Kendall's eyes instantly get wet, and her lower lip is trembling, so she starts nervously biting it to stop the tremor.
I want to breathe normally, but it seems like I'm drowning.
It can't end like this. Nothing has even started yet.
"He won't notice anything," I continue, getting up from the bed. "I'm going to pretend that I came out of my room. You can take a shower and come to the kitchen when you're ready, okay?"
Kendall shakes her head slightly, still looking into the distance. I'm not sure she’s even listening to what I say. Her gaze is cold and terrified, full of unnecessary thoughts and regret.
My heart squeezes once again, and I fight the urge to grab her in my arms and kiss her so hard she'll forget where she is.
I know I shouldn't do this; it's not the right time. My kiss would make the situation even worse, and that's why I rapidly throw my clothes on and silently walk out of the room.
?
?* * *
As I walk down the stairs, I find my brother in the kitchen with a pan in one hand and a tray of eggs in the other.
"Trying to burn this place to the ground, huh?" I ask with a grin, looking at him. "You never liked it anyway. You hate vacations."
Damian puts everything down on the table and chuckles in response. "You'll never get tired of being an asshole, will you?"
Despite how we speak to each other, he comes closer to me for a huge hug, and I respond to it.
Because I still love my brother no matter how much I hate him, if you know what I mean.
Damian was always the older one, the smarter one, the taller one. He already had biceps and abs when I still had fluff instead of hair on my face. And no matter how Damian took care of me each time our parents were out of town or covered my back when I got in trouble, I still hated him for being the hottest brother in our family.
Because Kendall always looked at him differently. That's why I hated him.
"How's Pink? Has she brought her creepy boyfriend with her?" Damian asks with a smirk and chuckles at those words.
Damian missed last year's summer vacation because of work, and he never saw Kendall's boyfriend. But he talks about him the way I described.
"She's not pink anymore; she's now back to her natural dirty blond color," I explain, taking a pan and eggs and starting to prepare breakfast.
When Damian saw Kendall for the last time about two years ago, she’d dyed a few strands of her hair an intense pink color.My brother started calling herPinkthen, which I hated, of course, becausemy Sapphirecan only have one nickname, and it should be createdby me.
"And her creepy boyfriend is not in the picture anymore," I add easily as if it doesn't matter, taking out other ingredients from the fridge.
I can feel Damian's gaze on me, but I ignore him.
"So Kendall is single now, huh?" he continues, still staring at me, trying to evoke at least some emotion, but I'm steadfast.
He knew about my addiction to Sapphire long before I figured it out. I remember that summer when he told me to tell her how I felt before I went to camp. Before it was too late. I laughed at him, saying there was nothing to tell.
And when I returned after the camp, it was too late...
I remember that day as if it was a dream.
Or a nightmare...
...I just arrived from sports camp and couldn't wait to see Kendall. She's somewhere in our house in France.
I realized that I love her while being in the camp. Another girl kissed me, and I liked it, but I knew it wasn't enough. I wanted that first kiss, but at the same moment, I always wanted it to be with Kendall.
I haven't seen her for nine weeks, which was the longest time we’d ever been apart. I know she missed me just as much as I missed her.