Page 42 of Light in Your Eyes (Romero Brothers #1)

Layla

I stare out the window as the car brings us to our destination. Stas is driving while Zoe is in the front passenger seat. Kellan and I sit at the back.

It's refreshing to see the town again after being caged in the mansion. My eyes follow the people walking on the sidewalk and the building we pass. It's nice to witness the normal lifestyle again after a long time.

Our journey takes hours, and as time goes by, our surroundings change into somewhere deserted again. Now that we've left the town, my anticipation builds. I have a feeling that we're going to reach our destination soon.

As the car slows down, my gaze darts to a beautiful lake surrounded by forest and hills. I gasp and snap my head toward Kellan.

"Kellan." My voice is filled with excitement, which he only responds with a nod.

A smile creeps onto my lips as my eyes land on a cabin standing next to the lake.

To say that this place is beautiful is an understatement.

The lake is clear as glass. The wooden cabin is located next to the outdoor space that features a lawn filled with large vegetation and a fire pit. The beautiful lake is the backyard.

After Stas parks the car, the four of us get out of it. Stas and Zoe help us pull out our luggage and bring it into the cabin.

"Call us if you need anything," Stas says to us, already preparing to leave.

I frown. "Why so soon? Aren't you guys going to join us for a while? We can have a grill near the lake," I say, thinking that it might be the perfect plan for all of us. I'm sure that Stas and Zoe feel tired because of the journey.

Zoe smiles, shaking her head in disagreement.

"Nah, that's okay." Stas pats my shoulder. "We've got work to do. Fenrir just recruited some new members today, and they need us."

My shoulders sag. I can't help but wonder about Fenrir. I haven't met him, but it's clear that most of the members living in the mansion were recruited by him.

"I'll be here again next week to pick you up." He pats Kellan's shoulder.

Kellan just nods, and I watch as they get into the car.

After they leave, Kellan and I step into the cabin. I can't help but travel my eyes around the place with awe.

The living area is equipped with comfortable furniture and a fireplace.

I can see why it creates the perfect spot for relaxation for Kellan's family.

Even though it's not that spacious, it has enough space to sit the entire family, and if they'd like to dine with a view, they can head to the deck where there's an outdoor area overlooking the lake.

There's also a well-equipped kitchen — I can imagine Kellan's mother using it to treat everyone to memorable meals and snacks.

"This place is beautiful," I whisper.

I turn to Kellan, wondering how he feels about this. He can no longer see his surroundings, but I wonder if he can remember the feeling of being here.

He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"It still feels the same. The smell of the air, the woods, and the lake," he stops mid-sentence, as if he's reminiscing everything, "the feel of the wooden floor against my feet.

Jaxon, Inez, and I used to run around here.

I remember Jaxon and I tormenting each other, Inez laughing, and our mother scolding us.

My father is not an affectionate person, but he would listen to us all. "

There's sadness in his eyes when he opens them. I can't help but hold his hand.

"It's all a memory, but it feels good," Kellan says, causing relief to wash over me. "It feels good to be back here."

"This place doesn't feel abandoned," I mumble.

The cabin is pretty clean despite the fact that it hasn't been used for years.

Kellan sighs. "Jaxon always makes sure that this place is cleaned regularly. He paid someone to do that."

Kellan steps toward the patio. I follow him, guiding him toward it because he still needs to readjust to his surroundings after all these years.

The wind blows through our skin the moment our feet step onto the outdoor area at the back of the cabin. The deck overlooking the lake has a passage for us to walk closer to the water, and I almost cry because of how beautiful the sight is.

I stare at Kellan, wishing that he could see this again.

"Will you help me walk toward the end of the deck?" he asks.

"Of course," I say and do as he said.

While we're walking along the wooden concrete, he asks, "It's about time for sunset, isn't it?"

I stare at the sky, and indeed, it's about time that the sun sets.

I hold Kellan's hand tightly while we're walking closer to the end of the deck. The water is already on our sides, so I have to be careful not to let him fall.

We stop and sit at the end of it to enjoy the moment. I dip my toe into the water. It's not that cold, just the perfect temperature.

I lay my head on Kellan's shoulder, staring at the view before us and wishing again that a miracle would happen so that he could get his sight back.

I unknowingly let a tear fall from my eye because of this overwhelming feeling, and I'm afraid that he will notice it because it drops on his shoulder.

"Tell me about it," he says as I secretly wipe my eye. "Tell me about the sunset. What do you see? Is it still as beautiful as I remember?"

I never heard Kellan say the word beautiful before — the word seems too flowery for a person with a cold exterior like him — so the sunset here must be really special for him. Of course, he used to watch it with the people he loved — his family.

"It still is." I gaze at the sunset.

He can't see it, so I'm trying my best to describe it .

"The sky is changing colors, and the sun is getting closer to the horizon," I say. "The golden disk almost touches the surface of the water. The color of the sky is a mixture of orange, yellow, and flamboyant pink. It's vivid, but not too bright. Just gazing at it makes me feel warm."

I inhale the surrounding air, feeling my chest tighten. Kellan gazes at the sky, in the same direction, but I don't know what he's thinking about. He doesn't look sad. Instead, he looks as if he's contented. I expect him to smile in any second, but it doesn't happen.

"I've been seeing black for such a long time," he says. "I can no longer remember the colors."

My heart feels like it's falling into a pit. My eyes start to brim with tears again.

As if he can understand how devastated I am after hearing that, Kellan places his palm on my cheek and shakes his head.

"Don't be sad for me." He stares into me, his voice hoarse. "You get to see how beautiful it is, and that's why I brought you here. I want you to see it, Layla. I want you to see it for me."

I hold his hand on my cheek. "Do you miss it?" I whisper brokenly.

He nods. "I do. I do miss the sunsets that I can no longer see. But I don't need it anymore, especially now."

The corner of his lips curves up, and I wonder if I'm imagining it.

Yet, Kellan indeed looks contented. He doesn't seem as sad as I am.

He turns his head toward the water. "I always wanted to come here again, but Jaxon was always busy. I didn't want to come here alone. But now, I'm here with you."

I stare at him, thinking about how lonely he'd felt during all those years he waited for Jaxon.

"Layla," he whispers.

"Hm?"

He faces me again. "Do you think that my brother will ever come back home?"

I can feel the weight of his question. It's a tough question to answer, but I know that I only have one answer. I haven't lost hope. I haven't lost my faith that Jaxon is still alive.

"Yes. I'm sure that he'll come back home," I say.

Kellan focuses his attention on the sky again, although he can't see it. We stay silent for a long moment, feeling the breeze blowing softly against our skin. I sigh, allowing myself to cherish every second we have here before we go back into the cabin.

"You know," Kellan starts, tentatively, causing me to wonder what he's about to say. "If there's only one color I can remember again, I would kill to see it again."

He turns his face toward me, and strangely, now I can see the sadness in his eyes.

"It's blue."

***

"I'm fucking hungry," Kellan grumbles while he's waiting for his dinner to be served.

He's sitting at the dining table, and the aroma of the truffle I'm cooking for him has been making his hunger worse .

I chuckle, witnessing his grumpy attitude as I prepare his meal in the kitchen. "Just a little more. I told you to just wait in the bedroom or somewhere else. You don't have to sit there and torture yourself."

"I still can smell it from any room inside this house," he mutters.

I shake my head in amusement.

" God . I'm fucking getting out of here." He stands up from the chair and storms out onto the patio.

I focus my attention back on the mushroom soup I've been cooking. It's going to be done really soon while the other dishes are already placed on the kitchen counter.

I glance at the honey-glazed chicken and potato gnocchi I made earlier. A proud smile touches my lips.

After I finish cooking, I turn off the stove. Since Kellan has already moved to the patio, it's better if we have dinner there.

I bring the food to the other dining area located on the back patio, and Kellan immediately straightens up in his seat.

"I'm literally drooling," he growls. "What took you so long?"

I almost roll my eyes, but I can't help the small smile creeping onto my lips. He might be a mafia leader, but sometimes he acts like a baby.

I feel slightly bad for making him wait so long, but the moment he devours my cooking like it's the best meal he's ever had in his life, I make a note to myself that the process is worth it.

"Fuck. You cooked all my favorite food."

I watch as he keeps eating with so much enthusiasm. It does something to my heart even though what we're doing now is a simple thing. Just witnessing him being happy makes my heart leap with delight.