She drops the fork, but Elsa urges her to eat more. Kimberly’s skin is pale, so her expression is usually naked for the world to see. She couldn’t hide the flustered emotions if she tried. Her cheeks redden and her ears heat under that mane of hair.
As soon as Elsa goes back to talking, Kimberly uses the chance to push the plate of fruit away as if it’s a contagious disease.
“I’m feeling guilty for leaving you alone,” Elsa says with a slight furrow of her brow. “I can’t wait to abandon this bed and return to school.”
“Me, too.” Kimberly smiles. “But you don’t have to worry about me. Ro and I have been having so much fun.”
I shove my hand in my jeans pocket and make a fist.
“You and Ronan, huh?” Elsa hits her friend’s shoulder jokingly.
“It’s not lik
e that.”
“Then what is it like?”
“I don’t know. Aside from you, he’s the only one who’s taken time to see me.” Her head bows and the green-ish strands camouflage her expression.
“See you?” Elsa asks.
“The real me.” Her head lifts as a grin moves her lips. How can she have so much sadness in a smile? How could she fool me all this time?
“I don’t know about Ronan, but I’ll always have your back, Kim.” Elsa pats her hand in a motherly way. Kimberly must feel the same since she stares at Elsa’s hand as if she’s hit some sort of a jackpot.
“You see me,” Kimberly says with a low edge to her voice.
No, she doesn’t.
No one sees her. No one but me.
“Elsa, I –”
A hand wraps around my shoulder. I jerk backwards, ready to punch whoever interrupted my eavesdropping session.
Aiden.
Fucking arsehole.
He pulls me to a corner near the stairs, still not letting go of my shoulder.
I let him lead me away for no other reason than not to expose my extracurricular activities in front of his girlfriend’s room. His black hair is damp as if he’s been running wet fingers through it. Now that I think about it, when we first came over, Elsa was in the bathroom and –
Okay, I don’t need that image.
“What the fuck were you doing there?” Aiden snaps as soon as we’re out of the girls’ earshot.
“Passing by.”
“Funny, because I think I saw you standing there like a fucking pervert.”
I push away from him. “Elsa wasn’t naked this time.”
“You should thank your lucky stars for that.” He glowers at me. “And stop bringing up the other time before I fucking murder you.”
I lift a shoulder as I lean against the wall and cross my legs at the ankles. The other day when all of us spent the night at his house, I made Aiden believe I saw him at the pool with Elsa.
I didn’t, I spent most of the night outside a certain room. Still, I like using that bit against him to get a rise out of him.