Page 33 of Fallen Thorns
“Just say it, Arlo.”
“LITTLE WOMEN.”
Carmen and I snapped our heads around to Rani, who sat with a pained smile on her face.
“I like Little Women,” she said, slapping her lap. “It has good characters. Timeless.”
Silence.
Rani turned to me. “Arlo, didn’t you need to be going to that... thing soon?”
She’s trying to save me, bless her.I can’t let her life be taken from her like this.
Rani could always tell when I was overwhelmed.
Maybe I need to distance myself from her for a while. Perhaps it’s for the best.
“No, no, you don’t have to do that, Rani,” Carmen stood up and patted my friend on the shoulder affectionately. “I best be off.”
“But—” Rani began to protest.
“Sorry Arlo, it was nice to meet you... properly.”
I was stunned.What was happening?
Then she was gone.
“I’m sorry about that,Carmen can get a little...intensesometimes. I think it’s just her personality. She’s harmless though, I promise. I’ll explain to her about you, if you want.” Rani shuffled back to the centre of the booth.
Really?
“Don’t worry about it.”You have nothing to apologise for.
“I had hoped this meeting would have been slightly more relaxed. I’m sorry. I’ll talk to her. She doesn’t know you like I do.”
I just waved my hand and shook my head, wanting to drop the issue. My head was spinning.
“Okay but Arlo, can I ask you one thing?”
I nodded, though I was concerned she was about to ask me a number of different things I was not ready to talk about. I was right.
“That’s not an old shirt, is it?”
I slowly shook my head, resisting eye contact.
“You...” she leaned in, “you’re not hurting yourself, are you?”
My head snapped up. “What? No. Gosh no.”
“So, what is it then? You’ve been so closed off over the past couple of weeks. You think I haven’t noticed, but I have. You’re out of focus a lot more than the Arlo normal. You’ve lost weight, so much actually…” She looked at me head on. “You keep disappearing and then returning with new bandages on your hands. You constantly look ghastly pale, paler than normal,” she gave a small, strained laugh. “You’ve just... not been here. Where are you? Can I meet you there? Can you tell me what is going on?”
She reached her hand across the table, close enough to me but stopping before it touched me, then it rested out flat. An invitation. I paused before bringing my arm back up from under the table and slowly meeting my hand with hers. Rani’s palm was soft and gentle and I bit back the heavy tingles that were making their way up my back. I could tolerate this.
“I’m not going to ask again, but I want to know what’s wrong. You might not believe it but I can help. If you’d let me. Tell me what’s on your mind, Arlo. I know more than you think, but I want you to talk to me. I want you towantto talk tome.” She closed her fingers over my palm, though not too tight.
I know more than you think.
If only.
