The Deception

Chapter 10

*Selena's POV*

By the time I woke up again, it was dark outside. Somehow, I was in my room, with no idea how I got there. As I was about to get up, a voice caught my attention.

"Hey, if you're awake, you should go eat dinner."

My eyes flickered over to Nicole who seemed to be sitting on a chair in the corner of my room.

"Ah, what time is it?"

"Not too late, it's 6:48 currently."

I lightly stretched before sitting up.

"How did I get here?" I asked.

Nicole looked at me confused.

"You don't remember? You walked here yourself."

"Ah, I must have been half asleep..." I trailed off.

Pulling off the covers, I made my way to the door. Nicole followed soon after.

Making my way down the stairs, it seemed most of my family were either finishing their meal, or had already finished and were watching a movie in the living room. Italian chicken breast, chopped red tomatoes baked in olive oil, and green peas lay neatly across the stove and countertop. Grabbing a nearby plate and fork, I grabbed a little bit of everything and sat down at the dinner table. Nicole sat down with me, though she didn't grab any food.

"You're not eating?" I said.

"Oh don't worry. I had some while you were sleeping. I had just finished eating before you woke up."

"Oh okay," I said.

As we sat, the movie filled most of what would otherwise be a silent meal at the table. Nicole didn't seem to rush me, but I could tell that perhaps this was the quiet before the storm.

And I was right.

The minute we returned back to my room, she leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

"So tell me, what's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, even though I had an idea of what she was referring to.

"You've never been this exhausted before. Even during exams, you've always shown up rested. It's out of the ordinary to see you so... sleep deprived."

Sitting down on the edge of my bed, I prepared myself for a long conversation.

"To be honest, I think I just haven't gotten enough rest." A half truth, but I should have known that answer wouldn't sit right with Nicole.

"No, this is more than the occasional all-nighter... I won't push you if you don't feel like talking about it, but I'm really worried about you."

She turned her head for a moment before continuing.

"Is it Jake?"