Arabella's fingertips lightly tapped themselves on the arm rest of the vinyl living chair she was sitting on.
Nate's eyes focused onto her, specifically the bruise she didn't bother to cover up this time. He knowingly smirked and then turned his attention back onto the television screen.
Arabella hates it. She could feel it whenever he'd turn to look at her the feeling of his toxic gaze burning itself into her skin.
She was counting down the seconds that eventually turned into minutes.
28 minutes and 14 seconds.
"I made hot chocolate!" Kate happily exclaimed coming into the living room where she had left her husband and foster child alone.
Arabella forced herself to smile at Kate as she watched her place the silver platter down on the wooden coffee table , "Thanks Kate."
28 minutes and 39 seconds.
Nate mindlessly reached out to grab a mug of hot chocolate from the platter while Kate took her seat beside her husband.
Arabella sighed and reached out to grab one too.
29 minutes.
"What'd I miss?" Kate questioned when the doorbell suddenly rang, the three of them looked confused wondering who would be visiting them so late.
Nate's forehead creased, "It's too early for Naomi to be back home already." He assumed since his daughter had left only just an hour ago to her own schools winter formal.
29 minutes and 42 seconds.
Nate stood up and grumbled something under his breath as Kate stood up too and followed right behind him.
Arabella slightly turned to look over at them leaving the living room before she looked back at the television.
30 minutes.
Her sigh was heavy, she was tired and annoyed at the fact that Kate was essentially forcing the three of them to sit down and spend time together.
Arabella was only doing it for Kate, no other reason but that. The woman who took her in was far too nice to be taken advantage of or to be treated badly.
A few minutes passed where Arabella felt a sudden urge to get up and leave, that was until she heard light footsteps tapping on the hardwood floors and coming into the living room, she turned to face the archway. Her lips pulled themselves downwards when she saw social worker Wendy walk in with Kate following right behind her.
37 minutes and 25 seconds.
Wendy was in her mid-50's, she was a tall and thin woman with shoulder length dirty blonde hair that was slowly being devoured by gray strands. Arabella noticed that her skin was ruddy from the nipping cold outside and her green eyes seemed to be sunken in from something that was weighing heavy on her mind.
Arabella's gaze landed on Kate who seemed to avoid looking at her but instead took a seat back on the sofa, burying her face into her hands and staying silent.
38 minutes and 9 seconds.
"It's late." Arabella finally spoke, breaking the tense silence that had taken over the room, "And it's not your visiting day."
YOU ARE READING
STARGIRL
General Fiction"Her lips are like the galaxy's edge, and her kiss the colour of a constellation falling into place" (AM). - Every time he looked at her, he could feel his heart breaking. She was the girl with the gleam in her eyes plucked from the stars themselve...
