his bowl. Orange and clear liquid falls from the shell, and he tilts the bowl so I can see it.
It certainly doesn’t look like a duck.
The smell of the cooking vegetables makes my stomach growl, and it only gets better as the eggs sizzle in the skillet.
They become yellow and fluffy, and there are enough here for everyone to get a serving.
Reyes and I sit on some rocks further away from the group, but this time, I don’t turn my back to them.
I poke the eggs with my fork and pull them closer to inspect them.
Reyes focuses on his plate, but he has a wide grin as he looks down at his food.
I put the tiniest piece in my mouth, and perk up as I take a bigger bite. “Do you like them?” Reyes asks, and I nod happily. We finish dinner and return our plates, and even as he heads back into his house with a wave, that lightness remains.