Under My Skin

Chapter Thirty Five

"I'm fine"

Ruined.

It took a minute to ruin everything. I was frozen from shock. My lips pursed together as I felt the tears stinging my eyes.

"Ember?" My name echoed around my head like a cave. The voice being shut out by my own thoughts.

I felt Scorpius's hand grab my shoulder.
I felt Athalia and Delilah's comforting hands resting in mine.
I felt the disgusted gaze of Kieran Riddle.

It was after the fight. He had lost his memory of two years. Kieran isn't my boyfriend anymore, he's my enemy again. Only this time I didn't want him to be the enemy.

I wanted him to start to smile and break out in laughter. Chanting that he tricked me and that this is all just for show. But Kieran never smiled. Not while I was in his presence.

He still knows me as the girl who overwhelmed him. The girl who made everything about herself from his point of view. Meanwhile he was still the love of my life. But he didn't know that. He didn't know me. Not like he did two days prior to now.

"Excuse me." I mumbled before standing up and quietly bolting out into the hallways. Tears streaming from my eyes before I even left the room. My arms wrapped around my stomach as I kneeled to the ground.

Desperate sobs leaving my throat sore. My squatting stance making my legs burn but not more than the burn in my heart. My face rested in the palms of my hands. The tears coating my soft skin.

I knew my friends were standing by the door watching me with sorrow. That's why I didn't look. "Em we can just tell him that it's not like how it used to be anymore!" Delilah tried to comfort. I snapped up from my crouching position to face them all.

"None of us will be telling him anything. He needs to be eased into this new transition. The last thing he needs is me right now. No matter how much it hurts." As I finished speaking I turned away from them and wiped my wet eyes.

"I can wait until he's ready for me again." I'll be better this time.

No snarky comments back or accidentally maybe not so accidentally messing up a spell in which made all of his clothes Gryffindor colors. Just nice like when we were kids. I could do this.

"I'm just gonna grab my stuff and call your dad." I brushed past Athalia and into the infirmary again. Madame Pomfrey looking at with with worry in her old eyes. I smiled back as I walked back to Kieran's bed.

"You never were a pretty crier." He mumbled to me as I bent down to grab the diamond heart necklace on his bedside table. He had given it to me months ago and I lost it. He found it and wore it almost every day around his neck. Now I have to keep it so I can give it back to him when he's ready.

"How do you know I was crying?" My voice was a little high pitched as I held back the tears. "Your face is red and puffy." He pointed out taking a tissue from the box on the table and throwing it towards me.

"Thank you, but I'm fine." I lied. I was so lying.

"I didn't ask if your were okay." He brushed me off and looked around for his phone. I knew he was looking for his phone because he kept talking about texting Heather for the past half hour.

"Your phones broken so I've been working on buying you a new one." The look he gave me was full of confusion. He wasn't sure what to say. "Just leave Ember." He practically demanded. "Alright, I'll talk to you soon. Get better Kieran." He didn't respond and I didn't expect him to.

So I left.

Walking past Athalia, Scorpius, and Delilah as they waited for me by the door. "I need to be alone right now. But Kieran doesn't so he's waiting." I informed them with a faint smile. "We're more worried about you right now Em." Scorpius admitted to me.