I pause for a second. That’s the first time she calls me by my actual name. Usually, it’s Frozen this and Frozen that.
Huh. Did it take a beating for her to finally respect me?
“I have one piece of advice for you.”
“We don’t need your advice,” Kim snaps at her.
Silver doesn’t pay her attention and continues in a calm tone. “If you still want King, then stay away from Cole.”
She sidesteps us, then stops. “And oh. You watched me fall. One day, I’ll return the favour and watch you fall, too.”
She storms to her car with fast steps.
“Bitch,” Kim hisses. “You should’ve let me tell her a piece of my mind.”
“We’re not Silver, Kim. We were bullied all our lives, we won’t be those type of people, okay?”
“Whatever.” She throws her hands in the air and stalks to her car.
Great.
Inside, I receive a text.
Knox:Are you free tonight?
I check my texts from Aiden just in case. He’d usually send me his plans. The last few days, his texts were along the line:
Aiden:Today, I’ll fuck you harder than usual because I’m pissed off about the limit.
Aiden:P.S I’m still pissed off.
Aiden:See you at the Meet Up. Don’t wear anything under that skirt or I’ll rip it off.
Aiden:Hmm. I can’t taste you from last night. I’m taking my refill tonight.
There are none of those texts today.
Screw him for ignoring me.
I pull back Knox’s text and type.
Elsa:Sure. What did you have in mind?
Knox: How about I pick you up and then we decide?
I bite my lower lip and scroll back to Aiden and type.
Elsa: Are you going to stop being a dickhead?
He sees it immediately. Isn’t he supposed to be in practice?
Aiden:Are you going to do as I asked?
Elsa:No. I told you that you don’t control my life. I’ve given you enough leverage already.
He sees it, but he doesn’t reply.
You know what? Damn him. I’m not going to play this game.
I pull Knox again and type.
Elsa: Sure!
After we agree on the time, I pocket my phone in my backpack with a smile.
Aiden can go suck it.
“You’re planning trouble, aren’t you?” Kim asks from beside me.
“Why would you say that?”
“You have this almost sadistic look in your eyes and a smirk when you do.”
“Really?”
“Uh-huh.” She laughs. “I’m teensy bit starting to regret asking you to live an adventure.”
“Did I always have this expression?” I frown.
How come I never knew about it?
“Sometimes.” She glances at me. “Are you okay?”
It’s the usual question she, Aunt, and Uncle ask.
As usual, I smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Just checking.” She grins. “You want to join me and Kir for mac and cheese?”
“I’d love to, but I’m going out with Knox.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No, why would I?”
“Eh, I don’t know, Ellie. Because of King? He’ll flip his shit if he hears you’re going out with Knox.”
“Knox is a friend who saved my life. Aiden should get used to it.”
She taps her fingers on the steering wheel. “You’re right. I know that, but King has no filter whatsoever. He treats you like I’ve never seen him treat anyone else.”
“And how is that?”
“Like he wants to shield you from the world. I don’t think you even notice it, but sometimes, he looks at you like he can’t breathe without you. And believe me, that’s not the King everyone knows.”
I tighten my hold on the backpack. “What are you saying, Kim?”
“All I’m saying is; if he feels this intensely towards you, he’ll react tenfold worse if you threaten him.”
“You’re my friend. You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am, Ellie.” She sighs. “That’s why I’m telling you not to stir King’s ugly side.”
Aunt and Unclecome home early. It’s so rare that I can’t help hugging them more than needed.
Then I find out they’re only coming to check on me before going back to work.
I contemplate cancelling with Knox just so I can get some alone time with them and maybe have dinner together.
“No, hon.” Aunt ruffles my hair. “Go and have fun. Don’t let us keep you here.”
“I’m sure Knox will understand,” I argue.
“Go on. Don’t keep him waiting. He seems like a nice boy.”
“We’re just friends, Aunt.” I take a carrot and munch on it. I need to keep my stomach full in case Knox takes me to dinner in a place where they don’t serve my special food.
She grins. “Sure thing, Elsie.”
“Stop it, Blair.” Uncle comes behind me and massages my shoulder. “You go and have fun, pumpkin.”
I nod, glancing back at him.
Since the pool accident, I can’t help noticing the change in Uncle’s demeanour or at least the way he looks at me. It’s like he’s torn inside and doesn’t know how to communicate it.
He releases me and heads upstairs, probably to freshen up before they’re out again.
“I’m going to change,” I tell Aunt and she beams at me.
I take the steps two at a time so I can follow Uncle. I freeze at the top of the stairs when I find him standing in front of my room.
He’s clutching his briefcase with the jacket on top. His shoulders are drooped and he gazes at my room with utter sorrow as if he’s about to cry.
My own eyes fill with tears at the sight.
What is it, Uncle? What is it that you’re not telling me?
He shakes his head and continues to his room.
“Uncle…”
He stops and turns around with a smile plastered on his face. The smile falls when he meets my gaze. A tear must’ve fallen on my cheeks because I taste salt.
I don’t even know why I called him or why I’m crying, I just know that I need something.
Uncle lets the briefcase and the jacket fall to the ground and hurries towards me.
“What is it, pumpkin? Are you okay?”
I nod, but more tears fall on my cheeks and my lips wouldn’t stop trembling. I don’t want to worry him.
What the hell is wrong with me and these tears coming out of nowhere?
“I’m sorry.” I wipe at my eyes with the back of my hand. “I don’t know where these tears are coming from.”
“It’s okay. Come here, pumpkin.” He wraps his arms around me and I’m a goner.
A complete utter goner.
I couldn’t stop the tears even if I wanted to.
My nails dig into his shirt and I inhale his aftershave with the scent of cinnamon and citrus.
A scent from my childhood.
It’s like I’m that little girl again. That seven-year-old girl who slept in Uncle’s embrace for weeks because I couldn’t fight off the nightmares.
Back then, Aunt would sleep on a chair because I didn’t want her with us. I couldn’t sleep if she touched me.
“It’s okay,” he soothes, caressing my back. “I’m here for you, pumpkin. No matter what happens, you know that I love you, right? You’re the only child I ever had and ever will.”
I nod in his chest, gripping his shirt tighter.
“What’s going on?”
At Aunt’s voice, I break away from Uncle wiping my eyes, but I keep my back to her.
Damn it.
I don’t want Aunt to see me this way either.
“Elsa was just having a bit of exam stress, right, pumpkin?”
I nod, not turning around.
“Go on and change.” Uncle smiles down at me. “Your friend will be waiting.”
I run to my room.
“Elsa,” Aunt calls, her footsteps sounding behind me. “What’s going on?”
“Let her go, Blair.”
I’m glad Uncle stops her as I go into my room. I barge into the bathroom and wash the itch beneath my hands. That stupid itch that wants to break free.
After freshening up, I change into simple skinny jeans and a tank top.
It’s going to be okay.
I think.
My phone vibrates.
My heart flips at the thought that it’s Aiden. I need him so much right now. I wish he’d just text me something.
Anything.
If he tells me it’s okay to have a life and my own decisions, I’ll cancel with Knox.
I’ll go to him instead.
Knox isn’t the one I want to see right now. It’s strange that when I’m a mess and need comfort, Aiden is the first one who comes to mind.
The text is from Knox, telling me he’ll be here in a few minutes.
Disappointment tugs at my stomach.
Of course, Aiden wouldn’t forfeit. It’s always his way or the highway.
Screw him.
I turn off my phone.
After pulling my hair into a ponytail, I exit my room. I’m about to go downstairs when I hear hushed yells coming from Aunt and Uncle’s bedroom.
The door is closed, but I do something I never did before.
I tiptoe closer. No sound comes out. Was I always able to move this silently?
I glue my ear to the door and listen in on their conversation.
“Enough is enough, Blair!” Uncle hisses. “Can’t you see that she’s stressed?”
“She’ll get better with Dr Khan,” Aunt replies with that air of confidence.
“She can’t get better from a disease she doesn’t know about. You can pretend all you want, but she’s remembering, Blair. She’s smart to know those recurring nightmares mean something.”
“She’s not remembering,” there’s a note of panic in Aunt’s voice.
“Even if she isn’t, she will soon. Or those people will come for her.”
People? What people?
“She’ll choose us.” Aunt’s tone hardens. “Elsa will choose us.”
“Even if she does, you can’t pretend that all of this is okay just to protect yourself.”
“Protect myself?” I can almost imagine Aunt scoffing. “I did everything to protect her. I don’t want her to go back to that phase of her life, I wanted her to start anew. I thought you wanted that for her, too.”
“I do, but as Dr Khan said, she can never really move on if she hasn’t dealt with the trauma.”
“She’s dealt with it by forgetting all about it.”
“She was a seven-year-old child, Blair! That was her only defence mechanism. It doesn’t mean she dealt with it. She didn’t know how to deal with it at that age.”
“And you think she does now?”