Chapter 65: The Moment of Love
Aeri leaned closer to grab a strawberry, her fork clinking against the plate, and her nose brushed near my shoulder. She paused, inhaling, her eyes closing for a second before they snapped open, sharp and searching. "This smell... it’s the same as Sara always wears," she said, her voice soft but pointed, locking her gaze on mine.
"Ughh..what?" I expressed.
"Hmm..Sara wears the same lavender perfume all the time. Her entire house smells of this same fragrance." Said Aeri, leaning forward and sniffing it with ber eyes closed like a dog on a mission.
My mind blanked. My heart skipped, like it forgot how to beat, and I swallowed hard, the sound loud in my ears. Panic clawed at me, but I forced words out before I could think too hard.
"Ugh... yeah, it’s Jonathan’s," I blurted, grabbing the water jar to fill her cup, my hands moving just to keep busy. "He gave it to me to try." I flashed a quick smile, hoping it looked convincing.
"Ohh, I see," Aeri said, her voice calm again, her eyes softening as she leaned back in her chair. She picked up her fork, twirling it in her fingers, and took a small bite of pancake.
"Yeah," I said, sitting down and trying to keep my voice steady, "I thought it smelled familiar too. Now that you mention it, you’re right—it’s totally like Sara’s." I forced a laugh, shaking my head like it was no big deal. "But eww, I’m not wearing it again. Smells like her now that I think about it." I pulled my face, playing up the disgust, hoping it’d sell the lie.
Aeri laughed, the sound light and bubbly, cutting through the tension like a knife. "You two hate each other so much," she said, shaking her head as she pinched a strawberry. "It’s like you can’t even hear her name without getting mad."
"Yeah, obviously," I said, chewing a bite of pancake a little too hard, irritation creeping into my voice—real enough. "What the hell does that Daniel guy even see in her? She’s such a pain."