separate

thirty-one

She woke up around ten, her tired body walking into the living room, Calum's shirt almost to her knee, her bright blue socks the only other visible clothing.

"Morning beautiful" I spoke, catching everyone else's attention.

"Good morning" she spoke tiredly, walking past Calum, who caught her wrist slowly- making sure she didn't react negatively before pulling her to sit in his lap.

"I used to hold you like this when you were a toddler" he reminisced with a smile on his face as she trusted him completely, holding him as he held the back of her thighs and her back to give her support.

She rested her head on his shoulder, blinking every few seconds.

"How was your night?" I asked her.

"Decent" she nodded slowly.

"dreams?" I asked her, expecting her to have nightmares- most people who don't speak about traumatic experiences end up having nightmares, because it's a form of PTSD.

"None" she lied.

I nodded, letting her lie.

She thought she was good at lying- she always has thought she was good at it, but I know that kid better than I know how to do a simple pace maker replacement surgery.

I knew when she was lying.

I knew her lying tweaks.

As soon as she lies, she starts either playing with her fingers, bouncing her leg or she plays with her hair.

This time she was playing with her hands- but I didn't question it, I wasn't going to in front of all the guys.

"Want some breakfast?" Ashton asked, moving to his feet.

She glanced to him- seeming interested, which surprised me, because she doesn't normally like breakfast food.

And then it hit me.

Yesterday everything slowed down after lunch, we didn't eat lunch.

We barely ate dinner- we all snacked on chips in my office or fruit trays in the attending's lounge before we went home.

So she didn't eat a real lunch or dinner.

"Princess, you ate with your mom, right?" I asked as she stood with Ashton.

I watched her instantly look to her hands, twirling a ring that I had bought her on her finger.

Using her lying habit before she even answered me.

"Yes, we ate" she never stopped messing with her hands, Ashton eventually took one of them, leading her into the kitchen.

Even if it was a coincidence, there was a reason that she wanted to eat breakfast, because she normally would refuse no matter what.

She was hungry.

Calum and I looked to each other once Ashton and Michael went to the kitchen with her.

"Her mom didn't even feed her." Calum spoke confidently, we knew the truth.

"Did you see the state that the kitchen was in when we got there?" I asked him.

"I mean her mom could've cooked, but would you want to eat food out of there?" I  continued.

"I certainly wouldn't" he mumbled, shaking his head lightly.

"I don't know why she didn't just tell us" he spoke quietly.

I looked to her, seeing her smile as Ashton threw an egg to Michael, forcing him to catch it.

"She thought she was doing the right thing, she just wanted everyone to be happy- even if that meant hurting her."