noticed anything… you know… with him since we last spoke?”
I think back to that day in the furniture store. It was a little over two weeks ago. “No,” I say.
“So, you two aren’t…” Her words linger into the air.
I blink. “Aren’t… what?” I ask.
“Oh, never mind, Mina,” she says. “I’m just being silly.”
“Mom, do you think Seth and I are… together ?” I try to sell it as being ridiculous, but on the inside, I’m freaking out.
She throws up her hands. “I don’t know. Maybe. Are you?”
I pause for a little too long. My lips tremble as I try to speak.
“Wait—” She holds up a hand. “Honestly, I don’t want to know…”
“No. We’re not together, Mom,” I say.
I’m not lying. We were together before. But we aren’t now. It pains me to think about it, but it’s on my mind twenty-four hours a day. It takes every piece of willpower I have not to kiss him goodnight.
“Well, that’s a relief.”
I force a smile.
She swings her large purse over her shoulder and lingers next to me by the door. “Maybe you should take a few days off from your classes,” she says as she feels my forehead again. “Go back when you feel better.”
“Maybe,” I say. “Thanks again for the couch.”
“Thank your stepfather — I used his credit card.” My mother chuckles at her own joke. “Love you, honey. Tell Seth I love him, too.”
“I will,” I say as I close the door behind her.
Once she’s gone, I make myself comfortable on the new couch. It’s bouncy, but firm. A nice, perfect addition to the apartment.
I prop my feet up on the coffee table and lean back to watch a talk show as the door opens again.
“Hey,” I greet him as he walks inside.
“Hey—” Seth says. He pauses briefly to look up at the new couch.
“Mom just dropped it off,” I tell him.
“Yeah, I know. I saw her downstairs.” He doesn’t look up at me. He outright refuses. It’s been like this for two whole weeks. It’s almost nostalgic. It’s the same cold shoulder he gave me when we were growing up.
“It’s pretty comfortable.” I pat the cushions around me. “Try it out.”
“Maybe some other time.” He walks off down the hall and shuts the door to his room behind him.
I fight the urge to shout at him, just like I had for the last few days. He’s been acting like a child, but in all honesty, I don’t blame him. He wanted me for years. Then he had me. But I ripped his heart out.
He’s angry at me. I thought he would have shown a little sign of getting over it by now. But I still get nothing but his frown every time we cross paths.
I stand up from the couch and walk down the hall towards his room. My blood pumps through my veins as I walk, tricking me into going through with it this time. I want to tell him off, to show him that I’m not an enemy. But as I raise my hand to knock on his door, I’m struck by a wave of nausea. It hits me like a brick and I find myself racing across the hall to the bathroom.
I spew the contents of my stomach out into the toilet. My forehead’s on fire. My muscles lock. Tears fall down my cheeks. Pain shoots through my core as my abdominals contract wildly.
“Mina—” I hear Seth’s voice in the doorway. “Whoa, whoa—”
His hands grip my hair and he holds it back until my body settles itself. I sit down on the floor slowly and lean against the wall across from the toilet.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I shake my head a little. “I don’t know where that came from.”
Seth stands up and wets a wash cloth with cool water. “You’ve been feeling sick.”
“You’ve noticed?” I ask.
He kneels down and hands me the damp cloth. “Of course I have.”
I press the cloth against my forehead. My head won’t stop throbbing and I can hear my heart beating in my ears. “Seth…” I say as I wipe away the sudden tears. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re just sick—”
“No,” I stop him. “I mean… I’m sorry. ”
“You
I think back to that day in the furniture store. It was a little over two weeks ago. “No,” I say.
“So, you two aren’t…” Her words linger into the air.
I blink. “Aren’t… what?” I ask.
“Oh, never mind, Mina,” she says. “I’m just being silly.”
“Mom, do you think Seth and I are… together ?” I try to sell it as being ridiculous, but on the inside, I’m freaking out.
She throws up her hands. “I don’t know. Maybe. Are you?”
I pause for a little too long. My lips tremble as I try to speak.
“Wait—” She holds up a hand. “Honestly, I don’t want to know…”
“No. We’re not together, Mom,” I say.
I’m not lying. We were together before. But we aren’t now. It pains me to think about it, but it’s on my mind twenty-four hours a day. It takes every piece of willpower I have not to kiss him goodnight.
“Well, that’s a relief.”
I force a smile.
She swings her large purse over her shoulder and lingers next to me by the door. “Maybe you should take a few days off from your classes,” she says as she feels my forehead again. “Go back when you feel better.”
“Maybe,” I say. “Thanks again for the couch.”
“Thank your stepfather — I used his credit card.” My mother chuckles at her own joke. “Love you, honey. Tell Seth I love him, too.”
“I will,” I say as I close the door behind her.
Once she’s gone, I make myself comfortable on the new couch. It’s bouncy, but firm. A nice, perfect addition to the apartment.
I prop my feet up on the coffee table and lean back to watch a talk show as the door opens again.
“Hey,” I greet him as he walks inside.
“Hey—” Seth says. He pauses briefly to look up at the new couch.
“Mom just dropped it off,” I tell him.
“Yeah, I know. I saw her downstairs.” He doesn’t look up at me. He outright refuses. It’s been like this for two whole weeks. It’s almost nostalgic. It’s the same cold shoulder he gave me when we were growing up.
“It’s pretty comfortable.” I pat the cushions around me. “Try it out.”
“Maybe some other time.” He walks off down the hall and shuts the door to his room behind him.
I fight the urge to shout at him, just like I had for the last few days. He’s been acting like a child, but in all honesty, I don’t blame him. He wanted me for years. Then he had me. But I ripped his heart out.
He’s angry at me. I thought he would have shown a little sign of getting over it by now. But I still get nothing but his frown every time we cross paths.
I stand up from the couch and walk down the hall towards his room. My blood pumps through my veins as I walk, tricking me into going through with it this time. I want to tell him off, to show him that I’m not an enemy. But as I raise my hand to knock on his door, I’m struck by a wave of nausea. It hits me like a brick and I find myself racing across the hall to the bathroom.
I spew the contents of my stomach out into the toilet. My forehead’s on fire. My muscles lock. Tears fall down my cheeks. Pain shoots through my core as my abdominals contract wildly.
“Mina—” I hear Seth’s voice in the doorway. “Whoa, whoa—”
His hands grip my hair and he holds it back until my body settles itself. I sit down on the floor slowly and lean against the wall across from the toilet.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I shake my head a little. “I don’t know where that came from.”
Seth stands up and wets a wash cloth with cool water. “You’ve been feeling sick.”
“You’ve noticed?” I ask.
He kneels down and hands me the damp cloth. “Of course I have.”
I press the cloth against my forehead. My head won’t stop throbbing and I can hear my heart beating in my ears. “Seth…” I say as I wipe away the sudden tears. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re just sick—”
“No,” I stop him. “I mean… I’m sorry. ”
“You
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