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Dropping the towel onto the table, I race outside to follow her. “Sienna, please, tell me what’s wrong?” I ask, feeling like I sound whiny.
“Nothing is wrong,” Sienna says, shrugging again. “Just need to go lie down. Haven’t been feeling good, remember?” She gives me a pained smile and it makes my heart break.
“Are you sure that’s all?” I step forward and Sienna opens her mouth but just then, Rho comes around the corner.
“There you are,” she says, eyebrows scrunched. “Get back inside. The owner wants to talk to you.”
“This isn’t over,” I tell Sienna. But when Rho shoots me a look, I swallow and head back in. I wish Sienna would tell me what’s going on.
Is she ill? Like, maybe a really bad illness? Is that why she’s been avoiding me? If she’s truly sick she ought to know that I would take care of her. I would spend any amount of money necessary to ensure that she receives the best care. She wouldn’t have to worry about anything.
The thought does stick with me though as I head back inside. I hope she doesn’t have something serious. I don’t know what I would do if I had to watch her waste away. There’s some part of me that’s been holding back, trying to pretend that everything is casual and fine but deep down I know the truth, that I’m in love with her.
I should never have walked away from her. I should go right back out there and chase her down, make her talk to me and tell her the truth.
Squaring my shoulders, I’m about to do just that when someone calls my name.
9
SIENNA
Iknew today wasn’t going to be my day. It didn’t start out that way, for sure. I woke up having to throw upagain,despite having thrown up all night last night. When I cleaned up, I barely managed to avoid throwing up on my uniform dress for work before my stomach finally settled with one of the herbal drops.
After that, I was determined to get something down. Darla wanted me to eat a little more so I made myself eggs and some lightly fried fish. The smell was too much though so I had to toss the entire thing out the window and try again.
I settled on a bowl of bland brown oats and a glass of water. It’s the only thing I’ve been able to keep down the last couple days.
At work, I had to avoid any questions from the girls. I kept telling them that I was just under the weather but I think some were starting to get suspicious. And then Ris came in.
I’ve been trying my best to avoid him all afternoon but it’s impossible. Especially because we work together. I couldn’t tell him what was going on—not yet—and I was afraid if I spent too much time around him, I’d let everything slip.
But I don’t know what I’m doing yet. And I can’t tell him until I’ve figured that out.
I just want to go home.
But I have a job to do. And no matter that I’m tired and not feeling great, I have to work with the very person I don’t want to be around.
He keeps peppering me with questions over and over, asking if I’m alright, asking if there’s anything going on. It would be sweet if I wasn’t trying to hide this from him.
I keep a tight-lip but it’s so hard. He’s my best friend and holding back has been killing me.
So when he follows me after work, I’m almost relieved. Maybe now things will come out in the open. Maybe now I don’t have to hide anything from him anymore.
I open my mouth to speak but Rhovier interrupts us. She calls out his name, making me wince. Her voice is so shrill and harsh, so domineering and sharp.
Rhovier hasneverliked me. I don’t know if it’s because she’s possessive of Ris’ time or if she’s got some stick up her ass about humans and dark elves mingling but she’s always made her disdain for me clear with every expression.
It’s fine because the feeling is mutual. I can’t stand how much she stomps on Ris, bossing him around and dragging him place to place on her command. She looks down at all the human workers at Le Lazurt with equal disdain but she seems to have a special hatred for me.
Ris leaves, grumbling about her under his breath and I watch him walk back through the exit to the dressing room, a sinking feeling in my gut. I wish I’d have had enough courage to tell him. It’s going to be harder the longer I put it off.
But Rhovier is still there and she clears her throat, getting my attention. The two of us are alone together in the alleyway. She stares at me for a long, tense moment and I’m about to just throw my hands up and take off when she finally speaks.
“Does he know?”
I blink, doing a double take. What? Does who know what?
“Excuse me?” I have no idea what she’s talking about.
