Chapter 13

Nyx sighed at the sight of Sienna, her arms crossed and resting on the table. Sienna sat across from her, staring at the two medium-sized portraits Nyx had given her. The weight of what she'd just seen was still sinking in.

"This news might be shocking to you," Nyx said, breaking the silence and catching Sienna's attention. "I wouldn't blame you if you can't digest everything in one go."

Sienna bit her lip and sighed deeply, leaning back in her chair, her gaze shifting to the window. "I honestly don't understand a single thing," she admitted. "Everything's just... boom." She gestured with her hands, mimicking the burst of fireworks.

Nyx hesitated for a moment before continuing. "How many years has it been since your sister... you know?" She trailed off, uncertain whether to dredge up the painful memory.

Sienna cleared her throat, pushing the portraits aside. "It's been twelve years since she passed. I was ten at the time, and she was seventeen, about to turn eighteen," she said, her voice tight, she can feel that a lump forming in her throat.

Nyx ran a hand through her hair, chuckling bitterly. "That long? Time really does fly," she murmured.

"Harriet loved your sister so much," Nyx continued, her voice soft, "that up until now, she still visits her grave."

Sienna's eyes widened in shock. "I-I didn't know..." she mumbled, stunned by the revelation. Nyx shrugged, her expression unreadable.

"Harriet went to visit her grave just the other day, actually—the same day Riley had her accident," Nyx said, her voice heavy with emotion. "The same day that Harriet drank poison."

Sienna's heart dropped, and she stared at Nyx, who let out a bitter laugh. "Unexpectedly, Harriet ran into your parents at the cemetery. Well, particularly, your father."

Sienna's breath caught, the weight of the situation pressing down on her.

"Your father still blames Harriet for what happened," Nyx explained, her fingers fidgeting. "It's not like we're trying to absolve her of anything. We know Harriet had her faults, but both of them made that decision together."

Nyx looked down, her voice quiet. "Harriet was a good heart surgeon, you know?"

Sienna remained silent, her mind racing, but she listened carefully.

"Unfortunately, her own heart died the same day your sister did. She hasn't been able to move on. Who could, when the person you love the most dies right in front of you, and you survive the accident?"

Nyx's voice trembled slightly as she continued. "That day, when she met your father, everything came rushing back to her. She had a relapse and tried to take her own life."

Sienna swallowed hard, guilt eating her. "How... how is she now?" she inquired, her voice barely a whisper, cracking under the weight of it all.

Nyx looked at her with a faint smile. "She's okay. She regained consciousness last night. That idiot... she really scared me," she said, shaking her head with a frustrated laugh.

Sienna sat still, trying to process everything, feeling like pieces of her past were slipping through her fingers. How had she managed to forget?

Nyx took a deep breath and leaned forward. "I'm telling you this because I know Riley likes you. And I don't want you two to end up like Harriet and your sister."

Sienna blinked, the words striking her hard.

"I'm not trying to meddle in whatever relationship you have with Riley right now, but if you're going to take a risk with her... how far are you willing to go? Before you dive into the uncertainty of this kind of relationship—how long can you hold on?"

Nyx's voice was gentle but firm. "You need to think about this carefully, Sienna. For your own sake, and for Riley's. I don't want anything bad to happen to either of you."

Sienna remained silent, her mind stirring with everything Nyx had shared. There was so much she hadn't known, and now, so much she needed to consider.

Sienna was lost for words, barely enjoying the food in front of her. The stress of everything weighed heavily on her, and while part of her wanted to take a shot at whatever it was she felt for Riley, she found herself frozen in uncertainty. She yearned to run to Riley and embrace the risk, but could she really do it?

Nyx pulled up right in front of Sienna's condo entrance. "We're here," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

Confused, Sienna turned to Nyx. "Aren't you coming up to see Riley?"

Nyx shook her head as she exited the car. She turned to Sienna and opened the car door. "I need to run some errands for my studio, and you know I still have my clinic to manage. I don't want to just barge into Riley's unit."

Nyx handed Sienna a paper bag. "Here, you can take it, then can you please give this to Riley," she said, handing over another paper bag from the same shop.

Sienna nodded, grateful. "Thank you!" she said, bowing deeply, which startled Nyx and made her laugh.

"What the hell was that?" Nyx said, clutching her stomach from laughter.

Sienna rolled her eyes, trying to lighten the mood. "I'll go ahead, and oh, please keep our conversation a secret from Riley," Nyx said, waving to Sienna.

"What conversation?" a voice came from behind Nyx. Both women jumped, and Sienna's heart raced—it was Riley.

Dressed in an oversized white hoodie and black ripped denim shorts, paired with black Manolo sandals, Riley glanced between Sienna and Nyx, her confusion evident.

"Jeez, you surprised me," Nyx said, placing a hand on her chest.

"Why are you still here, Nyx?" Riley asked, furrowing her brow. "And why are you with Sienna?"

Nyx laughed nervously. "Don't get over-possessive with Sienna, alright? I just happened to treat her for taking good care of you, that's all. Anyway, I better get going. Ciao!" She quickly turned back to the driver's side, started the engine, and honked at them before speeding away.

Sienna sighed softly. "Great, just when I was about to avoid her for a while," she muttered under her breath.

"Where did you go?" Sienna asked, checking Riley's hand for any signs of injury.

"Just went to the convenience store," Riley replied, raising the paper bag she was holding as evidence. "Needed to grab a few things."

Sienna's heart raced, her mind circling with a mix of emotions. Here they were, standing together, yet the chasm of indecision dominated larger than ever. "Did you get what you needed?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation light despite the heaviness in her heart.

Riley shrugged, her expression softening. "Yeah, just some snacks and drinks. You know, the essentials." She paused, looking at Sienna with a hint of curiosity. "What about you? How was your day with Nyx?"

Sienna hesitated, recalling the weight of their earlier conversation. "It was... inspiring," she said carefully, searching for the right words. "She shared a lot about you and Harriet."

Riley's brows furrowed together. "Harriet? What did she say?"

Sienna bit her lip, weighing whether to reveal too much. "Just that she cares about you and Harriet. Clearly, you guys had a deep bond."

Riley's eyes softened, a mixture of sadness and gratitude crossing her face. "Yeah, we did. Harriet is special to me, even if things are complicated."

Sienna nodded, feeling the weight of unspoken words between them. "Complicated seems to be the theme of our lives lately," she said lightly, trying to ease the tension.

Riley chuckled, but there was an underlying seriousness in her tone. "Maybe we can figure it out together."

Sienna's heart skipped a beat at the suggestion. Together? Could they truly navigate the complexity of their emotions and the past that bound them? That thought lingered in her mind as she searched Riley's eyes, expecting for clarity despite the disarray she had.