Alicia and her family are back to the family's country house. She's crafted fond memories in that place, amongst her relatives, unlike her sister Kesia, the 'outcast'. Now, that she's started her brand new career, and that she's engaged to be marrie...
"What's up with you?" Kesia's head emerged from within the folds of her giant comforter upon my arrival like a reanimated corpse. She was adjusting her glasses, but kept her attention aimed at me, suddenly awoken from the perpetual state of avoidance she adopted as soon as she set foot on the family's premises.
I had tried to slip in unnoticed, and out of all the thousand times I have been in and out of our shared bedroom, tonight was the night she had decided to notice me. The ONE night I wished she hadn't.
I took a few steps inside, like a teen that misses her curfew, my reflection in the dresser's mirror caught my attention on my way to the closet.
It was certainly my face who stared back at me, but there was something distinctively unrecognizable somewhere in there. A fire, burning steady behind my pupils.
My cheeks sported a crimson hue. My eyes were wide, a new luster twinkling on them.
"So...?" My sister's gaze drew my attention away from the girl that smiled a secrets-filled smile.
"What?" I put my hair back in a bun and headed to the bathroom.
"What did you and Ewan get into this time?" She asked, her interest coming down a notch or two to my relief. His name sent little shivers down my spine, delicious, scorching shivers.
"What makes you think I was with Ewan?" Sneaking my head out of the bathroom, I asked, curiosity outweighing my common sense.
"Because you only get that look on your face when the two of you are up to something." She buried her face in the pillow, her interest dwindling even further with each word.
"What look?"
"Shit, Alicia... I don't know... THAT look. You get all weird. It's like a glint in your eye I guess."
And by the time she was done talking I could tell she had either forgotten her previous question or she didn't longer care.
"I don't blame you. He does make these dreadful family vacations more bearable."
Thoughts of curls and warm lips and hunting dark eyes made me take a couple of slow, deep breaths.
"He does. Doesn't he?"I bit my lower lip.
"Good night, freak."
__________
Ewan was on the same spot as always the next morning during breakfast. White button-down, light blue shorts and white sneakers . With his fork, he shoved his omelet around on his plate. His body posture was slumped and careless as he stared down at his plate.
My father spoke - arms flailing, across from him; a rather drastic contrast to my cousin's mellow demeanor. Ewan nodded a couple of times at whatever topic was wing discussed, giving his smooth signature grin from time to time as a response, yet his eyes remained utterly unreadable.
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