The Coldest Summer✓

Fifteen

I sit up instantly, eyes wide awake.

"Sam?" I'm shocked to see her, my gaze scanning the room for something only God knows.

Yes, I indeed slept with Liam. I wonder when he left my room.

"What did you do last night, Kiki?" Sam asks me as she scurries over. My eyes widen at her detective look, suspicion painted all over her face.

Panic swallows my demeanor, my heart pounding heavily.

"What do you mean?" I utter, staring firmly at her.

Does she know something? It suddenly jumps in my mind.

Casually, Sam sits down next to me. "I mean, how on Earth did you oversleep? Do you know it's almost twelve in the afternoon? I've never seen you sleep like this. Are you okay?" She touches my forehead.

A soft sigh of relief escapes my lungs at the sound of her words.

"Of course I'm okay." I remove her hand and quickly get myself away from the bed. "I just slept well, I guess, because I was kind of tired." I slip my feet breezily into slippers so I jog to the bathroom.

"Really? Well, that's good," Sam answers with a sigh. She makes herself more comfortable on the bed and I'm way more relieved that she decides to drop it.

"Is everything okay?" I ask her as I dart inside the bathroom.

"Yeah. I ate so much that I can't even breathe properly. Would you like some breakfast?"

"Not really. I'm not hungry," I reply from inside the bathroom, sucking in a deep breath.

What was I thinking? is the only question in my head.

When I look at myself in the mirror, my reflection disgusts me. I'm suddenly feeling guilty from all the treacherous things I keep doing in the dark, behind closed doors—behind Sam's back.

I'm such a traitor, backstabber, and I wonder how I can stop.

"I've made up my mind, Kira," Sam shouts enough to give me a startle. "I'm going to tell Liam everything today." Her voice echoes just behind the bathroom door.

Again with that? I feel more awful. She sounds pretty much excited, however, and what I see for myself in the mirror isn't what to call bliss.

"Really? That's good." I sigh.

I finish my business and step out of the bathroom. As I sit down in bed, Sam goes on telling me about her plans for the day, and it seems like she's so determined to finally ask Liam out.

"Do you think he'll reject me?" she asks casually. I swallow hard, not knowing what to say. What can I possibly say? Her laughter plucks me from the trance of horror. "Oh, I guess I shouldn't ask my little nerdy about this stuff, right?" she adds upon my silence.

"You're right, what do I know?" I remark.

"Well, I'll see what happens," she says with another sigh, a sound one. "But honestly, do you think I have a chance with him?" Her hopeful gaze is heart-aching for me.

"Um—'' I end up clearing my throat, unsure how to respond, yet again. This is a pure, undiluted torture. "Maybe you do, and maybe you don't."

Why can't you just tell her? My subconscious rumbles inside.

"What does that mean?" Sam huffs incredulously, pitching me a not-so-pleased look.

"I mean, you should be prepared for anything." I shrug, guising my true thoughts. "From what I've learned, Liam is kind of unpredictable. He's not like your average guys who clearly show their likes and desires openly." I just blurt out whatever comes to mind.