Don't Forget About Me

8. An anchor in the dark

I’m a bit worried about the strong bond between Princess and Adam. I feel slightly jealous of it. They’re just friends, but I envy their closeness.

I’m starting to feel tired, but I can’t sleep yet. I must go back and celebrate our birthdays. I need to give them my gifts. Jupiter helps me up into standing position and I walk back to The Willow, that the Ninjan village is called. Jupiter is with me so I feel better.

Everyone is playing in the garden and the dinner on the table is gone. These wolves work fast, or was I gone for that long? A big chocolate cake is put on the middle of the table instead and I can feel how my mouth is watering by the sight of it.

“Kate!” Tom yells excitedly. “It’s time for cake.”

He seems to share my love for sweets. That’s cute. I look around for Adam and find him next to Princess on the porch. I walk up to them and grab Adam’s arm. His eyes are sparkling at me and make me mesmerised for a moment. I look at my thin hand on his muscular arm. It’s still hard to believe that it belongs there. It’s fantastic to feel the sparkles when our skin touches.

“Will you bring the gifts?” I ask him softly and he nods and walks into the house.

I’m left alone with Princess and I can’t help but admire her hair colour. I reach out my arm before I know what I’m doing. I just want to touch it. It feels smooth between my fingers and glisters like gold in the sunlight.

“Are you okay, Kate?” she asks me worriedly. 

“I feel out of place,” I whisper with a sigh. “I haven’t seen my real hair colour for so long. It will take years to grow out.”

“You’re beautiful the way you are,” Princess ensures me. “You belong here with us. This is the last place you should feel out of place at.”

Adam comes back with Mary and Tom’s gifts in his arms. “Here you go sweetheart,” he says with a winning smile.

My heart literally stops. I can’t believe that I’m someone’s sweetheart. He finds me valuable enough to call me sweetheart! Just because he’s my mate doesn’t mean that I’ll take anything for granted. Adam is the last one I will take for granted.

Adam’s smile becomes a bit unsure from my silence and Princess knocks him hard in the head with her fist.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she lectures him. “Carry them down to the table.”

“Right, fine, of course!” he stutters and hurries down to the table.

“He’s so sweet, isn’t he?” she laughs.

“That wasn’t very kind of you,” I frown and can literally feel the pain in his head. I hope my sister won’t hit me like that. I’d fall down dead if she did.

“Adam can take it,” Princess says rolling her eyes. “You should see when he pushes me around. I love my paybacks though.”

“Okay,” I answer her elusively and take a step away from her before I turn around and follow Adam down to the table.

Princess didn’t grow out from her mischievous behaviour, that’s for sure.

I look at the table and admire the plates that are made so well. My gaze sops at a familiar set of plate and glass and I walk up to them and let my finger trail around the edges of them. Jupiter is standing right behind me and I feel comforted by him. This is the plate and glass Mother always sent with my cookies and milk. Everyone falls quiet around me and I can feel them staring at me.

I thought the staring would stop on Rosalea. Why is everyone so keen on watching me eat? Disappointment starts building up inside of me but is stopped when Adam puts the two presents in front of me. I look down on them relieved and in hope that they are watching me because of these.