Chapter 6
“You were in a mood for no reason a while ago, so I gave you space,” he said, his voice tight. “I thought you’d bounce back like you always do, but instead you just showed up here, without saying a word. Don’t you get it… how awkward this makes things for me?”
Awkward for him?
For a second, I was too stunned to even process how I felt.}
All I’d done was show up near him–we hadn’t even arrived together. I was dressed perfectly fine, hadn’t caused any drama, hadn’t done anything anyone could laugh at. But just being here–just existing in his orbit–was apparently enough to embarrass him.”
I guess my shock must have been obvious.\
Jared let out a heavy sigh, like he’d finally realized he’d gone too far. There was regret in his eyes as he started to raise his hands to sign something to me.
But before he could, a girl in a bright red dress darted over.”
She flashed me a brilliant smile and waved. “Hi, Elise! I’m Patricia, one of Jared’s friends. I’ve heard so much about you.“?
Then, as if something just occurred to her, she covered her mouth and glanced at Jared, suddenly worried.
“Oh, wait–I don’t know sign language. Elise probably can’t understand me, can she? That’s on me. I knew she was deaf, but I never even thought to ask you to show me some signs. First impressions matter, right?“}
Jared gave her an easy smile. “It’s fine. Whether she understands or not, you don’t need to worry or apologize.“)
They shared a quick, almost conspiratorial smile.
Patricia nodded toward the center of the room, where couples were gathering on the dance floor. “Time for the first dance! You promised me, remember? Don’t even think about backing out.”
She said it with a teasing grin, half–joking, half–warning.
Jared’s eyes flicked to me, and for a second he looked torn.
Patricia’s smile slipped just a little, and in a casual tone, she said, “When I walked over, I heard a lot of people talking about Elise.”
Jared’s face darkened for a moment.”
But this time, there was no hesitation. He quickly signed to me: I have to go dance. I know you don’t like crowds, so just relax here, okay? Don’t wander off.
And with that, he and Patricia turned and walked away toward the dance floor.}
I just stood there, watching Jared’s back as he disappeared into the crowd. The anger and hurt I’d felt earlier had faded, replaced by a dull numbness that, weirdly, felt almost peaceful.
I opened my mouth, wanting to say something–anything.
To tell him that I actually love crowds, that what I really hate is being alone.”
To say that it’s always been him who hated the noise, because he’s afraid of being laughed at. Jared can’t stand being the joke, so he learned to hate the chaos, too. And maybe now, he’s starting to hate me, too.
Patricia glanced back at me, and in that brief moment, I saw exactly what she was thinking.
05%
It
felt stuffy inside, so I slipped out to the backyard.
There was a huge swimming pool, its surface shimmering under the lights. A few people stood around in little groups, chatting quietly over drinks and snacks.
g toples of th
