Lonely Hearts 2

Chapter fourteen: Emma

"Where were you?" She asked. 

I shrugged carelessly and she watched me carefully before shrugging it off and walking upstairs to her room. 

I entered the kitchen where Amelié looked up at me. 

"Bonjour, ma cherie, did you have a good day?" She asked with a beautiful smile. 

I shared a look with Louis who gave a small smile. 

"Yes thank you, Amelié." I replied, as Louis winked. 

"We're having salmon meuniere tonight, that ok?" She asked. 

"Yes." I said. "Everything you make is delightful." 

She raised an eyebrow at the compliment and smiled. 

"Thank you, darling." She replied, and she peered at me suspiciously. 

Louis smirked at my guilt compliments as he started to help Amelié with dinner, giving her a kiss. 

"Have you had a good day, mon amour?" He asked to distract her, putting me out of my misery. 

The pair fell into easy conversation and I was forgotten. With much gratitude to Louis for getting me out of further questioning, I left the room and bumped into Max who narrowed her eyes in suspicion. 

"Why did Louis pick you up?" She asked. "I thought you got a lift with your friends?" 

"They were unavailable today." I ignored her implication and went up to my room. 

She followed and I reluctantly let her into my room. 

"How was your day?" I asked, a weak attempt to change the subject. 

"Dull." She said, as she threw herself onto my bed despite my frown. "Do you think Louis and Amelié will adopt us?" 

I blinked at the abrupt change in subject and considered. 

"Maybe." I replied. "Amelié said so, once." 

"Then why haven't they?" She asked. 

"Because it's a family decision." I said, "And we haven't made up our minds yet." 

"Who says we haven't?" She muttered, almost as if she didn't want to admit it out loud yet. 

I blinked. This was the first time she had ever implied she wanted more or less than what she already had. I don't know why I was so surprised. I thought we were on the same page, but maybe that wasn't the case after all. 

"You have?" 

She shrugged. 

"What do you think?" 

"I want a real family." She said. "I want somewhere to belong." 

"Is that a yes?" 

She was quiet. 

"What do you think?" She asked instead. 

"I want a family too." I said. 

"Do you?" 

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, defensively. 

"You didn't make it easy in any of the homes, Emma. You were always so intent on being sent back to the Home. To him." 

"That was before." 

"Only because he told you to stop." She said. "If he hadn't told you to stop causing trouble in the homes, you would have found a way back to him, wouldn't you?" 

"No I–" 

"Don't lie." 

I paused. I knew she was telling the truth but I didn't want to admit she was right. 

"Exactly." She said. "What do you want, Emma?" 

I didn't reply and she picked up a magazine on the side of my bed, flicking through it. 

"This is the most boring thing I've ever read." She said, holding up the magazine. "Don't you ever read a real book?" 

"Yeah, sometimes." I replied. 

"Like what?" 

"I read Harry Potter." I said. 

"Yeah, when you were eight." She rolled her eyes. 

"I'm not too interested in reading." I said. "I don't have the patience for it." 

"You don't have the patience for anything." She replied. 

"What do you read?" 

"I'm reading The 100." She informed me, smugly. 

I shrugged. 

"You should give it a try." She said, instead. 

"The book?" 

She shook her head. "Belonging." 

I sighed. 

"What if I don't want to belong anywhere?" I asked, stubbornly. 

She shrugged. "Then you'll spend your whole life being lonely." 

"Where do you belong?" 

"I'm trying to belong here. I'm trying to belong with them. In school. Did you know I joined the badminton club last month?" 

"No." I admitted. 

"That's because you were so determined to not belong here." She said. "But if you don't belong, then you'll miss out." 

"Miss out on what?" 

"On life."