“It might work,” my dad said slowly, “but it’s not sustainable. Sooner or later, no one would listen.”

  “What’s even sustainable in our digital world? The truth definitely isn’t. It changes with time, perspective… needs. A good story, though… it can last.”

  “I don’t think I’m going to watch the news again, ever,” I mumbled.

  “Is it really that much of a surprise,” Katie’s mom inquired. “Everyone has an agenda. Mine is rather harmless, I think. But to answer your question, Victoria, in essence, everything has happened as I’ve described, but I might have embellished the story, a bit.”

  “Which is to say, she made a mountain out of a molehill,” Katie commented under her breath. I tried to hide my smile behind a napkin, but it wasn’t even necessary. Vic was trying to wheedle the facts out of Diane and everyone was following their exchange.

  “Come on,” I whispered. “Let’s clear the table. I want to show you around and maybe have a few quiet minutes.” She cocked an eyebrow and asked:

  “Don’t you like my parents?” I blushed. Why would she even think that? It was just…

  “Relax, I’m teasing. But I have to admit, you’re quite cute, when you’re blushing.” That, obviously, only served to make it worse. I was quickly turning from pink to scarlet. Luckily, she took pity on me and quickly got up, reaching for the empty plates. I followed suit and together we waddle back into the kitchen.

  “They’re great,” I said, when the door closed behind us. “Both of them,” despite her reassurance, I felt the need to point out, that I really liked them. “Funny, pleasant…” she grinned and put down her tray. With a fluid motion, she whirled around, her tresses dancing.

  “If you continue, I’ll believe they’re the ones, you wanted to invite,” she interrupted me, her eyes sparkling. “I don’t know, how that would make me…” she paused, her expression darkening.

  It took almost more courage than I had, but I finally moved closer and touched her arm.

  “What’s the matter? You’ve been… that’s the second time, you’ve… and I don’t know why. Was it something I said?”

  “No,” she immediately spluttered and leaned into me, a much more intimate gesture than I would have ever managed. “You’ve been… amazing and your family, they’re so welcoming…”

  “Then, what’s wrong?” She looked up at me, her cheeks reddening. My first impulse was to pull her closer and maybe even try to steal a kiss, but something in her eyes held me back. She looked… sad. A few seconds later, I was thoroughly glad I had hesitated.

  “Evee…” she seemed to savour the pet name, as it rolled over her tongue, but quickly went on: “maybe I’m reading too much into… it’s just…” she sighed and closed her eyes, uncertainty written across her face. “I have a boyfriend. We’ve been together for almost a year, now,” she suddenly explained in a rush. “I’m not even sure, you care, but I just thought…”

  “Oh,” was all I managed to press out, my mind reeling. I had known, I had even told my mum it was a distinct possibility, but hearing her say it, while I could feel her quickening heartbeat through the thin layer of cloth between us, was unpleasant, to say the least.

  “I…” I didn’t find the most eloquent words, but I wanted to make one thing plenty clear. “I do care and you’ve definitely not read too much into anything. I… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have,” I tried to gently push her away, but she wouldn’t budge and, instead, wrapped her arms around my waist.

  “Don’t apologise,” she whispered into my neck. “Please, never apologise to me. Not after… I should be the one… again. You couldn’t have known. Are you mad?”

  “Mad? No… disappointed, sad, but… Katie, I like you, I truly do. Even more than I should, perhaps, but…” a thought had been gnawing at the back of my mind, the whole time. I just didn’t know, if I wanted to act on it.

  “Do you love him,” I quietly asked. She was taken aback by the question, but still gave it some thought and answered honestly:

  “Love? I don’t know… I guess so. Why do you ask?”

  “Because you’re heart is beating fast and you haven’t moved an inch. If you love him, it doesn’t matter, though.”

  “It does matter,” she breathed, her breath tickling my cheek. Slowly, gradually, she turned her head, giving me all the time in the world to move away. When I didn’t, I felt her lips chastely brush against my skin and her arms tighten around my waist. “I just don’t know, how much,” she added. “God, whatever must you think of me? I’m sorry.” She pushed herself back, a suspicious wet sheen shimmering in her eyes.

  “Don’t,” I mumbled, my fingers forlornly caressing the spot she had kissed. I could still feel her warmth, like the memory of the morning sun. Unfortunately, it didn’t change much. “You want to know what I think? You’re beautiful, headstrong, sweet, caring, impulsive, a bit shy... you’re spectacular and you’re taken. Doesn’t mean we can’t be friends though, does it?”

  She gave me a watery smile and extended her hands. I took them, as she said:

  “No, no, it doesn’t. Thank you. Do you… do you still want to show me around?” I smiled wryly.

  “Definitely. With a little luck, we might even be able to sneak upstairs, without anyone being the wiser. Come on.” Pulling her along, I made my way back into the living room, carefully staying away from few corners, that were visible from the dining table. Considering how lively the conversation had become, I was decently sure, we wouldn’t be missed for a while.

  The stairs were more of a challenge, but years of practice had turned me into something of an expert when it came to moving around unseen. I hadn’t snuck out, much, but when I had been younger, getting to the fridge and back again, when I should have been asleep, had been a regular occurrence. Once upstairs, I started to explain:

  “The master bedroom is downstairs. You’ve already seen almost everything else, except for my parents’ studies. Those are the two doors you passed on your way in. They are pretty much what you would expect. My dad is something of a nerd, though. His room looks like the inside of a spaceship. He’s got more monitors in there, than the rest of us combined. Vic and I are alone up here. That’s her room. I’d invite you in, but she usually,” I pressed the handle and rolled my eyes, “keeps the door locked. And that’s my little kingdom. Come in.” I opened the door and mimicked a courteous bow. She entered with a giggle and an attempt at a courtesy, which was rather cute, in an innocent, unpracticed sort of way, than elegant. I switched on the lights and she took in the colours and my plushy, but her eyes quickly darted to the closed balcony doors. Right…

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  “Would you mind,” she asked, while she approached them. Hesitantly I replied:

  “No… of course not.” The shutters opened creakingly and Katie’s eyes went wide, as she took in the view. New York’s skyline sparkled behind Central Park, an arch of light and grace, which seemingly grew from a forest, the velvety darkness between its trees broken only by the occasional spark.

  “Amazing,” she breathed, her nose pressed against the glass. “How far up are we?”

  “I don’t know exactly. We’re on the 115th floor… about 400 metres? Give or take?” I moved to her side and anxiously scanned the black treetops for movement, but everything seemed quiet.

  “Can we go outside?” I shrugged.

  “There’s a reason, why you usually don’t have balconies this high up, aside from statics. Altitude winds. That’s also why the balustrade is this massive. We can, if you really want to, but it’s not overly comfortable.” And I wasn’t so keen on going outside.

  “Just for a few minutes.” Her slender fingers were already unlatching the lock and when she shoved open the door, a cold, biting wind made her golden hair dance in the breeze. Laughing, she almost skipped over the threshold, arms spread wide. Shaking my head, I followed much more moderately. I wasn’t afraid of heights, but a drop of about 9 seconds still made me cautious.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, her sparkling, green eyes reflecting the city lights. “How could you ever close your shutters?”

  “I have trouble sleeping when it’s too bright and I’ve gotten used to keeping them closed. The last place we stayed was a city apartment in Paris. The people, who lived on the other side of the street, had a son and I caught him spying, one day. Since then, I’ve almost always kept either curtains or shutters closed. Doesn’t make much sense, here, but it’s hard to break habits.”

  She bumped her hip into mine and replied with a smile: “I can see why he was spying, but you shouldn’t punish yourself. At least, allow the sun in, once in a while. Or… are you a vampire?”

  “Vampire princess, I’d have you know,” I said with more bravado than I felt. She was getting awfully close and I really didn’t want to talk about my eyes, or… anything else, related.

  “Of course, I’m terribly sorry, your highness. How could I not have known immediately?”

  “You’re a bit of a nerd, as well, aren’t you,” I chuckled.

  “Takes one to know one. But I guess I am. Fantasy books, mostly. Kindle unlimited really is the work of the devil. What about you?”

  “Not as much, anymore. A few years ago, I devoured a book every other week, but when my parents made me take dance lessons, I didn’t have the time and I never got back into it, not really. I reread some of my favourites, once in a while, but I hardly ever start anything new. You don’t happen to have any recommendations?”

  “Tons, depending on what you like. What are you into?” I had to swallow the first word that had popped into my mind.

  “Anything, mostly, I’m not complicated. What’s your favourite?” I was starting to get cold and when I turned my head, I saw goosebumps had erupted on her arms, as well. She still answered immediately, even though she was shivering, ever so slightly:

  “Lord of the Rings would be an obvious choice, but it’s exhaustingly epic. At the moment, I’m reading the Rachel Morgan series. It’s urban fantasy. I quite enjoy it.”

  She wrapped her arms around her body, the chill slowly getting to her. I hesitated for a moment, but finally decided that it wouldn’t be strange if I hugged her. Quietly, I stepped closer and embraced her from behind, her warmth just as comforting as I had imagined.

  “I’ll give it a try. At the very least, we’ll have something to talk about.” She leaned back, her head coming to rest on my shoulder, while the smell of peppermint and lime tickled my nose.

  “You’re probably going to enjoy it,” she whispered and turned, just far enough for her breath to caress my cheek. “I’m sorry, Evee.” Before I could react, she kissed me briefly.

  My heart thundered like a drum and I felt a burning blush rise to my cheeks. My mind was empty, except for the tingling sensation on my skin and a single question, spinning round and round: Why had she done that? Katie must have felt my tension. Immediately, she pushed herself away, her golden hair covering her face. “I’m truly sorry,” she mumbled, unable to face me. “I shouldn’t have… I’m…” once might have been a mistake, but twice? What was I supposed to do? As much of a stereotype as it was, I could practically hear my sister scream: “as you goddamn please,” while my mum’s sterner voice stated: “whatever you have to.” Screw them both.

  It took all my courage, but I managed to reach out and gently lift her head until our eyes met. “Why,” I breathed. “It’s the second time. Don’t apologise, just tell me.” A tear sparkled in the corner of her eye, like a diamond, like liquid light.

  “Because it’s not going to happen again.” She blinked and rubbed the tear away with her palm, smiling sadly. “I hope this doesn’t make things awkward, but I thought, if we can talk like friends, after I almost killed you, this won’t matter, much. We should go back inside, it’s freezing. Come on.” She offered me her hand and I was ushered through the door, utterly perplexed.

  “You know,” she blabbered, “besides books, I also train quite a lot. There’s a competition coming up and we could really use your help. We were mostly telling the truth, you know, back in the cafeteria. With a body like yours, I’m sure you’ve either continued your dance lessons, or you’re some kind of gymnast. Both would be just what we need.” I replied almost reflexively, my mind still trying to make sense of the last few minutes.

  “Martial arts, actually. I don’t think I can do much, unless you want me to knock out the opposing teams. That’s not legal, is it?” She laughed, even though it sounded a little strained.

  “I don’t think it is. But doesn’t that mean you have amazing coordination and muscle tension?”

  “Depends on whom you ask. According to my trainer I’m a klutz, but most students don’t want to fight me, anymore.” I clumsily sat on the bed and stared at her from beneath my bangs. I was wondering whether or not to insist on continuing our conversation, but, ultimately, I was spared the decision.

  “Don’t look at me like that, please,” she said quietly and turned her head away, a slight blush rising to her cheeks.

  “Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?” She tensed, but then, her chin rose defiantly and she met my gaze.

  “No… alright, Evee, let’s make a deal. We’ll talk until we’re called downstairs. No lies, no omissions, only the truth. We’ll sleep on what we’ll hear and tomorrow… I’ll call. I’ve got your mum’s card. What do you say?” I imagine most people would have jumped at the opportunity, but I was scared. The truth… there isn’t much, that can cut deeper. I’d rather have kept Katie as a friend, than risk losing her for… I didn’t even know, what we stood to gain. She had made it clear, that she was taken and I wouldn’t play around behind anyone’s back. Still, on the other hand, I was tempted, sorely tempted. Without realising what I had done, I nodded.

  She sighed and sat on the edge of my bed. We were almost in the same position we had been in, back at the hospital. Closing her eyes, she seemed to steel herself and said: “you first.”

  “Why were you trying to punish me? You know, when you threw my phone.” She grimaced.

  “No mercy, huh? I was hurt… I felt rejected. I’m not sure if you know, but you’ve… Evee, you’re not only beautiful to an almost insulting degree, but you’re… maybe it’s your upbringing, but you’re a bit distant, even arrogant. At first, I simply wanted to get to know you and I didn’t plan on directly inviting you, but when I did, it was… a gesture. I wanted to… damn it, I had butterflies in my stomach and when you declined, I felt rejected in more ways than one, even though I didn’t even know it at the time. Satisfied?” When I slowly lowered my head, she immediately asked:

  “What do you feel for me?” My cheeks burned but I didn’t break eye contact.

  “I’m… infatuated? Ever since I’ve met you, you’ve been on my mind, for one reason or the other. I’m honestly sad, that you have a boyfriend and I would have liked to see where this might go, but I’m not going to ask you to leave him. I’m not in love with you, Katie, at least not yet and I can’t give you any kind of promise. If we’re going to spend more time together, though, I fear it might become rather painful, sooner or later.” I struggled with my next words, but still continued: “I’d still like to try, though, but please, don’t take it the wrong way, if I can’t keep going.”