Somewhere Only We Know

XLII - Empty promises and eggshells

8:23 a.m., Saturday

I sat on the kitchen island, my legs hanging as I unconsciously swung them back and forth. I was puzzled, and it was terribly noticeable. A gentle hand grazed over my shoulder, making me look over it.

"You okay?" Camila asked as she pushed a half-full cup of coffee toward me. It was dark, and I could almost see the small grinds floating around. I shot her a look, quick enough for her not to notice, then I turned my head toward wherever I was looking. I was staring at the wall. The wall beside the gaming room door. The emptiest part of my apartment.

Maybe I should consider getting a bookshelf for that little corner.

The smell of Kai's cooking immediately hit my nostrils, but I was truly too shocked to let it hypnotize me. And I was even more embarrassed to look back and see the first guy I've kissed standing in my kitchen and preparing a meal for me. Not for me. For everyone else who stayed behind last night.

I sat there for a moment, genuinely trying to think of what kind of wood I'd want for the bookshelf I'd purchase just for that empty corner. Or maybe I could steal a painting from Jeorg and hang it on the wall.

I turned my head enough to find Camila and Kai in my peripheral vision. They were helping each other, passing around plates filled with a variety of foods. I could almost completely see that Camila was cutting a block of SPAM. "Ouch," she exclaimed flatly, which made Kai turn to her, grabbing the knife from her hand.

Kai tutted, loud enough for me to hear. "How do you cut things? Genuinely? It's thick slices. How'd you manage to nick yourself?" he said, causing Camila to chuckle a little.

"Morning," Leo said as he slowly walked toward the kitchen. Somehow, my couch's blanket ended up wrapping Leo, and he was clearly fully aware of it. He looked like a newborn baby, or a newborn penguin, considering the way he waddled toward me. I smiled at him; his eyes were barely open, and his perfect, sharp eyeliner was still somehow intact.

"Hi, Max," he said softly before bending down toward me, the side of his cheek falling onto my thigh. His face turned toward the direction of the bedroom door he had left open, which left me shivering from the cool breeze. "You good, kid? No brutal hangover?" I asked, the words feeling like I had just offered him a blunt as they rolled off my tongue.

I thought, for a moment, how surprisingly quick it was for me to accept that this little kid, only four years younger than me, is now my little brother. It's nice.

He started giggling before straightening his back. "I should ask you that. You were insane last night!" he said. He paused as he wiggled in the sheet. "I mean, you took everyone down with you! Everyone caught a stray from you!" he continued, which, of course, made me shiver in disgust. "I don't know what you could mean by that, but okay."

"Okay, let's eat!" Kai said, making me turn to him. His hands were on his hips, making him look like a dad. Then, I shifted my eyes to the many plates laid out behind me, so finally, I let the aroma sweep me off the island. But alas, this could not keep me numb. I looked over to see Camila taking a sip from the coffee she had offered me earlier. She took big gulps, loud enough for the neighbors to hear, and then she offered it to Kai, who was still admiring the food. His hand held a spatula, and the other, a plate with a few cooked slices of SPAM. I watched intently; a noise came out of my nose, and even I couldn't tell if it was a scoff or me trying to exhale.

Camila raised the mug to Kai's lips, tilting it just right for him to sip the hot coffee.

"Thought your sister fancied women?" Leonardo whispered to Cameron. I watched as they exchanged words in hushed tones, and if I wasn't totally hungover, I could almost swear I heard my name a few times.