Invisible

SAFE HARBOR

I FELL ASLEEP to an old cartoon, one I haven’t seen in over a decade. Aiden and I watched it when we were kids, loved it until… well, now.

“Emma,” he whispers in my ear. I grunt silently, squeeze my eyes shut. “Come on. Another thirty minutes.”

I sigh, irritated as I open my eyes, sit up. My head doesn’t ache nearly as much anymore, but it still hurts, especially where the stitches are. Aiden reaches over me, turns on the lamp next to the bed.

“Alright,” he says, “I have another question.”

“Whatever,” I say as I try to wake myself up, my expression hardened, cranky. He scowls.

“What happened between you and Anna?”

I shrug, look away. “You know she’s with Jeremy now, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And what do you think?”

“I think it’s the dumbest thing that’s ever happened.”

“Yeah… I told her that, and she went totally… she got pissed at me.” I close my eyes, try to fight tears. I’d forgotten about the argument, forgotten about Jeremy’s ultimatum.

“Well, I suppose I would have done the same thing. You know how Anna can be, though.”

I smirk. Yeah, she is ill-tempered. But it’s never been over a boy before.

“You think she’d forgive me?”

“Yeah. Don’t know when, though, so don’t ask.”

I grimace. “Whatever.”

Aiden looks at me, my eyes fighting to stay open. Then he looks at his watch, turns off the television.

“Alright,” he says, “you can go to sleep, but if I try to wake you up, you have to wake up. Understand?”

“Whatever you say.” I lie back down, close my eyes.

“I’m guessing you don’t want to go back to my room?”

I ignore him as I start to drift off. But there is one thing I feel, and that’s his arm wrapped tightly around me.

And the funny thing is I don’t mind.