Fateful Ties

Chapter Six

I definitely fell asleep at some point. I woke up later that evening on my bed with Audrey still holding on to me, asleep herself. The clock on my night stand says it's 5:00, which meant I had been sleeping for at least 4 hours. Oddly enough, I feel calmer, it is as though Luke had been right there with me, but there's no way I'm telling her that. No way.

Trying not to wake Audrey, I ease away from her and the bed. I head into my bathroom to clean up my appearance, which is definitely something of a horror show. My eyes are red and puffy and my dark brown hair is disheveled. My god it's like I'm in an 80s horror film. I turn on the sink's faucet and splash water in my face. The coolness of it caresses my skin making me shudder.

When I'm finally satisfied with my appearance, I go back to my room to find Audrey still sleeping on my bed. That's fine. I make my way to the kitchen where I look for cinnamon rolls. There are only a few left in the pantry, but I take them all anyway and sit on the couch.

I look out the window as I bite into the treat and gaze at the cloudless blue sky beyond. I shouldn't let this one thing get me down. Not when I promised myself that I would live for him. I'll bury the scars that this placed on me and continue moving forward because if I don't move forward now, what will happen to me in the future. My resolve. That is my resolve.

C

I sit on the couch for about an hour just gazing through the window at the world beyond this academy when Audrey finally walks in a little groggy from sleep. She looks at me, her eyes softening and sighs.

"What happened earlier Camille?" I don't want to talk about it. Not after I just made my resolve about it, but she presses me further. "Not talking about it only make the matter worse."

I suck in a sharp breath and exhale deeply, "Nothing happened. It's done with now."

She doesn't relent. Even as I look back through the window, she blocks my view and stares at me intensely. "That's crap and you know it. I know you find me annoying, but I'm not letting you off the hook until you tell me what's wrong."

I will not break. I refuse to break in front of Audrey. For all I know she'll use whatever information she can elicit from me now to get back at me for being rude to her late.

I scowl, "Nothing is wrong."

The action happens faster than I can process it. All of a sudden my right cheek feels warm and is throbbing. Dumbfounded, I glance up at her and touch my cheek. Audrey still had her hand up. She just slapped me.

Huffing, she continues, "Stop trying to pretend nothing bothers you. I've been your roommate for seven years. If I hadn't picked up on your tendency to hold in your emotions by now, then I'd be a terrible person." I don't say anything. "Stop trying to be strong when you don't need to be. It's okay to break down every now and again Camille."

"L-Luke," I mumble.

"Who?"

I shake my head and look down. "I'm sorry-"

Audrey cuts me off and lowers herself so that she could see my face. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I just don't want to see such a great person like you unravel like this. Despite some of the things you have said to me, I know you are a good person Camille Belland. Now, tell me exactly what happened."

Trembling. My body is trembling. She grabs the hand that that I didn't realize is holding the ruby necklace in a death grip. I loosen my grip and let go. I meet her stare and smile faintly. No one else aside from Luke has ever done anything like this for me. It's a refreshing change of pace for once.