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“Not the way you need to.” Her eyes pooled with sadness. “Your body might have healed, but you haven’t even begun to attempt to heal the parts of yourself that we can’t see.”
I tripped back a step. “You know nothing.”
I hated that she echoed my own thoughts.
I hated that she could see me, even so young and naïve and, and...young.
Too young to have this effect.
Too young to have this power.
“I know enough that you were using your cast as a reason not to go near the water.”
“The fuck I was—”
“Aslan. Language,” Jack scolded. “Neri. Leave him alone.” Pointing at both of us, he barked, “No one has to do something they don’t want to do. Aslan will go into the ocean when he’s ready.”
“Don’t talk about me as if I’m not here,” I snapped.
Instantly, regret pressed on my shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get angry or curse. I just...I don’t want to go in the ocean, and if that means I can’t be your assistant anymore, then...I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to make a decision now,” Anna said gently, smoothing over the rough patch I’d caused. “You’ll change your mind.”
“I’ll work on the sea but not in it. That’s a hard line for me.” I backed up, trapped and itchy to run. “And I’m not crossing it. Ever.”
“It’s fine, Aslan—” Jack’s words were silenced by a loud splash.
My eyes ripped to where Neri had been standing.
She was gone.
Chapter Fourteen
*
Aslan
*
(Moon in Vietnamese: M?t trang)
“ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?”
I looked up from the sudoku workbook I’d found at the pier the other day. I’d tried to hand the rumpled book into whatever management ran the pier, but Jack assured me that it would’ve been forgotten about already, and for the three buck price tag, no one would care if I claimed it for my own.
So I did.
And I’d done almost every puzzle inside, scratching down figures in my sala-bedroom, feeling closer to my dad with every number I placed correctly.
“Of course. I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.” I swung my legs off my bed and forced myself to smile politely at Anna. “I’m sorry for my behaviour on the boat this afternoon. Accept this as me trying to make amends.”
Anna ran a hand down her silky ruby dress. I’d never seen her so dressed up and wondered what exactly was happening tonight down at Carol and Tim’s. “You honestly don’t have to babysit her. She can come with us. I’m so sorry she pushed you today. I’ve had a chat with her, and she knows better than to use your grief as motivation.”
“It’s fine.” I raked my fingers through my messy hair. “I shouldn’t let her get to me so easily. It’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault. Don’t ever think that.” Giving me a final smile, she said, “We shouldn’t be too late. Neri will be fine as long as she stays in the house, so you might not even see her tonight. But...if she does sneak into the pool, please keep an ear out and just supervise.”
“You have my word.”
