Dancing With Deception

24 | Sister Needs Sister

"I know, it's just I know you're busy with your assignment," Emily counters, thinning her lips together as she looks between the space on the bed next to me and my eyes.

That's another thing about my sister, she has the reputation of being selfish, but that's only because she fights for what she wants and what she believes in so fiercely that it scares most people into hating her. In reality, she'd put everyone else's priorities before her own if it meant that she could show someone how much she really cares about them.

She doesn't love easily, but when she does, she loves hard and effortlessly. It's in her nature to care, and I think that's beautiful.

"It's fine. Come in, I was barely writing anything anyway," I try to comfort her by belittling my work, it's true, I guess. I wasn't really writing anything, I should be, but I'd rather make sure that Emily is okay.

"Are you sure?" She asks once again, her words laced with discomfort as she clicks her knuckles, fidgeting to avoid confronting the guilt that she's probably feeling for interrupting my work flow.

"Of course," I tell her, my smile warm as I pat the space on the bed next to me again. "What's wrong?"

Emily obliges my silent request this time, slowly drifting across the room as she takes a seat next to me, matching my cross legged stance as she turns to face me.

Her expression is almost hollow. It's as though she's trying to hide her emotions so much that it's as though she doesn't have any emotions behind her eyes at all.

"Nothing. I... nothing," she whispers, responding to my question with words that are barely audible, her head dropping to her hands as she fiddles with them gently.

It's so hard to watch her like this, burdened by her cruel mind that tells her that it's weak to feel anything but fine.

Reaching my hand out, I place my hand over her knee, causing her head to tilt up, and she looks at me, her once peaceful gaze disrupted by the sensation of heartbreak.

"Em, you don't have to lie to me. I'm your sister, I'm on your side," I assure her, my words slow as I try to make sure she understands that not a word that leaves my mouth utters a lie.

I love her wholeheartedly, and if she wants someone to talk to, then that someone can always be me. If she needs a shoulder to cry on, I'll be there. Whatever she needs, I will provide because she's my family.

"I know. It's just, I don't know. I don't know what's wrong," she confesses, scratching her elbow with her spare hand as she avoids my caring eyes, trying her best to hold back the tears that threaten her glossy eyes.

"You can talk to me, you know that, right?" I ask her, my words embedded with sympathy as I brush my fingers against her knee with care.

She looks at me, her eyes like glass as she bites the inside of her cheek, her eyebrows pulled down in an attempt to hide her feelings, but I can see through her feeble trickery. I know that she's hurting, and I also know that there's nothing wrong with that.

"I-I," she chokes out, trying to find the words, but no words come.

"What is it?" I push her to tell me more, to tell me what's wrong and how I can help her. I just want to help her.

She looks away, inhaling a shaky breath as she brings her fingers to her hair, fixing her ponytail as a nervous laugh falls elegantly from her worried lips.

"I don't know what's wrong," the words are slow and delivered with much anticipation, almost as though they're a burden as they fall from her. "I don't know what's wrong with me."