Carved Skin
lively.
“Elle.”
She was going to punch something.
“Elle.”
And so help her, if he doesn’t stop glaring at her from across the table, it was going to be him. Hidden soft, chubby hands clench between her thighs as she looks up from her plate, ignoring the wary gazes watching them both from around the table, and stares directly into dark gray eyes.
“What?” She curves the urge to bare her teeth and instead settles for a scowl. People couldn’t possibly be this dumb. Couldn’t he tell that she hated him the moment she met him? She also hated this stupid, itchy dress her mom forced her to wear. She hated this icky food. She hated how the other kids looked at them, ready to bolt at any given moment. She hated how her mom kept shooting her warning glances from where she was chatting with the other ladies from across the room. She hated everything right now.
“Sit here.” He pointed the empty chair next to him, an eyebrow raised in expectation. Talk to me. Pay attention to me. Now.
“No.” And the word is out before her mind catches up her. “I hate you.” Her eyes widen, even as her small body unconsciously braces for the impact which never failed to make its following appearance.
“Elle.”
Her head snaps up to attention, blue eyes widening when she sees her mother’s small hand clutched between a large tanned, wrinkled hand next to her head.
“You’re certainly something, aren’t you?”
She can hear the unveiled curiosity in the man’s voice and her stomach lurches uncomfortably. She watches in dread as the man shoots her mom a look that makes her lower her eyes to the floor and back away from them.
“Now Elle,” She looks up into deep amber eyes fitted within a wizened face full of wrinkles and scars. His face stretches out into a small smile as he looks between her and the boy across her, “Aubrey just wants to know get to know you better. This is the first time we’ve seen you since you were born. We haven’t seen someone like you in a long time. He’s curious. We all are, really. ”
“Why?”
A dark look crosses his face and his smile becomes a white line. She watches as adults and children alike shift on their feet, eyes widening in surprise at the question.
“It’s because you’re Elle.”
Hidden red-smeared, chubby hands clench between her thighs.
And you can tear us all to pieces.
She was going to punch something.
“Elle.”
And so help her, if he doesn’t stop glaring at her from across the table, it was going to be him. Hidden soft, chubby hands clench between her thighs as she looks up from her plate, ignoring the wary gazes watching them both from around the table, and stares directly into dark gray eyes.
“What?” She curves the urge to bare her teeth and instead settles for a scowl. People couldn’t possibly be this dumb. Couldn’t he tell that she hated him the moment she met him? She also hated this stupid, itchy dress her mom forced her to wear. She hated this icky food. She hated how the other kids looked at them, ready to bolt at any given moment. She hated how her mom kept shooting her warning glances from where she was chatting with the other ladies from across the room. She hated everything right now.
“Sit here.” He pointed the empty chair next to him, an eyebrow raised in expectation. Talk to me. Pay attention to me. Now.
“No.” And the word is out before her mind catches up her. “I hate you.” Her eyes widen, even as her small body unconsciously braces for the impact which never failed to make its following appearance.
“Elle.”
Her head snaps up to attention, blue eyes widening when she sees her mother’s small hand clutched between a large tanned, wrinkled hand next to her head.
“You’re certainly something, aren’t you?”
She can hear the unveiled curiosity in the man’s voice and her stomach lurches uncomfortably. She watches in dread as the man shoots her mom a look that makes her lower her eyes to the floor and back away from them.
“Now Elle,” She looks up into deep amber eyes fitted within a wizened face full of wrinkles and scars. His face stretches out into a small smile as he looks between her and the boy across her, “Aubrey just wants to know get to know you better. This is the first time we’ve seen you since you were born. We haven’t seen someone like you in a long time. He’s curious. We all are, really. ”
“Why?”
A dark look crosses his face and his smile becomes a white line. She watches as adults and children alike shift on their feet, eyes widening in surprise at the question.
“It’s because you’re Elle.”
Hidden red-smeared, chubby hands clench between her thighs.
And you can tear us all to pieces.