Geography, Azar. We need to study. Period. You sure it isn’t children’s hearts?
Azar
Fuck, I’m dumb. But yeah, just green, fibre-filled smoothies.
Your brother is weird.
Azar
So are you. Anyways, why are you asking?
Maybe I’m just brainstorming ways to poison him.
Azar
You need help. Want my therapist’s number?
Sure, if I don’t want to make any progress.
Azar
I hate you.
How’s that pretty popstar of yours?
Azar
In case you’re wondering, I didn’t make the smoothie. No one should force their bodies to digest murky liquids for breakfast. I’m doing him a favour.
He goes from being a stranger to being a man reading romance novels on the steps to my room. Dean makes no sense to me. Every question asked, he shoves it aside and throws one at me instead.
Yes, I love hearing myself talk. That's why I’mclearlyclinically psychotic.
Serves him right for being—“Here,” Hina pushes a plate in front of me. My stomach doesn’t like food when my brain is throwing up. I opt out of breakfast most days. It’s a sad choice I have to make to survive.
But when I look at the steaming bowl of soup, my stomach growls. Odd. It never does that. Ithatesdoing that. Maybe I’m hungover on life. I mean, I did just travel almost halfway across the world to another country. My body was high-strung last night. It makes sense.Drunk on life, hungover in Switzerland. It’ll take me a minute for my body to fit with the new circadian rhythm amongst other things.
“You didn’t have to,” I say but it looks appetizing. There’s boiled chicken steaming inside and it looks unbelievably comforting.
“I didn’t,” she yawns while stretching back along the chair. “Dean made it for you.”
Pretty sure my dignity catapults into the pits of hell and the smoke is rushing up my cheeks like it needs somewhere to stain. “He… what?”
“Let’s stop for a second.” A sharp, featured man steps forward. “Instead of Dean, can you say Rhys made it for her?”
“But Dean made it for me,” I say, confused. “That’s ingenuine.”
He looks at me like he doesn’t care. “And?”
My cheeks heat. Everyone stares.
“Nova,” Katarina pulls my arm. “You know the truth, that’s all that matters.”
I swallow hard, everyone should know the truth too. But I don’t say that, instead we redo the moment using Rhys’ name instead.
“How did you sleep last night?” Rhys takes the seat next to me.
I take the first bite of the soup. Lethal. Deadly. Someone get Dean out of the kitchen.
