Secretive - Kotlc Human AU - Hidden Series Book 1

Chapter 40

Sophie's POV

--------7:30 AM-------

I walk into Havenfield, back from recording.

My voice is slightly strained from all the singing, and I go over to the Kitchen to pour myself water.

I heat it in the kettle, hoping it'll sooth my throat.

As I pour the water, I hear footsteps behind me.

I jump, and some of the hot water splashes onto the inside of my hand.

I hiss in pain as my skin turns a dark red, and I whirl around in anger.

I take a step back.

"Tam?" I say, hoarsly.

He doesn't say anything, grabbing my burnt hand. He brushes his bangs out of his eyes and leads me to the sink, turning on a slow trickle of cold water.

Too much water will make it worse.

I jump as his voice fills my head, and I glance down to see his shadow stretched to meet mine.

I look up, and he's not looking at the water, deliberatly not meeting my eyes.

After a minute, he moves my hand out of the way. The heat turns into a distant throb.

Filling a bowl with water, he leads me to the table and I understand enough to sit down as he gently sets my hand into the chilled water.

He turns around, walking away.

I open my mouth to say something around the lines of where are you going? when I cough.

My throat burns, the hoarsness from earlier becoming worse when I try to speak.

Tam returns with hot water. And I mouth a thank you and gulp it down, flinching at the way it sears my throat.

As I set the glass down, Tam stuffs his hands in his pockets.

"Thanks, Ta-" I start, but my voice get's cut off by someone rushing into the kitchen.

"Foster?" Keefe rushes in, and slumps with relief.

"I just-I thought-You're okay!" He stumbles over his words as he rushes to my side.

Tam starts to back away. "I-I think I should go." I don't miss whatever flashes across his eyes as he glances at Keefe.

He turns around and starts to the door.

"Wait, Tam!' I call. My throat screams in agony, but I don't care at this moment.

When he doesn't stop, I rush into a standing position.

I don't even bother walking, or running. I fly over to the door that he's about to leave through.

My hand touches his shoulder just as he's about to go out the door.

"Please." My voice cracks. "Don't leave."

He shifts enough that I think - with horror - that he'll shrug of my hand. But he turns to me, something in his eyes.

He looks at something over my shoulder, and I turn slightly to see Keefe. 

"He's here." Tam says, as if that explains everything.

I cross my arms, and, my voice strained enough as it is, I just roll my eyes and turn around, guesturing for him to follow me.

"Keefe, I need to-" Keefe just waves, and guestures for us to go.

Tam follows me silently, and I smile thanks to Keefe before leaving him and taking Tam outside.

I circle around to the back, and when we reach a spot under a tree where nobody will see or hear us, I turn back around.

------

Tam's POV

//////////////////

She turns back around, and I look away.

I can't meet her eyes without feeling a pang of... something.

All I know is that it made my heart ache.

Tam, what's wrong?

Her voice rings through my head, and I shift to stretch my shadow to hers.

Nothing. I'm fine.

Honestly, if you're going to lie, you have to make it seem believeable. I won't repeat myself, Tam.

I'm fine. 

Tam, just because you're fine doesn't mean that nothing is wrong. Believe me - I would know.

I shake my head slightly and looks out at the distance.

How does she not notice?

Tam, I-

Just stop, okay?!

She jumps back at the tone of my voice in her head.

I don't notice, though. I keep going.

Stop pretending that you care about me just as much as you care about him. About all of us. You think I've noticed how your eyes tend to skip over me, how you laugh at all his jokes while I can barely get you to look at my face?

I take a small breath as I continue, not able to stop now.

You tell him everything, and he knows more about you then any of us does. I bet it's vice versa, too. 

I run a hand through my hair, frustrated. I didn't know I felt these things until I started talking.

Sophie, you don't know how it makes us feel. Makes me feel.

I look back at her, only to see her staring at her hands.

I turn to leave, done with this conversation.

I'm not used to anyone caring.

I halt, looking back at her.

She has tears in her eyes, but not the sad kind.

Not anger.

The helpless kind.

Before, it was Biana.

I realise she's talking about why she ignored me.

Even after she said it was fine for me to talk to you, I felt as if I was ruining something between you two by just... existing.

A small sigh tears through her as one, small tear leaks out onto her face.

She turns her face slightly, brushing it off with lightning speed.

I thought that you would just... focus on her. If  I stepped away.

But I need you to realize, Tam, that it hurt. I did it for you, if anything. And the only one who could see through my mask was Keefe. 

I turned to him because I couldn't hide anything from him.

I tried, Tam. So hard. To stop caring about you, to stop noticing the way both you and Biana looked at each other.

For what? I still ask myself. Lihn saw it. I think Marella probably did too.

They didn't understand. But, Keefe, to some extent, did. 

I...

She shakes her head hard and leans back against the tree trunk.

By now tears are slowly trickling down her face, but she stands impossibly still.

She slowly slides down the tree, curling in on herself like a ball.

I'm sorry. I know about your feelings for Biana, oh gods I'm such a horrible friend - just forget I said anything, okay?