Fragile by Eve Francis

Author:Eve Francis [Francis, Eve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Published: 2016-08-25T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 22

Ashley pulled out a couple more slices of pizza from her family’s overcrowded fridge.

“I apologize,” she said, sniffing one of the slices. “I swear these are completely fine, but you can never be too careful with my family.”

“I don’t mind, really.”

Things moved slowly from there on out. They ate together, vaguely watching a movie that Darren had on in the living room from their spots in the kitchen. Mike, Ashley’s father, came back from a business meeting and said hi before grabbing some leftovers, after a quick-witted exchange with his daughter. Then he was gone, and Darren fell asleep with the movie’s credits running, and Carly and Ashley were alone again.

“How about chess?” Ashley asked.

Carly could only say yes. Ashley set up a board that looked as if it had been around for a couple decades. The paint was chipped on the corners, and one of the pawns had been replaced with a cheaper, plastic model. Carly nodded as Ashley explained the rules, but it didn’t do much. Chess was a game of strategy, and Carly’s brain felt like swiss cheese. She knew she looked utterly pitiful, as Ashley won each round but didn’t boast or brag. It took Carly a long time, about their fifth game, to realize that as Carly plotted out her next move, Ashley kept staring at her.

“You go,” Carly said once, when Ashley had seemed much more distracted than usual. Ashley nodded, but still kept her eyes on Carly.

“It’s getting pretty late,” she said. “How about we call this one your game?”

Carly wanted to argue that it wouldn’t be fair. But she slid her piece next to Ashley’s queen, and smiled.

“Sure.”

When the game was put away again, Ashley headed toward the stairs, and Carly followed easily. Darren caught them just before they went inside her bedroom.

“Ash?” he called from the kitchen. “Does anyone need a ride?”

“Nope. Thank you,” Ashley called back down to him. It took Carly another moment again to realize Ashley didn’t joke with him. She was nervous, too.

“So, uh, again, you don’t have pajamas,” Ashley stated once they were inside. She hadn’t bothered to hide any mess this time around. Carly noted a plate with crumbs on it, on top of the bookshelf, and a few socks and T-shirts on the ground. Ashley picked up her gym shorts and another T-shirt from the bottom drawer.

“They’ve been cleaned, but are these okay again?”

Carly nodded, now mute. She spotted the basket chair in the corner and had to fight the urge to sit there, out of the way. She tossed her purse on it.

“We have a couple more pages of Treasure Island,” Ashley remarked. “What do you say to reading?”

“I’d like to savor it, I think,” Carly said.

“You do that a lot, don’t you?”

“Savor things?”

“Avoid them.”

“Maybe.”

Ashley laughed. When she sat on her bed, she patted the place next to her. Carly sat down and felt the inches between them disappear. Ashley’s hand linked in hers again. Their lips were so close to one another, so close that Carly could almost feel Ashley’s breath.

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