All Of Us - Part 1: Summer

Chapter 19 - My best friend

- Evangeline -

My eyes snap open.

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to wake yah up - I mean I did, but not... Not like this..." Aline bumbles away as she rightens the chair she just sent crashing to the ground. She's hiding her flustered face behind her hair. "Anyways - yah sleep well ?"

I rub my eyes groggily. "Yah look dead tired. What time did yah go to bed ?" I squint my eyes. "Too late," I mumble and sit upright. Ach... I stretch my back, popping my elbows out. "Didn't sleep well."

She bites her lips and moves closer. "I can tell." I don't even have the energy to chide her. "What are you doing here ?"

"I'm suppose to wake yah up and stay with yah till Keiti comes." My eyes, till then half-closed, snap wide open as my hands fly up.

"Oh shit !" I exclaim and spring up. Stumbling over my own feet - I really didn't sleep enough - I get close enough to Aline and look at her in the eyes. "Did I..." I begin to ask, but find that I can't phrase the rest of the question. She looks at me, her expression unreadable, for a few seconds, before exploding with laughter. I stare at her blankly. "I wasn't exactly expecting that reaction, you know," I tell her honestly. She only giggles harder, turning her back to me and muffling her mouth in an attempt to regain her former composture. Soon enough, I hear her breathing become more regular. Before the silence becomes too oppressive, she turns and faces me. Our gazes lock, and her eyes... Her eyes aren't cold at all. They're just beautiful.

"Yeah, yah did do it, Evangeline." She winks at me. "Welcome to the gang."

*****

"I'm not allowed to go out of this room ?"

She's standing, her foot propped up against the stone wall and her eyes avoiding mine. "Yeah. Sorry."

I sigh, exasperated. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault." My head snaps up. Wait... "Who's order is it, by the way ?"

"Keiti. Why ?" My eyes narrow till they're slits. She seemed kind and understanding last night - I must have read her wrong. I'm frustrated - but not only. I hate to admit it, but I'm relieved. I don't know what I would have done if it was Dæor who was responsible.

"Well..."

I cut her short. "Because she doesn't want me escaping ?"

"No - no !" Her leg straightens and she springs away from the wall. "Yer one of us now." She strides over to me and reaches for my hand. Instincively, I flinch and pull it away. There is a moment of dead quiet as her eyes subconsiously grow wide and wounded, like a hurt puppy. I chew the inside of my cheek. She is such an adorable person... I swallow and take her hand with mine. She looks at me, hesitant. "What did you want to say ?" I ask, embarassed.

"Well, it ain't what yah think. They trust yah."

"So why am I stuck here ?"

"Cuz - cuz some other people caused noise when they 'eard yah killed Tarquin."

Oh yeah. Tarquin. I had forgotten about that. With my free hand, I rub my temple.

"And so Keiti got sacred for yah."

Did I really cut his head off ?

"They were kinda violent 'nd all."

Why did I do it ?

"So Keiti decided tah keep yah here. It ain't fair, but it sure's easier than keeping 'em all away."

Because he deserved it, that's why.

" 'nd so I'm here to keep yah safe. Hey, yah listenin' ?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah."

She doesn't look convinced, so I quickly change the subject. "I was thinking. How did Ian react ?"

Aline steps back, dropping my hand. My fingers suddendly feel cold, and I curl my hand up into a fist.

"He ain't talkin' to me. He's pissed."

"I... I'm sorry, Aline." She snorts. "I know he was an a-hole to yah. Yah don't have to pretend."

"I..." I laugh for half a second and look at the ceiling. This is awkward. "Alright, I don't care for him, but... But I care about you," I end off. My cheeks are red, but I have managed to keep a more-or-less straight face. "Aw, Princess," she grins. "Yah such a softie."

"Softie ?" I spit. "What ?"

She laughs at me, but I don't feel offended at all. In fact, I feel... safe. Secure.

Like this was meant to be, all along.