"You okay?" He asks gently. I nod tiredly. "Grandma bought ice cream, why don't I go get some for you?"
I smile. "Yes please."
He stands, and I sit upright. "I'll be back now."
He leaves, and I look over at Scarlett. "Your hair looks pretty."
"Thanks, honey."
"Can you do mine like that?" I ask her.
"Yeah, of course." She smiles. "Now?"
"Tomorrow." I whisper. "So I look nice for when everyone gets here."
Her eyes soften. "Alright."
Nic walks back in after another minute. He sits down, passing me a bowl practically overflowing with ice cream.
"Thanks." I whisper. He wraps his arm around me again and I clench my eyes shut and then reopen them in a poor, unsuccessful attempt to wake myself up.
"What's wrong?" Julien asks. Nic looks down at me.
"Nothing." I whisper, eating some of the ice cream slowly.
I look over at the doorway when my dad steps inside. He smiles at me, his eyes seeming to warm as he makes his way over to me. He sits down beside me and glances down at the bowl of ice cream before sending my oldest brother a knowing look.
"What?" I ask.
"You need something proper to eat." He tells me.
"This is fine." I respond. I lean back onto Nic's arm, and he rubs my shoulder.
"You can have something else later." He says gently. "Are you feeling better?"
I nod.
He smiles. "Good. We got Monopoly, too. We can—"
Léo walks in, and I sit up a little. He doesn't even look at me though. He focuses on our dad.
"I'm gonna go out for a walk." He tells him, his voice holding no emotion whatsoever.
My dad furrows his eyebrows. "Where to?"
He shrugs. "Just around. I'll be back soon."
He walks out, and I frown, looking down at my lap. I curl my arms around myself and lean away from Nic.
I eat half the ice cream before wordlessly setting it on my brothers lap. "I wanna go back to my room."
My dad frowns. "Are you not feeling well?"
I shake my head.
"What's wrong?" He asks. He sets his palm on my forehead, and I pull away from him.
"I just wanna go to bed." I say. "You're always making me go to sleep but when I want to I'm not allowed?" I ask, my eyes beginning to water.
YOU ARE READING
TRAPPED
Teen FictionCeline Monet has lived alone with her mother ever since she was five, when her parents got a divorce and only one won custody over her. But finally, eight years later, her father wins shared custody. After moving across the country and settling...
