Butterfly

15. Am I That Transparent?

Chapter Fifteen: Am I That Transparent?

♡ Jessica Washington ♡

The next morning, I wake up feeling uncomfortable. It must be quite early, as I can still hear birds outside in the nearby trees.

I'm in the living room, and the TV is on the standby screen, so I must have fallen asleep before the film had finished. Last night, River and I ordered pizza to eat while we watched a film. I made River watch Aladdin, and we had a singalong to all the songs, but it still felt weird after what happened at the park.

We must have fallen asleep, as I notice that my back is pressed against River's chest, and his arm is wrapped around my waist to stop me from falling off the sofa. I must have fallen asleep before River, so he must have chosen to sleep here, or he fell asleep watching the film just after me and woke up during the night, and behind me was the only place he could sleep reasonably comfortably, I don't know.

River's chest rises and falls slowly as he inhales and exhales, his breath lightly brushing against the side of my face. I slowly move, lifting his arms off of me and moving off of the sofa, leaving him asleep. I walk into the kitchen and put on the kettle, before making myself and River a cup of coffee. After I've done this, I go upstairs and have a quick shower, not bothering to wash my hair. I quickly get dressed after this into a pair of tight blue jeans and a dark green t-shirt, before typing my hair up in a ponytail.

I head back downstairs to where River is still sleeping. I should probably wake him up so he can drink his coffee while it is still warm, but I don't really want to be rude and wake him when he is most likely tired.

I decide not to wake him, leaving him to wake up by himself. I switch off the TV and take out my phone, while I wait for River to wake up.

He looks sweet while he's asleep, like an innocent child. His hair has messily fallen over his face, covering his closed eyes.

I sip my coffee as I check through my messages, which are mainly from my parents checking that I'm okay, and Olivia asking if I want to go and have coffee with her when I finish work today. I text her back saying that I will, before I start to gather up my things to prepare to go to work.

When the time to leave comes, River is still asleep. I sigh, taking a piece of paper out of a notebook and leaving River a note to say that I've gone to work. Then I leave the house, walking to the bus stop to go to work.

The day at work seems to last for ages, but eventually it ends, and I walk down to the coffee shop to meet Olivia. Olivia is already waiting, and I smile, sitting down opposite her.

"Hey, you okay?" I ask Olivia, who nods in response.

"Yeah, I'm alright, I guess," Olivia replies, even though I can tell that she isn't. Her eyes are slightly red, as if she has been crying, and she looks tired, as if she didn't sleep last night.

"Were your parents arguing last night?" I ask, quietly. I notice that Olivia has already ordered us both a coffee, as a waitress places two cups on the table. I thank the waitress, before she walks away, leaving Olivia and I alone again.

"Yeah, they were arguing until early this morning. But I suppose it worked out well, I think. My dad is moving out, so if he does go through with it, then they won't argue as often," Olivia informs me, and I nod. Olivia currently lives with both of her parents, but they argue all the time. Her mum is always at the receiving end, so Olivia has been wanting her dad to move out for ages, since she seems to have lost any love she might have had towards her dad now.