lovely |k.k|

XIII

Dinner continued as you would expect. We ate, complimented the chef, and spoke long after we finished. Kevin and I had decided to stick around for the adult discussion, despite Celia drifting towards the unlocked tablet as soon as I mentioned it. It was clear, we were both trying to prevent something from being said.

For me, it was exactly what I told Lara not to mention. For him, I could only speculate how terrible something had to be for Kevin to try and keep it under wraps.

We had reached the topic of moving, in the most natural way you could think of,

"I remember when Eva and I moved from New York, it was nearly impossible to convince her." Franklin said with a laugh, a diluted smile on Eva's face as she nodded, sipping her glass,

"Well, it wasn't much of a struggle to convince Dove. In fact, she was the one who wanted to come with me." Finally, I perked up into the situation, my body tensing as I sat up in my chair. Kevin and I had had our hands intertwined under the table, and as my grip tightened, I could feel his eyes on me as he livened up as well. Wether it was concern or curiosity, I didn't bother to find out just yet as Lara continued,

"She didn't want to live with her mom anymore, so as soon as I told her about a job offer here, she was helping me pick houses." Franklin chuckled, nodding softly in understanding. Meanwhile Eva glanced at me, a curiosity in her eyes that remained silent, only showing in that slight moment

I relaxed, glad to know Eva wouldn't ask anything when I heard a voice speak up beside me, the hairs on my neck standing up immediately,

"Why?" The attention on the table turned to Kevin, who's eyes met mine with an obstructive interest as he began clearly, "I mean, why didn't she want to live with her mom anymore? Aren't those things a bit, complicated?" He raised a brow, and I suddenly loosened my grip. Now, I was panicking.

Of course, he was going to do this now. I let go of his hand, our entertwined fingers dismantling as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, hearing my Aunt reply unsurely,

"Well, it's not really my place to say. I bet Dove could tell you if you asked." I felt eyes on me now, my body going numb as my eyes met Kevin's. He seemed to smirk, clasping both of his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on the table and raising a brow at me, trying to feign innocence in his question,

"Well then, Dove, why not tell us some more about it?" My eyes flickered to Eva, hoping for some sort of defiance by her, for her to be a parent and tell him to stop. Still, she said nothing. Franklin and my Aunt were aloof, believing the words he was saying like a child lured by candy from a stranger. I was trapped.

There was no way out but to answer, so I did, leaning back and sighing. I might as well speak in half-truths, knowing better than to tell the full story, or to lie,

"My mom's apartment was in really bad condition, and she couldn't work that much because of a disability. It wasn't safe for me to live there, and Lara was already legally my guardian." I tried for a small smile, glancing down at my plate, "My mom was just glad to get me out of her hair, since it meant she had more money to live on." I forced a smile, hearing a silence go over the table.

I felt a touch on my shoulder, turning to Lara who was giving me a sympathetic smile. It made me feel worse, but as she spoke it helped lighten the situation,

"I don't understand why she'd be happy to let you go, my Birdy here has always been a great kid." Eva and Franklin smiled with her, and I could feel Kevin's gaze on me as I refused to look at him, "I'm sure you can relate with Kevin? He doesn't seem like the type to get into trouble."

Franklin chuckled, his eyes going to Kevin and then Eva as he picked up the conversation in his own natural way,

"He was a little slow as a toddler, or stubborn as I prefer to call it. Eva did spend more time with him than I did, since she worked from home." The topic seemed to stray entirely from me, and as I refused to look at Kevin my eyes remained on Eva, who nodded in agreement, "He was a trouble maker, but he was kid. What could you say? He only found a place to put all that energy in when he began archery."