Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Lyric’s P.O.V

“Holy shit!” I blinked at my reflection at the mirror. “I like Lydia McKenzie!”

The realization wasn’t what had me stunned, but it was the fact that it had taken so long for me to realize it, that was what surprised me most.

Lydia was an astounding woman. She was beautiful and not just on the outside, but she was a kind hearted and compassionate person. She was also the person who gave me comfort. Just being around her was enough for me to feel better, feel…refreshed. She makes me want to be a better version of myself, a better person who she can be proud of.

A knock on the door sounded then and I fixed the buttons on my tux before opening the door to my room.

“Stephen?” I raised my eyebrows at him as I moved aside to let him enter.

“Here,” he held out his hand with a box in it. “Dad send it for you. It’s a thank you gift for being Lydia’s friend.”

I shook my head immediately. “There’s really no need for that. I can’t accept gifts for being friends with someone I genuinely want to be friends with.”

“Good.” Stephen smiled and threw the box towards me. I caught it mid-air and looked towards Stephen with my brows furrowed. “You passed the test…for now.”

“Why are you guys so skeptical of me?” I asked Stephen, although, if I had a sister, I would be just as skeptical of any and every man she spoke to. Avery wasn’t my sister by blood, but I was still protective of her.

Stephen sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “To be honest, you look just like the kind of person every woman should avoid. And I didn’t want my sister to be friends with such a person.”

“But?” There’s got to be a ‘but’ in that sentence otherwise Stephen wouldn’t have told me that I passed the test.

“But Lydia took you to the graveyard.” Stephen’s look turned solemn for a moment. “She had done so only once before…after getting discharged from the hospital and she had gone there alone. The fact that she took you with her means she trusts you on a deeper level. And even though I don’t like you all that much, I respect you for having earned Lydia’s trust.”

I had been surprised this morning that Lydia hadn’t taken any of her family members to the graveyard, but had chosen me instead. But now, after listening to Stephen, I understood why. I couldn’t explain this feeling in my chest, this emotion that consumed me at that moment. Lydia’s trust meant a lot to me, especially after my recent screw up.

“I’ll always be there for her…if she wants me to be.” I told Stephen now. “I care about Lydia a lot and your acceptance means a lot to me.”

“Oh, stop it!” Stephen frowned. “You sound like you’re about to propose.”

I felt my cheeks heat from embarrassment. It was a feeling I wasn’t used to, feeling embarrassed and shy. But what I said was true. I will always be there for Lydia, whenever she needs me.

“Thank you for saying that.” Stephen said with a small smile. “And just in case, let’s keep in touch as well. I’d like to get to know you better.” He pointed towards the box that I still held in my hands. “Keep that. It’s from me and Nate.”

“Thanks.” I opened the box to find a Rolex watch inside.

“Hey Stephen…” I called out just as he was about to exit, but hesitated when he turned to look at me questioningly.

“When did you realize that you were in love with Ivy Jane?”

Stephen nearly choked on thin air. “Excuse me?”He asked when he had calmed down a bit.

“No…it’s alright if you don’t want to answer-”

“It’s when I realized that I would do anything, be anything she wanted me to be, just to see her smile.” Stephen told me, before he exited the room.

I stood quietly for a while, imagining just how wonderful it would be to see Lydia smile. She must have smiled a lot before the incident…before her expressions were erased. I desperately wanted to see her smile again, but if she couldn’t, making sure she was happy was enough. Lydia was precious to me and I didn’t want to lose her.

*

*

Half an hour later, I stood with the men of Lydia’s family at the bottom of the staircase, waiting for the women to show up. Lydia’s younger brother, Nate, had brought a school friend as a date and Stephen was teasing him endlessly about it, warning him that their mother just might fix another arranged marriage for them, but their father immediately scolded them, telling them not to be rude behind their mother’s back.

It’s not that they didn’t include me in their conversation, they did and I would sometimes be placed in awkward situations as well while the brother’s laughed at me, but it all made me miss my family a lot. Why could I not have this kind of normalcy in my family?

Both Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie were busy people and had to often stay away from their children because of work, but the bond they had as a family was heart-touching. Nate and Stephen were a prime example of what brother’s should be like. Caring, playful, sometimes rude and insulting, but always having each other’s backs when needed. Why didn’t Derek and I have that kind of a relationship? More than brothers, we were commander and trainee.

“There they are!”

On hearing Mr. McKenzie’s voice, I looked up at the top of the stairs along with the brothers, to find the women all descending down the stairs one by one. Since this was an engagement dinner, everyone was dressed to the nines and everyone looked incredible. Mostly the women had chosen shades of gold and white gowns while the men had chosen black suits and white shirts. Thankfully, my suite had matched the theme as well, so I didn’t look out of place.

And then my eyes fell on Lydia…and everything else just faded away.

She was wearing a white dress that reached her knees and it was embroidered with sky colored threads that looked almost white unless there was proper lighting. It was full sleeved and flared at her waist into a skirt. Her hair was loose but she had styled it into lose waves that swayed with every movement. Her make-up was light and natural, but she looked like the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on.

I held out my hand for her as she reached the bottom of the stairs and she took them without hesitation. I pulled her to my side firmly, aware of the attention she was getting from the male guests and was able to breathe a sigh of relief when she didn’t protest or move away.

“You look gorgeous.” I whispered into her ears, startling her to look at me with wide blue eyes.

“Thank you.” She spoke nervously. “Stick close, okay?”

“Is everything alright?” I frowned. Lydia wasn’t the kind of person who got nervous easily, but when I scanned the room once more with my eyes, I could see several eyes looking her up and down, several hushed whispers.

“It’s okay,” Lydia told me when I narrowed my eyes at a couple and they immediately turned away. “I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t have to be.” I told her firmly. “Don’t worry; I’m not leaving you alone for a second tonight.”