Miss Pen

Chapter Twenty-seven

A/N: Happy New Year, everyone!! Good luck with your resolutions, if you guys even still do those anymore (I know I don't), and enjoy the chapter! Thanks for reading :)

My head did not turn to look back as I crossed Adrian’s yard, hugging my arms across my midsection to shield myself from the cold, afraid that I’d run back to slap the blonde-haired devil. Of course that’s what she would want from me, but I wouldn’t give her that satisfaction. Plus, it wouldn’t have ended well for her. There was no need for an ambulance to show up at a child’s birthday party.

The further I got from the house, the more relieved I felt, my lungs able to breathe again. I wasn’t going to leave the party without greeting anyone, and my feet led me to a lone bench off the side of the property and past the cul-de-sac, a small stream flowing before it.

Space. I just needed space and room to breathe, time to think of what I wanted when I went back inside that house.

The woods behind the water were bare, and not a sound came from within them. No movement from birds or other forest critters drew my attention, either. It was silent, and just what I needed. I settled more onto the iron seat, closing my eyes and inhaling a breath deep enough for my chest to heave when it was exhaled.

“That was quite the scene back there.”

What was it with people not understanding when someone wanted to be left alone? It wasn’t hard to read body language and take a hint, for crying out loud!

The subtle smell of expensive perfume blew in the faint wind, tickling my nostrils as another presence joined me on the bench. That sentence was all she said for a few moments, and I opened my eyes, angling my head to acknowledge the woman.

Brie’s eyes were narrowed as she stared out at the expanse of trees in front of us, her hands pocketed into her navy blue pea coat. Her face was still, impassive – unreadable from where I sat, and I couldn’t wait any longer to find out why she’d interrupted me, so I did the same.

“Sorry about that. I hope we didn’t ruin the rest of your day.”

“You didn’t,” she simply responded. “But why are you here?”

Her voice held no emotion, and I was taken aback from her bold question, beginning to wonder the same thing myself. Shaking my head without an answer, I scooted to the edge of the black iron, the material suddenly feeling like ice under my behind. Before I could stand, an ivory hand clamped down onto my forearm, keeping me in place. More relaxed than how it was before, Brie’s face held a small smile, her brown eyes softening the longer she looked at me.

“No,” she continued. “Why are you here? As in here, outside, letting that bitch win?”

“How am I letting her win?” I frowned, confused and not knowing I had suddenly entered a competition. It had always been one from the beginning with Serene, and there was no way it was over just yet.

With a roll of her eyes, Brie crossed her left leg, folding her arms over her chest. “Who is inside with Rhode right now, probably filling his ear with all kinds of nonsense while you’re out here sulking?”

“I am not sulking! I just felt suffocated in there and needed some fresh air.”

How dare she tell me what I was doing when she didn’t even know the half of it? If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up as number two on my list of whose ass to kick.

“Sulking, needing air…” A hand waved dismissively in the air. “It all sounds the same to me.”

“If that’s the case, you need to get your ears checked. My grandmother goes to a great ear, nose and throat doctor who’s helped with her hearing loss, and I can give you his number if you’d like.”