Page 93 of Make Me Pretty
I grunt, curling up as his weight sinks against my abdomen, Peris’s torso now firmly wedged between my legs. Heat blooms across my cheeks as I wince, readily avoiding Elise’s soft, greeneyes, which happen to dart between me and Peris with… withsomething.
Shit.Shit.
Fuck me, what have I done?
She’s gonna kick me out. I’m fucking cuddled up onhercouch withherson. Breaking I don’t even know how many rules. Lying. Manipulating. Fucking a foster sibling.Sleeping on the goddamn couch with him!
I start stuttering before I even realize my mouth is open and words are coming out. “Shit, Elise. I-I—Fuck. Shit, sorry. Goddamnit, I-I’msorry.I know th-this looks—” I glance down at Peris, sleeping through the fucking tornado that’s come and swept the house up.
I have a very sudden urge to punch his stupid fucking face for getting me into this mess and then justsnoozing awayright through the destruction.
“I’m so sorry. I-it’s not what it—what it looks like. Which sounds stupid, but—but Iswear.Please, you have to believe me. I-I wouldn’t fuck this up—” The lie is cut off with a gentle hand on my forearm, inches above my fingers still buried in Peris’s hair.
“Abel, baby,take a fucking breath,” Elise commands, tone still so gentle.I don’t understand.But my body succumbs, and I breathe in. Then out, eyes watering at the influx of oxygen.
After a few deep breaths, Elise’s frown morphs into a small smile. “Better?”
“Yeah, actually,” I croak, still blushing.
“Good. Now, if you can extract yourself from his—” She flicks her hand back and forth, gesturing at Peris’s body, “dead weight, we’ll talk in the kitchen.”
“Uh, yeah. Erm, okay.” I nod sharply, chin bumping my chest with each jerky movement. When Elise turns her back, I slammy head into the back of the sofa. “You stupid fucking idiot,” I mutter over and over.
“Stupid,” Peris mutters, startling me. But when I glance down, his eyes are still closed, eyeballs fluttering around beneath his eyelids, lips parted as he snores lightly against my chest.
Even in his sleep, he still manages to insult me.
I frown at his soft face.I probably shouldn’t find that endearing.
After muttering a few insults at Peris’s unconscious form, I’m able to fight my way out from beneath his crushing weight, grunting from the effort. My legs, which were asleep, are now tingling with pins and needles that nearly make me buckle. I catch the couch for support, grimacing as I push down through it with every step toward the kitchen—and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I’m probably about to get kicked out on my ass or… fuck. Or get sent to a group home.
I almost made it…
The thought nearly makes me keel over, but I steel my spine and lock my limbs to face whatever comes. Knowing without a doubt, I’ll always fuck up whatever good comes my way.
It’s just not meant for people like me.
And Elise may be pissed—or worse, disappointed—but she’d never hit me, and that’s a startling relief in and of itself.
I tug on the crumpled hem of my skirt, agonizingly cognizant I’m still in my uniform. But hey, I’m fucking clothed, and I think that says a lot where Peris and I are concerned. Definitely could have woken up to a lot worse.
I shudder, thinking of Elise finding usnaked.Jesus Christ, that’d definitely be worse than accidentally sending nudes.
I’m silent as I enter the kitchen, head bowed in unexpected shame as I pull out my usual chair, poised and waiting for theinevitable moment it all crashes and burns—because it always does.
“How’re you feeling? Hungover?” Elise asks. I squint as I glance up through my matted lashes, finding her in her seat, a mug clasped between both hands. Her hair is still tied up in a messy knot atop her head, wayward strands sticking out with frizz, and in pajamas.
“Did you just wake up?” I ask hesitantly.How much did she see? Did I do something… say something in my sleep?
She shakes her head before taking a sip. “No. Got up a couple of hours ago but stayed in bed a while. It’s almost eleven.” My eyes dart to the clock on the stove. I smile sheepishly.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was a long night for all of us, it seems.” This time, she’s smirking around the rim of her cup, and I’m so fucking confused, I can’t take it.
“Elise, I’m so sorry. I know it looks bad, but I swear, we just fell asleep. I didn’t even know—” Her hand drops on top of mine, and the squeeze of her fingers feels reassuring, but I don’t know if I can trust it.
“Abel, stop freaking out. I’m not mad.”
