Bullied and the Bitch

Chapter 20: Making Moneys

"-ed,"

I look at El blankly. "Did you say something?" I had been falling asleep, so I barely heard anything she said.

"I said, my period ended. So come back to my room later, okay?" she says. I nod, but I can't muster up much enthusiasm in anticipation for it. My whole body aches with exhaustion. "Why have you been working so hard?" she asks me, referring to all the extra hours – and there were many – I had worked.

"It's the last week we have to finish the building. James wants us to end as soon as we can, so he doesn't have to put off the other job."

"And that's all?" she asks me with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," I lie. She pouts but doesn't say much more. I return to my room, before James goes to El's to tell her good night, and make sure I'm not still lingering in there. I hear his footsteps to her room... but I don't hear them leaving.

Mainly because I'd fallen deep asleep by then.

"Aren't you working way too hard?" El asks, looking at me with concern as I let out a huge yawn during lunch.

"I'm fine," I mumble, leaning against her arm and shutting my eyes. For a short while, I tell myself, but unknowingly my brain shuts down and the next thing I know – there's a ringing sound in my head. Except it's not in my head. It's the bell for the end of lunch.

El is looking at me worriedly.

"You were snoring."

I frown at her. "I never snore."

"I know," she says quietly. I don't say anything more, because I know if I do, everything will come spilling out of my mouth.

"You're really concentrating there," I spin around. Samuel is looking at me in amusement. He stands next to me and dips his brush into my paint-pot. Except it's more of a roller than a brush.

"Yeah," I respond, and I realise my lip is really sore. I had been biting down on it subconsciously. I release my lip, but a few moments later my teeth is scraping against it again. I never had this problem, but currently it feels like if I don't do so, I would collapse where I stood.

"So. What does El want that you're working so hard to get her?" Samuel asks. I baulk, and stare at him with wide eyes, like a deer caught in headlights.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say, struggling to keep my tone neutral.

He rolls his eyes. "Come on, Brian. I know about you and El."

My whole body has gone tense. We were discovered? Shit. I thought we had been so careful...

"...How?" is my hoarse response. I had been working so hard... Just for her. I didn't want to lose her. Or for her to lose me, anyway. Samuel's silent as he continues painting. He then bends down and dips his brush into the pail of paint. When he looks up, he catches my expression and laughs.

"Relax. I'm not going to tell her father you're banging his daughter under his own roof," he says. I want to sigh in relief, but I can't. I'm still too worried. Samuel diverts his attention back to the wall, painting in clean, measured strokes. "I figured it out while watching you guys. I mean – it's not like either of you did anything too obvious. But the way she touches you – I just knew."

Note to self – try not to let El touch me in front of her family. Or me touching her. But wait, that would be suspicious too...

"That wasn't enough to convict either of you, though. But the noises coming from her room were," he says.