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“How should I know? I’m not a mind reader.”
I lower my brows at her. “You are a know-it-all, which is basically the same thing.”
“She is not.” Espie snaps back and I like the look on her face when she’s angry. It feels a little less likable the second I know it will cost me a set-back in this seducing shit.
“Yeah. What makes you even say that?” Olive asks a little less aggressively than Espie, who’s still staring me down, propped up on her elbow.
“Nothing.” I shake my head and lay back down. It’s silent for a while, and then Olive declares she has to go to the bathroom.
“I’ll go with you.” Espie sits up and I look at Barth. He’s already on it, sitting up quickly, and crossing to Olive’s side as she stands.
“I can go with Espie.” She points to her, and he shakes his head stiffly.
“Not without me.” She narrows her eyes at him, like she’s trying to size him up, but he isn’t budging, his height and physique giving him physical leverage over his immovability on the matter.
“Fine.” She relents and Espie lays back down.
“Aren’t you going too?” I ask.
“Don’t seem so excited to get rid of me.”
“Nah,” I swat. “You’ll come back.”
“Well, I’m staying here because I was only offering to go to keep her safe.”
Barth nods at this and takes Olive by the arm to move her to the hallway. After a few seconds, the door closes and locks again, leaving Espie and I alone. The booth guy has gone to bed for the night and I have a remote now, so I pause the movie.
“Why’d you do that?” Espie asks.
“Because, I don’t want them to miss it.”
“No.” She shakes her head, sitting up in her bed as I rest my chin in my closed palm, knuckles to my lips.
“Then what?”
“Why’d you insult Olive?”
“Is that a joke?” I know it’s not, but the space between her brows creases and her lips pout out without her even forcing them to.
“No. I’m serious. You didn’t need to do that.”
“What are you? My morality police? I can talk to her however I want to. She was being annoying, so I said something. Could’ve said worse.”
“Oh, how nice of you to restrain yourself.”
“Not the boss of me.” I sing-song to keep from throwing something worse back at her.
“Grow up.” She growls and lays back down, cuddling under her covers. The moments tick by, and it feels like half an hour has gone by. I check my phone to see if Barth messaged me, but he hasn’t. It’s only been fifteen minutes, but it feels like an eternity when Espie is mad at me and the silence is buzzing in my ears.
“I’m—“ I clench my teeth. “Sorry.” I force out like it hurts me, and Espie doesn’t respond. It’s silent between her and me until Olive and Barth come back, and we finish the movie without a word. Olive and Barth are snoring when the movie is over, and I switch to a background that looks like a dense snowy forest, flakes falling over an otherwise still picture. I watch it for a while, that feeling of desire burning in my lungs. I wondered when it would come back, that longing for my closest relationship.
Smoking outside will be best. The last thing I want to do is wake everyone and have to talk any more tonight when I’ve made an enemy of Espie again. Nothing new between Olive and I. She’s playing the role of annoying little sister far too well.
I feel around in the pocket of my track pants and find my pack of cigarettes as I slide out of bed, begging to make strides to the exit when I hear stirring behind me. I pick up the pace because it isn’t too late to avoid chatter if I can’t be seen.
“Where are you going?” A loud whisper echoes down the hallway towards the exit that I’m nearly upon. I turn my head to see Espie, wrapping her sweater around herself as she squints at me.
“Going for a smoke.” I shrug and turn towards the door.
