1| Ophelia

13

-CHAPTER THIRTEEN-
OPHELIA
•

“This isn’t working Eli,” I whined for the millionth time as Eli playfully glared at me, “That’s because you’re not listening to your teacher.” I retorted, “That’s because my teacher is boring.” Eli narrowed his eyes and I cheekily smiled at him.

His eyes travelled down my lips before quickly going back to meeting my own gaze. “Here, hold on to me.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and my cheeks burned up at our proximity. I clutched his other hand with my right one and he skated forward slowly, taking me with him. 

Slowly but surely, I began to get the hang of it. The rink was crowded as snow as white as my hair fell all over the city. I didn’t say it, but I was glad of the heat Eli’s body was sharing with me in the cold November.

When he finished circling the first round with him teaching me how to skate and the dos and donts, he let go of my waist, but held onto my hand tightly as if his life depended on it, and truthfully, I didn’t mind the gesture. 

I almost lost my balance in the second round a few times, but as we began to talk, I didn’t even notice we were actually ice skating. We shared what I thought was appropriate for a first date. He told me about his friendship with the twins and Harry, and all the pranks that they had played on Lucas, Nico and Harry’s older cousin Penelope. 

He told me that just like the ‘diaper gang’, Lucas, Nico and Penelope were close to each other, since they were in the same age group, but something behind his doubled meaning words told me it had to do with me being sent away. 

At this point, I was beginning to believe that every shitty thing that's happened to my brothers came back to me. It always did and no one acknowledged it, I think for my sake they didn't.

He didn’t ponder on that topic much though. He quickly changed it to the times we had all been together, and I was so thankful of him for sharing the memories. This was the first time anyone had ever talked to me about my time in New York ever since I came back. 

He told me about the video that his mother had recorded when the twins, Harry and him had seen me for the first time. He didn't have the recording on him, but explained vividly what had been happening in it.

The twins squealing with anticipation and Harry practically dancing on his toes to meet the new addition to their little group. And Eli, he told me he was the only one who was calm and composed. He didn’t squeal or exclaim or beg any of the parents to let me out of the hospital sooner.

He was patiently waiting for me, and when he said that, I knew he meant all these years too.

I told him about my life in Rosedale. It wasn’t exciting much. I went to the local public high school in the town and didn’t really have any friends since I wasn’t really good in that department. I told him about how I spent most of my time in libraries and book shops and how I would help my foster parents in any way I could. 

I knew I wasn’t their real daughter. Though I didn’t remember getting adopted, my very dissimilar features to my foster parents’ gave everything away. I shared the feelings I had felt when they had told me the truth when I was only nine years old.

They had told me about how my parents didn’t want me because of financial issues since they themselves were too young. They had tried their best though, my foster parents had said. My “real” parents had tried for three years before giving me up.