Chapter 42: Her Worry
I went into the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind me, and flicked on the light. I turned on the tap, letting cold water run over my hands and feet, the chill biting my skin. I cupped my hands and splashed my face, water dripping off my chin as I stood there, staring at my reflection in the mirror—wet hair sticking to my forehead, eyes shadowed, looking like hell. Everything from today crashed back in: Sara’s smirk, her phone, the cheque in my pocket, the mess I’d walked into.
I exhaled deep, my breath shaky, and grabbed a towel off the rack, pressing it to my face, wiping slow as if I could scrub the memory away too.
When I stepped out, the hall opened up to the dining table, already set with plates steaming—rice, some chicken curry Aeri must’ve whipped up, a bowl of sliced cucumbers on the side.
The smell hit me, fresh and warm, spices mixing with the faint sweetness of her cooking, but it barely registered. My senses were dulled, like someone had turned the volume down on everything. Aeri was sitting there, her phone in hand, scrolling with one thumb, her dark hair loose now, spilling over her shoulders. She glanced up as I walked in, but I didn’t meet her eyes—just dropped into the chair across from her.
We ate in silence, the only sounds the soft *clink* of spoons against plates and the occasional tap of her glass as she sipped water.
Usually, I’d kick things off—ask about her day, tease her about the food, maybe crack some dumb joke to make her laugh. Not tonight. I wasn’t in the mood, my head too full of shit to even try. And Aeri was quiet too in the morning, her usual chatter gone, so it felt... fine, I guess.
Better this way. I kept my face down, scooping rice and curry into my mouth, chewing slow, the taste good but distant, like it was happening to someone else.
Aeri’s eyes flicked up from her plate, quick and subtle, catching me. She’d noticed—I wasn’t talking, wasn’t even looking up, just hunched over my food like a robot.
She set her spoon down, leaning forward a bit, her voice soft but warm.