Most girls would be jealous of Calliope Draycott. She seemingly has it all. The friends, the money, the boyfriend, and in a few years, if all goes to plan, she'll have the job too. So why doesn't she feel happy? It's after a disastrous family dinner...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
She looks anxious.
She's swirling her wine around the glass, and she's picking at the skin around her thumb.
I sit down next to her and take hold of the hand that was picking at her skin, and she looks at me with her big eyes and all I can do is smile. Because she's stopped picking her skin.
Instead, she lays her hand down flat on my knee, her palm up, and I start tracing patterns on it like we did when we were sat across from each other at McDonald's.
It's different this time though, because this time we're surrounded by both of our friends, and while this is innocent, I don't know if they'll see it that way. Especially Josh, who has already convinced himself that I'm secretly in love with Caia.
And while he isn't completely wrong, because I know I've developed feelings for her in the time that we've spent together, but I wouldn't say I'm in love with her. Not that it would make much of a difference to Josh anyway.
If I told him that I liked her, he'd probably start trying to plan a double wedding, Isaac be damned. So there's no way I can let him find out how I feel about her.
She keeps closing her hand slightly so her fingers brush over mine and it's taking all my self-control to keep the bright, satisfied smile inside. Because Josh will definitely know why I'm so happy if he sees.
Luckily though, for some reason, the girls were sat on the floor and we're now arranged so that we're sitting around their circular coffee table. Josh is sat next to Arden, and opposite from where I'm sat with Caia so he can't see a thing. But Zach can, and he just raises an eyebrow before he turns away and starts making idle conversation with Parker and Cece.
Arden and Josh are sat together, whispering to each other, and when he notices that her glass is empty he refills it for her and then kisses her on the cheek. He must sense my gaze because he turns around to look at me, and when he sees the smirk n my face he glares and mouths 'fuck off.'
I shake my head and chuckle lightly. Caia looks up at me and this easy effortless smile appears on her face. 'They're so happy together,' she says in a wistful tone before she takes another sip of her wine.
She traps my fingers with her hand and intertwines her fingers with mine.
'Yeah,' I say, and we share a smile. 'They are.'
She goes back to watching them, and I watch her. She still has that easy smile on her face and god, she's glowing.
She leans into me the slightest bit, unnoticeable to everyone else. 'Do you think I'll ever be that happy?'
'Aren't you that happy with Isaac?' I ask, after a moment.
She sighs. 'We were. Once. But I don't think we've been like them for a long time.'
Our voices are so quiet, and even though we're talking about Isaac, it feels like we're having our own moment. Like we're in our own bubble.
'Maybe you're just comfortable. You know, it's not new anymore.'
