Page 25 of Light in Your Eyes (Romero Brothers #1)

Layla

Things have changed significantly inside the mansion after Kellan gave me the tattoo.

No one dares to bully me anymore, although I can still feel their gazes on me.

People still whisper about me behind my back, though.

I know that they can't believe what's happening, that I—out of all the members of Black Wings—got the tattoo colored in black with gold streaks.

Giving me a regular tattoo would be enough to protect me here, so I also wonder why Kellan had me inked with that tattoo.

Today, I’m visiting Zoe and Stas again. When I step into their house in the basement, I see Stas arranging equipment in his tattoo studio.

“Hi, Stas,” I call, popping my head into the studio. “Is Zoe here?”

He glances at me. “Yeah.” Then he turns his head toward Zoe’s room. “Zoe, Layla’s here.”

Zoe steps out of her room, and when she sees me, she beams. She approaches me with a smile on her face and hugs me.

“How’s it going after you got the tattoo?” Stas asks. “Many things change, huh?”

I sigh. “You’re right. I see significant changes, especially in the way Black Wings members see me. I never thought that a tattoo could affect me that much.”

“Because it’s not just a tattoo,” Stas says. “It’s one of a kind. Zoe is really proud that she could be the one crafting that tattoo for you.”

Zoe nods. I can see it from her eyes and her joyous expression that she’s really happy for me.

I smile gently at her. “I still wonder why Kellan gave me this tattoo. I always thought that he hated me. With the way he acted, I always assumed that he wanted me gone from this place.”

Stas sighs. “Kellan is a complicated person. One who just met him would think that he’s cold and unfeeling, but actually, he’s a person who feels so much compared to other people.”

Stas’ words hit the right spot in my heart, like a reminder to me that I shouldn’t give up on Kellan. I do have faith in Kellan. I believe that he’ll warm up to me and that he’ll be able to get out of the shell he built all around him.

“If you only see him for his exterior, you might be completely wrong,” Stas says, giving me a look of assurance. “Behind that harsh exterior, Kellan is actually a caring and protective person. Have you heard about his sister, whom he protected with his life? It caused him his blindness.”

A gasp leaves my mouth. “In that car accident? ”

Stas nods. Sadness crosses his expression. “Yes.”

I turn my head to Zoe, and she nods as well. I stare at them in disbelief.

“That tattoo you have…” Stas says. “It means that you should be protected at all costs.”

My eyes start to water as I think about it. Kellan has been hurting so much that he can’t help but being the way he is now —cold, distant, pretending to be unfeeling. But then, behind all of that, the real him still exists. And the real Kellan Romero is filled with everything good.

“I hope that Luca and his friends wouldn’t dare to bother me again after this,” I say.

“They won’t,” Stas says firmly. “All this time, even though you stay with Kellan, they still have doubts because you don’t have any tattoos. But now that you do, it will be alright.”

I just give him a small nod. Zoe squeezes my hand, as though she’s trying to say that she’s there for me too.

“Too bad I couldn’t see their faces when they saw your tattoo for the first time,” Stas says, sounding pissed at the mentioning of Luca and his friends. “I would have laughed in their faces, and it would be very satisfying.”

Stas hates them that much, and I can see where he’s coming from.

“They’re really bad people, Layla,” Stas says. “I don’t have any idea why Fenrir trusts Luca so much. Something is fishy.”

My brows furrow. I have a feeling that Stas knows more about Fenrir, since Stas has been in Black Wings for a long time. I haven’t met Fenrir, so I don’t know what kind of person he is .

“Luca and his boys once threatened me to give them different tattoos.” Stas scoffs in disbelief. “They wanted me to persuade Kellan and Jaxon to give them tattoos with red streaks. In their dreams.”

That fact surprises me. “They requested such tattoos? Do they want to change their tattoos?”

“Oh, yeah. They do,” Stas says. “They want it so badly. They threatened me with a gun and offered me money. But those greedy people can’t have it. I’ll always be loyal to Magnus, not them or even Fenrir.”

I swallow. I glance at Zoe, whose expression turns to worry and fear because she doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her father. I don’t want Stas to encounter such danger either.

“The only reason I still want to work here is Magnus’ sons, Jaxon and Kellan,” Stas says proudly.

“Were you friends with Magnus?” I ask.

“Yes,” Stas says. “He was such a great man.”

I nod. Stas has been so loyal to Magnus. Indeed, he must have been a great man.

“About your tattoo,” Stas starts again. “It’s the first time Kellan assigned a Black Wings tattoo. You’re the first person he ever gave tattoo, and he gave you a gold one.”

My heart feels warm at that realization. I will always remember this thoughtful gesture from Kellan.

“Remember, Layla.” Stas gives me a firm look. “Don’t judge Kellan yet. You haven’t seen the real him. I’ve always hoped that you could break down his walls, and he would return to his true self, who knew happiness like he used to be, before the accident happened.”

I nod again. It’s what I want too. I want Kellan to be happy.

Sometimes, I got a glimpse of that happiness in his eyes. That light. But then it dimmed again.

“Losing his parents, Inez, and his sight—all in one night—must have been very traumatic for him,” I say. “Those people he loved were gone, but I’m sure that if they still lived in this world, they would want Kellan to be happy.”

Stas sighs. “Inez body was never found.”

His words shock me. My eyes widen in surprise.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“It’s top secret, but it’s the truth,” Stas says. “The body was never found. Why do you think Fenrir was gone on a secret mission for such a long time? It was to find Inez.”

“Do Jaxon and Kellan know about it?” I ask again.

Zoe nods at me, signaling that the answer is yes.

“Of course, they do,” Stas says. “Kellan told me about it. But the search has been carried out for years without results, so it was devastating for both brothers. And then one day, they just stopped having faith. It was less painful for them to accept that Inez had rested in peace rather than believing something that was almost impossible.”

My heart stings. It must be very painful for Kellan and Jaxon to hope for a miracle for years, only to be disappointed repeatedly.

Speaking about faith, there’s one important thing I want to know about Kellan.

“Do you know anything about Kelan’s blindness?” I ask Stas and Zoe. “Is it really permanent? Or is there any hope that one day, Kellan will see again?”

Stas stares at me for a long moment. “I don’t know. It all depends on Kellan. But I surely know something from Jaxon.”

“Can you tell me?” I ask.

Zoe’s brows furrow, a sign that she hasn’t heard about this either. Curiosity skates all over her face.

“Years ago, when Jaxon and Kellan were very young, Jaxon came to me to talk about Kellan,” Stas begins.

“After the accident, Jaxon once overheard Fenrir’s conversation with the doctor who treated Kellan in the hospital.

He said that Kelan was blind because his corneas were damaged because of the accident. ”

I listen intently, waiting for him to say more. Beside me, Zoe also gives her full attention to her father.

“The damaged corneas caused Kellan a complete vision loss, but it still can be treated through a cornea transplant,” Stas says. “Jaxon told Kellan about it, but Kellan was too scared to hope. He said that Jaxon was wrong and that he was going to be blind forever.”

I frown, wondering why Kellan had such denial.

“Both Jaxon and Kellan were still really young at that time, so Jaxon could be mistaken because the condition of Kellan’s health was far more complicated than that,” Stas says.

“What about Fenrir? What did he say?” I ask with anticipation.

Stas shakes his head. “Fenrir didn’t talk to me, but he seemed to have a different opinion.

Otherwise, he would have done something about it.

He was the only parent figure for both Jaxon and Kellan.

It was possible that Jaxon got the wrong idea.

He was too young to understand the complications of Kellan’s health condition. ”

“Why didn’t Kellan try to consult another doctor?” I ask, and Zoe nods, signaling that she has the same thought as mine.

Stas shakes his head sadly. “Kellan is sensitive. He feels too much. It seems that the accident caused him too much trauma that made him want to forget about any hope he had left, including the possibility of him having his sight back. He wouldn’t be able to bear it if he had to experience being crushed all over again. ”

Again, my heart hurts for Kellan. I wish I could do something to change that, to make him have faith and hope again. He was only a little boy on the day his world crumbled, so it could indeed destroy him.

Besides, Kellan has been living in this horrible environment all his life, one that is definitely not good for any child to grow up.

“Thank you for sharing me this,” I say to Stas.

Even though I don’t know if I can help Kellan or not, the story Stas just shared has given me more insight about Kellan and his family.