Zephan;
I chose to focus on the sound of cutlery clinking softly as we eat.
Meals in Nagari usually had this heaviness… but after Elian came, that heaviness thawed. It vanished. I could eat without struggling to swallow.
But now, with this girl here, fuck!
Everything inside me feels on edge. I feel uneasy. I can't stay calm. Everything feels fucking wrong, and it's all because of that girl!
Asa.
I look up at her, and her gaze is on her lap. A sight that causes me to roll my eyes.
My gaze drifts to Elián, who is humming to himself as he eats. The sight should make my chest warm… the way it normally does.
But nothing about this morning feels normal.
Not with Asa sitting at the table.
She hasn't lifted her head once.
Not once.
She sits small and straight, hands folded neatly, eyes glued to her bowl like she's studying the grains in it.
A quiet girl.
