Page 13 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 5
Felix was great at making me laugh. But the thought of going to gym and running when all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry made me actually feel ill. Besides, I didn’t need anyone else staring at me with concern. Kennedy kept poking me during English and asking if I was okay. And I was tired of putting on a smile and lying. I wasn’t okay. I wasn’t even a little bit okay. I couldn’t focus in class. I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen after school today. I felt paralyzed.
The nurse smiled at me when I made my way into her office. “Oh my, your face is so pale. Tell me what hurts.”
“It’s just cramps,” I said and sat down on one of the beds. It was the second time I’d come in here with the lie. Eventually she’d have to catch on. But I just hoped she wouldn’t today. I made a show of lying down as I clutched my stomach.Please let me stay here for the rest of the day.Scratch that. The rest of the year would be preferable. Maybe I could just sleep here too. It would be better than living with the Pruitts.
She nodded at me, but this time she didn’t hand me a Midol or a glass of water. “Crampsagain?” she asked.
Apparently the gig of fake periods was up. I didn’t even know what to say. I didn’t have enough energy to continue with the lie or make up a new one. So I just lay there and tried not to cry. Maybe she’d think I was depressed and just leave me alone. But I had no such luck.
She sat down on the bed next to me. “Your uncle was a great man.”
Did she think this was going to help me? I closed my eyes tight, trying to keep the tears at bay.
“I think that maybe a visit to the counselor might be better than camping out here. I can write you a note if you want.”
I kept my eyes closed. “I just need a few minutes,” I said. “Then I’ll go back to class, I promise.”
She patted my shin. “Okay, dear. A nap always makes me feel better too.”
The mattress shifted when she stood up. And I waited until I heard her typing on her computer before I let myself cry as silently as I could.
***
When she patted my shin again, I jolted awake. A few minutes had definitely turned into a lot more. My stomach growled and she smiled.
“Lunch is about to start,” she said. “How about you go get some food. If you want you can even bring it back here.”
I wiped the sleepy out of my eyes as I sat up. “No, that’s okay.” A normal lunch actually sounded really great right now. Felix could make me laugh without the run. And Kennedy and I could talk without having to whisper. It was exactly what I needed.
Before I could leave she handed me a slip of paper. It was an appointment with the school counselor.
“If you can’t make that time work, just stop by her office and she’ll reschedule you.”
“Yeah.” I shoved it into my blazer pocket without even looking at the time on the sheet. I didn’t need a school counselor. I wasn’t worried about grades or getting into the right college. I was worried about sleeping in enemy territory and not having any family left. “Thanks.” I hurried out of her office before she had a chance to reply.
The cafeteria was already buzzing when I walked in. I was glad Matt had left me a salad in my locker like always because the lines were still long. I sat down in my usual spot across from Kennedy. She was laughing at something her boyfriend, Cupcake, had just whispered in her ear. It was tempting to grab her camera and snap a photo of the two of them. They looked so happy. And I was happy for her. I really was. But that didn’t mean that I wasn’t horribly sad right now. I sniffed and hoped they hadn’t heard.
“You made me run all alone,” Felix said as he plopped his tray down next to me.
I laughed, but it sounded forced with the counselor note burning a hole in my pocket and the sadness stabbing at my heart. “Youreally expect me to believe you ran without me instead of sitting on the bleachers?”
“I kinda like running now. What, you think I did it every day just to hang out with you?” He winked at me. “Please, that would be desperate.”
My smile felt genuine now. “Quite desperate.”
He laughed. “Well, I will admit that running is better with a partner. Where were you?”
I didn’t want to talk about my tearful slumber at the nurse’s office. And it was like Kennedy could feel the awkwardness in the air because she jumped in to save me.
“Dessert is always better than running.” She held out her latest box of treats from Cupcake.
Felix grabbed one of the pastries and took a big bite. “Can’t disagree with that.”
I pushed my salad around with my fork instead of starting with dessert. Just seeing the nameDickson and Son’s Sugarcakesmade me want to cry. My uncle had loved them, but I’d been forcing him to eat healthier. I’d been ruining his last few weeks without even knowing it. If I’d been dying, I would have wanted all the dessert I could get too. My stomach twisted into knots.
“Sissy, aren’t you going to sit with me?” Isabella asked from behind me. The words themselves were friendly. But the way she said it wasn’t.
The knots in my stomach grew tighter. I turned around and looked up at her smiling face. “Maybe Monday?” I said. “I really just need a normal day.”
