A sudden, startling combination of noises drags me out of the depths of sleep. My eyes shoot open as I strain to make sense of the sounds.
A ringing phone - loud and piercing in the silence of Liam's room - and insistent banging on the door. It takes me a second to register the muffled male voice coming from the other side of it.
"Damn it, Archer! Open up!"
I push myself onto my elbows and turn to my side, finding Liam awake and rubbing his eyes groggily.
"Who is that?" My voice is hoarse, rough. I sit up straighter and clear my throat.
The phone stops ringing abruptly, providing some relief that is quickly swallowed by the voice outside that continues to shout for Liam's attention.
Recognition dawns on his sleep-addled features as Liam curses under his breath.
"It's Rick. I'm meeting him today at . . . wait, what time is it?" he asks, sitting up and throwing the covers back. Raising his voice so Rick can hear him, he yells, "Yeah, I'm coming!"
As he climbs off the bed to grab his phone, I turn to the slightly foggy window for any clues about the time of day. But the light gray sky outside is dull and cryptic.
"Whoa, it's almost eleven." Liam exhales aloud, running a hand through his tousled hair.
"Oh," I say softly, still feeling only half awake. Everything around me has a soft, hazy quality like a blurry photograph. I rub my cold fingertips over my eyes and blink until my vision sharpens.
I turn to find Liam heading towards the door, his hand already extended, the doorknob turning with an almost imperceptible click.
"Wait," I whisper urgently, scrambling off the bed at the thought of Rick seeing me in Liam's room, in his bed, wearing his sweatpants. "Where do I hide?"
"Carmen, you don't have to," Liam says, his voice somber as he glances at me over his shoulder.
Looking at his face, the soft light hitting the length of his jaw and the curve of his lips, I can't stop myself from thinking, I wish I didn't . . . I don't want to lie and hide to be with you.
"Do you trust me?" Liam implores when I stare at him in staggered silence.
Finally, I nod in response, and he motions to his bed and says, "Stay right here. Rick isn't going to say anything."
I squat down at the very edge of Liam's bed, trying to occupy as little space as possible. Crossing and uncrossing my legs awkwardly, I chew my lip as Rick dashes into the room with a can of diet soda clutched in one hand and his phone in the other, a string of agitated words flying out of his mouth.
"What the fuck? I called a thousand times-"
Rick falls silent at the sight of me, his eyes flitting from my face to the sheets behind me and to the clearly unused bed on the other side of the room.
"Hey," I say quietly, looking at Liam for assurance. He nods reassuringly from behind his friend's back.
"Oh. Hey."
I search Rick's impassive face for any signs of shock, but he seems surprisingly unmoved by my presence. He's looking at me with nothing but a vague sense of perplexity as though he's staring at a picture that is ever-so-slightly askew on a wall.
"I'm sorry, man," Liam interjects smoothly in the short pause that follows. Rick swivels to look at him, the agitation returning to take over his features. "I'll meet you at your place soon. We still have time."
I climb to a stand guiltily, tugging the ends of my sweater down the hem of the sweatpants. "I'm sorry, too, if y-"
"No, um, it's fine," Rick says with awkward yet genuine assurance, his expression softening as he passes another quick glance from me to Liam. He stuffs his hands into the pockets of his gray trousers and starts backtracking to the door. "I'm gonna go now, but I'll see you soon, Archer. Yeah?"
Liam nods in understanding and reaches out to give Rick's arm a companionable slap. "I'll be there."
Rick offers us a small salute before ambling out of the room. In his wake, he has left a strange lull that I rush to fill out of remorse. Liam is caught in the middle of a fight that has all but destroyed my friendship with Vera and now, because of me, he's in trouble with his friend, too.
"Liam? I'm sorry. For everything, really."
"Carmen, stop. You have no reason to be sorry. Everything's fine, trust me," he says, brushing away the short hair falling over his eyes. He steps closer and smiles, putting a warm hand on my cheek. "Hey . . . what are you doing the rest of the day?"
"Not much, I have some packing to do for Monday." The thought of going back to my room and staying there a second longer than I have to fills me with displeasure. I shake free of the feeling, tipping my head back to meet Liam's gaze. "And you? How long are you working with Rick?"
"Couple hours," he says, toying absently with a loose thread on the collar of my sweater.
I lower my gaze from his face to his chest, unable to conceal the hope in my voice. "Can I . . . see you after?"
"Oh, I . . . uh, I have something to do. I don't know how long it'll take," Liam says with a faraway look in his eyes, running his fingertips up my neck in a way so distracting that I can barely remember my question, let alone suspect his sudden cageyness.
A moment later, he brightens up and says assuringly, "But I should be back before eight. My friend's having this gaming thing tonight. Will you come with me?"
"I wouldn't really know anyone there," I hesitate, my mind immediately and carelessly scrambling in search of comfort, of Vera. As Liam brings his palms to rest on my shoulders, I force myself to dispel the thought.
"You know me," he says with an encouraging smile. "And Rick - he's coming, too."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah! It's just a few people playing video games." Liam's lips curve into an impish grin when he pulls his hands away from me, crossing his fingers in front of his face. "Come on, say yes. We'll have pizza."
Laughing, I nod and say, "In that case, I'll go."
❅
Smoothing the wine-red blouse over the hem of my jeans, I sit on my bed with a heavy sigh. The 'second' hand seems to move around the clock on my phone at an excruciating pace. I stare at it longingly as I reach back to pull the low ponytail over my left shoulder before lying down.
I shift around uncomfortably until I realize that there's something hard poking me from underneath the covers. I put my phone on my pillow and dig around until my fingers connect with a smooth rectangular object. I pull it out and sit up to examine it, my heart dropping at the sight of the green wrapping paper. Vera's present.
When I first entered the room this morning, I was relieved to find it empty. I went about my chores - the day getting darker and colder with every passing hour - and there was still no sign of Vera. Soon after my suitcase was packed, I started to feel the all-too-familiar angst of not knowing if she was all right. But when I picked up my phone, all her words came rushing back with the force of a storm, and I couldn't bring myself to dial her number.
Now, I stare at the small box in my hands, my fingers hovering over the ragged pieces of tape holding the green paper together. The contents make an ambiguous rattling sound when I lift the box up to my ear and shake it gently.
My breath whistles out of my mouth as I tug the transparent tape away in one swift motion. Shoving the soft wrapping paper aside, I find a partially clear case of lipsticks. Ranging from a soft berry pink to a deep red that precisely matches my top, the box has five tubes - including a cherry red hue that reminds me of the one she applied on my lips for the double date.
"Oh," I sigh wistfully, grabbing the darkest shade out of the box and examining the glossy tube. It opens with a small click, the untouched stick glistening inside, smelling faintly of something that can only be described as makeup.
Carefully, I unfurl the lipstick and swipe it across my lower lip. Smacking my lips together, I close the tube and return it to its slot before reaching for my phone. I open the front-facing camera and stare at my reflection for a long moment.
Just then, my phone buzzes with a text from Liam: Hey you ready? I'm downstairs.
Yeah, be there in a sec. I send my reply and climb to a stand.
After I tuck Vera's present into a drawer on my desk, I pull up the camera again, raising my free hand in an unthinking move to brush the lipstick off. The rich red tint coating my lips reminds me of Felix, the condescension in his gaze, the disdain in his words. But I stop myself at the very last moment and drop my hand to my side.
"It's over. Forget him." I tell myself resolutely, pursing my lips until the color spreads evenly.
Giving my reflection one last cursory glance, I grab my coat, turn the lights off and leave the room.
❅❅
Hey, guys! I wanted to make this chapter shorter because the previous one was very long. I thought it was important to have Carmen let go of Felix and reclaim her freedom to dress as she pleases and feel good about herself because that's something we all deserve, regardless of age, gender, etc.
Please give this chapter a vote if you enjoyed it, and thanks so much for reading! ♡
Hugs,
Amethyst