We had been sitting on the couch in silence for a while when Kat walked in.
"Hey, Dani? Aunt Lily sent me up with some food for you. Oh! And a message, here."
"She handed us two plates, one with a note. Assuming the note was for me, I grabbed that plate.
"Nope, the message is for Kane," she said before handing it to him.
"Me?" He asked confused.
"Yep. And Dani, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Aunt Lily said you're not working for at least a week."
"A week?!?"
"Yeah. Sorry, but I agree. Take some time off, think of it as a Christmas holiday." She smiled and walked out of the room.
I put my food on the coffee table. It looked really good, a salad with grilled chicken on top, but I wasn't hungry.
"Nope, you have to eat that." Kane said looking at me.
"I'm not hungry."
"Those are the orders."
"What?" He pointed to the note.
"Lily said I had to make sure you ate at least a third of that."
"I never eat that much."
"Dani? Are you kidding?"
"No."
"Why don't you eat?"
"I'm not hungry," I said as I shrugged my shoulders. I looked down at my hands in my lap, "I just eat something small and I'm fine."
"You don't get hungry?"
"No. What's the difference? You only drink coffee all day, and a piece of pie. It's no different."
"Only when I'm at the diner. Other days I eat all day long. Usually a bigger breakfast, small things after noon, and dinner when I get home after work."
"Oh."
"Dani, this isn't punishment, Lily's just worried about you."
"I know. I feel bad. I wake her up just about every night screaming, I argue about working less, I don't eat, and I go for a run for hours at a time. Kat worries too."
"Hours?"
"What?"
"You run for hours?"
"Yes. Well, not really. I run to the other end of town, walk through some shops and run back. Although lately, with my hip, I just walked it."
His eyebrows shot up,"That day we walked, your hip was hurting you."
"Not much."
"Honestly Dani. How much did it hurt?"
"Less than today. I just ignored it. Nothing new."
"Oh Dani, I'm sorry. Please, will you tell me if something hurts. You don't have to hide it. Promise me?" His face was full of worry, but at least he didn't feel bad anymore for not noticing my hip.
"Why?"
"Because you shouldn't hide it. It doesn't make you weak, I know you're strong, stronger than anyone else I know. Just please, for me? Or how about this, if I ask, you honestly answer."
"I guess, so." But he made me promise, "I promise, Kane."
He handed me my plate and I ate a bite. It was good salad but I still wasn't hungry. I picked a piece of chicken but didn't see why I should eat it.
YOU ARE READING
Never Again.
ActionAt fourteen my life was flipped upside down. And not for good. I was held captive for many years. I didn't know the day, year or month it was. I didn't know whether I was far away from home, or beside it. How much of my life had I missed? How much...
