I'm Fine

Chapter 8

"Hey, are you okay?"

I looked up at Damian's worried eyes and blinked. I raised a hand to my cheek and felt droplets of water. Damian placed a hand on my shoulder and then sat down next to me.

"Don't listen to Shay...she's_"

"_No! She's right, I did...I was...it was my fault," I said, sniffling. I put my face in my hands and sobbed.

"Hey, hey," Damian whispered softly. "We should enjoy tonight, it's been forever since we've all had dinner together like this." Damian rubbed my back and inched closer to me, but I didn't bother moving over.

"Shay. Apologize," Damian ordered his sister.

"No."

"Shay."

"No."

"Shay."

"No."

"Shay," he said, his eyes wide, teeth clenched and brows furrowed. She looked straight at him, eyes burning, mouth pouted and arms crossed.

"No."

Damian got up, walked over to her and stood right in front of her. I peeked at them through my fingers and watched Damian have a staring contest with Shay.

The atmosphere was tense, my entire body shivered and my head throbbed.

"Apologize."

"N_"

Damian glared at her, or I think he did. I didn't have a clear view.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes and turned to face me. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Louder, mean it." Geez, he sounds like an angry parent rather than an angry brother.

"Sorry," she said more loudly, through gritted teeth.

"For..." Damian said. Shay snapped her eyes away from the ground to look at her brother with a look of annoyance.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Sorry, Imogen, for..." she paused and shuffled her foot on the carpet. "Sorry for blaming you," she said.

Damian looked pleased with that apology, but when he turned to walk back towards me, Shay gave me a death glare.

I fidgeted with my fingers, feeling the space beside me fold down as Damian sat down again.

Shay went back to sitting on her seat. She crossed her legs and stared angrily out of my bedroom window.

Damian sat quietly while I rubbed my eyes and tried to make my wet eyelashes, bloodshot eyes and puffy face look less obvious.

There was a knock at the door. Damian sat up straighter, Shay turned to face the door and I looked down at my feet.

"Hello?" asked Lee as she walked into my room.

"Lee? Wow, you've certainly grown up," said Damian, smiling and he got up.

"Damian!" she cried, jumping towards him. He caught her in his arms and she grinned cheekily.

"Lee," I said, disapprovingly.

"C'mon Imogen, lighten up," replied Lee, as Damian put her down.

"How old are you now Lee?" Damian asked, squatting down to her level.

"I'm ten," she said proudly. She then looked at him closer. "How old are you?" she said, attempting to raise an eyebrow.

Damian chuckled. "Sixteen, I'm old aren't I?"

"Yes!" she cried. "You were only 13 when we moved away!" Damian cringed, but it quickly disappeared.

"And you were only six."

"Yes, I was," she said thoughtfully. "Oh!" she suddenly cried. "I was supposed to tell you that dinner's ready."

"We'll be down soon," I told Lee as I got up.

"Okay," she replied, and walked off.

"She's grown up," Damian said, to no one in particular.

Shay left my room without another word.

"So have you," I whispered under my breath.

I walked past Damian and out of my room. Damian didn't follow me straight away and I sucked in air through my teeth. He'd heard me hadn't he? Did he? Dang it. I bet he did...