The Monster in Me

2

Everyone ate the lasagna quietly, having small conversations here and there.

"Rick talks about you a lot." Macie says to Anna.

Anna's throat tightens.

"Says that you're smart, you like to read. What else do you like to do?" She asks.

Ok so either she doesn't know or is skipping the whole subject. Fine by me. Anna thinks to herself.

"Um.. I kick box sometimes. Just practice really, not compete or anything. I go to a gym right downtown." She tells her.

"Oh nice. We just moved in here in town." Macie says surprising Anna.

"Oh.." she looks back down at her food not knowing what else to say.

"How about kids you do the dishes while we get dessert ready?" Rick offers.

Anna can't help but smile a little. Rick has never failed at including her. Since he met her he's done everything to make her life feel normal.

But it's not normal. Her thoughts constantly invade her mind.

"Sounds good uncle Rick."

Anna looks up and meets eyes with Elijah again, she had almost forgotten he was here.

Everyone goes into the kitchen which was a pretty decent size. Probably since Cindy, Ricks wife was a cook.

"Don't like lasagna?" Elijah asked Anna as she puts her barely touched food into the garbage.

"I used to love it." She says without thinking.

"Used to?" He asks.

Shit.

"Uh yeah.. had it at a restaurant and got food poisoning. Never really was a fan again." She lied.

He looked like he was going to say something but he shrugged it off.

Does he know?

"So where are you from?" She asks changing the subject.

"Pennsylvania." He answers easily.

"What made you guys move to North Carolina?" She asks washing the dishes.

"Uh.. my dad passed away. And my mom wanted to be closer to her brother." He says nodding towards Rick.

"Oh... I'm.. sorry." Those words tasted bitter coming from her mouth. She hated when people said that to her but what else could you say? I mean when she told people her father killed her whole family they never know what to say except 'I'm sorry' but who would?

"Well that sounded... sarcastic." He half laughed.

"Sorry I just... I know that, that gets annoying." She tells him and he nods.

She fully expects him to ask why she knows that but he doesn't. They wash the rest of the dishes in a comfortable silence.

When they all get back to the table Cindy places her berry cheesecake on the table and Anna's mouth begins to water.

"I know it's your favorite." Cindy whispers as she passes Anna on the way to her seat.

Anna nods quickly and cuts a piece and puts it on her plate.

She waits for everyone to get their own before she eats it in 3 bites.

She reaches for her cup of grape juice and knocks it over spilling it on her shirt.

"Shit." She curses jumping up quickly.

"Oh honey. There some oxi clean in the bathroom upstairs." Cindy says quickly.