Our Last Dance

Chapter 12

God! what had I done? Yesterday, I had agreed to tell Elijah everything, vowing to spill all my secrets because I had been drowning in emotions.

Now, I was drowning in regret. Those relatable memes suddenly hit home. Why on earth had I agreed to spill it all?

I let out a groan, propped my elbow on my lap, and buried my face in my hands. Regret? Yep, loads of it. But, honestly, there was a tiny spark of relief knowing that I was on the brink of spilling it all. I mean, who wouldn't want to unload their crazy stories? It's like I had this juicy gossip I'd been itching to share.

I was just hoping he wouldn't label me as crazy and spill the beans to my parents. Because once my folks got wind of it, there was no doubt they'd start worrying, and I'd find myself on a one-way ticket to the psych ward.

I rubbed my face, then rose from my seat and headed to the mirror. I quickly ran my hand through my medium brown hair, too lazy to bother with a comb, and rushed down the stairs with my bag in tow.

My parents were nowhere to be found. Apparently, Wednesdays were their "date" days – oh, the romance. After gobbling down a quick bowl of cereal, I dashed out of the house, praying to God that I wouldn't miss the bus.

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"So? How was yesterday? You guys had a good time?" Es asked, giving me a curious look.

I crossed my arms, planning to ask her why she always missed our outings with Elijah and find out why she hadn't been to the orphanage in a year.

"Es," I moved a bit closer to her, exhaling softly. Es furrowed her brows, clearly curious.

"Why haven't you been visiting the orphanage? Kieran mentioned it." Es looked surprised and took a small step back. What was that reaction all about?

"You visited the orphanage?" She asked, her voice tinged with unease. Her reaction was making it seem like there was something more to it. It was becoming increasingly clear that something was going on, and both Es and my parents were keeping secrets. I wasn't oblivious to that fact.

"Yeah, I did go. And it's weird that you haven't been there. You're not the type to miss it," I said, placing a reassuring hand on her forearm, my eyes searching hers for any hints.

She sighed, seeming conflicted. "Look, Layla, I've been dealing with some personal stuff lately, and it's been hard to make it to the orphanage. I promise, it's not because I don't want to go."

Is something going on with her grandma? Is she sick? Is that what Es is talking about?

"Is your grandma okay?" I asked, my concern growing as I wondered if that was what Es had been alluding to.

Es hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah, she's been having some health issues lately. It's been tough taking care of her and managing everything else."

I sighed and went in for a hug, feeling a mix of empathy for her situation and guilt for pushing her to talk about it. It was suspicious that she hadn't visited the orphanage, but maybe my recent dreams were messing with my head. I'd been doubting everything, and it was taking a toll on me.

She hesitantly hugged me back, and when I pulled away to look at her, I noticed the weariness in her serious expression. Something was definitely going on with Es, and it seemed like she wasn't opening up to me lately. However, I decided not to push any further. If she needed space, I'd respect that. She'd talk to me when she was ready.

I decided to hold off on asking her about the outings she'd been missing, as she appeared to be in a somber mood, and I didn't want to add to her stress. I think my previous question might have triggered thoughts of her grandma.