SMOTHERED LIES

twenty one (Raine)

"What about you Aspen? How is Kade?" I wonder, a smile spreading across my lips. Aspen's face darkens abruptly, and the smile falls from my face. "We aren't so good." She replies, quietly. "He lied to me."

"What do you mean? Kade lied? What-"

"He knew Raine! He knew about all of this. Our parents, the drugs, all of it! He knew in London and he didn't say anything!"

"Why?! Why didn't he tell you? Why didn't he tell us?"

"I don't know; some rubbish about him wanting to protect me. But I'm tired of being 'protected'; I'm not a child! I'm nineteen years old!"

"Well I hate to say it; but I've always hated Kade." Adele replies evenly.

"Adele!" I continue unapprovingly. "That probably isn't the best thing to-"

"Don't worry Raine; she's right. I can't believe I expected anything else."

"Maybe if you talked to him you could sort it out, I mean you loved-love him, don't you? The two of you deserve to at least discuss this." I press seriously.

"I'll think about." Aspen murmurs, running her hands through her hair.

"So how are you doing Raine? Hopefully you're having more luck than the two of us." Adele questions, her shadow flickering on the wall as she leans closer to me.

"Well, we have been doing okay...you both know how much I missed him."

They nod, ushering me onwards.

"But he is so confusing. Sometimes I feel like he's trying to tell me something, but then he'll change his mind and say something completely inconsequential to anything. And the more time I spend with him, the more I...well I like him, I really like him. And I think he likes me too sometimes, but then he completely blanks me other times, like he doesn't care at all. I don't know; I'm probably just making all of this up. He probably doesn't like me."

Adele laughs; laughs.

I frown, shaking my head slightly. "What's so funny?"

"You!" She exclaims, shaking her head. "You are so helpful to everyone else, but you can't see what's right in front of your eyes! How can you not see the way he looks at you?!"

Aspen nods in agreement. "She's telling the truth Raine. I'd bet anything that he likes you."

"Maybe." I reply, unconvinced.

They smile at me reassuringly, eyes crinkling softly at the corners. The clock in the hall chimes ten o'clock; the sound of it reverberating off the walls, and Aspen stands from her chair. "We should probably get to bed; it's getting late." She comes over to Adele, and then me, hugging us both goodnight, before turning to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow." She murmurs softly, before disappearing from the room. The clicking of her heels follows her down the hall.

I look over to Adele. "Hey...you know you can tell me anything right? Anything at all."

The surprise on her face melts into a smile as she begins to speak. "I know Raine, and I will sometime, I just need to...sort some things out."

I know what she means. I've been there in the past; just as long as she knows I'm here if she ever needs me. I walk across the room, embracing her in my arms. She is still thin, but that is just her, that's just Adele.  "Thank you." She murmurs.

"Are you going to bed?"

"I will be, but I want to stay up a little while; to think."

"I can stay with you if you like?"