not nothing

10

JUNE 26TH
-morning-

I opened my eyes at the faint sound of a girl's voice.

"Good morning, sleepyhead", the cheery voice said as it came closer. I slowly opened my eyes, squinting at the light coming through the window.

"Mia?", I asked as my vision slowly became clearer.

"How are you feeling?", she sat herself down on the couch by my feet. "You fell asleep in the middle of our conversation."

"Oh", I started to remember. "Right." I had fallen asleep on the couch in Mia's apartment as the others were talking, it wasn't particularly interesting, but they made me feel welcome and safe.

"I think the others really like you", she continued.

"You think?"

"You really fit in well yesterday. Well, at least before you were asleep all of sudden", she giggled.

"I'm glad. I really liked them, too", I smiled at the memory.

"Including me?", she teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course including you", I replied truthfully but once again feeling guilty. "You're way too nice, I'm still not sure if you're a real person."

"I'm glad to hear that, Rose, I can say nothing but the same."

I smiled at her. "Thank you for letting me sleep here. I don't think I would've made it home last night."

"Oh, don't be silly, you can come here anytime. Friends of Li are friends of mine."

I didn't really know how to respond, so I just smiled. "Thank you."

"I've made you breakfast, by the way. I hope you like eggs on toast?", she asked.

"Yeah, eggs on toast is fine", I said as I got up and slowly made my way over to the little kitchen to it down at the counter. Mia's flat wasn't huge, but it was bigger than I would have expected from someone that young. "How old are you?"

"I'm 20", she answered with a smile sitting down across from me. "I date someone younger, I know, but I don't care what people might think about that. I like it the way it is."

I shook my head. "That's beautiful. When did you get together?"

"Well", she started smiling wallowing in memories. "He was this lost kid strolling around in the streets, just walking really fast as if he was fleeing from something when he ran into us. I mean, he literally ran into our group and we asked him what he was doing. He wasn't exactly communicative so we just took him under our wing and let him crash whenever he needed a place. Over time he started to become more open about himself and he came around more often until he was just part of the group. Especially he and I were really close from the start. At first, I felt nothing but sisterly feelings towards him, I was very protective of him. I probably still am, to be honest", she laughed. "But anyway, at one point he started flirting with me all the time and he brought me flowers and chocolate, it was so cliché. When we were alone he was a real gentleman, so naturally, I fell in love with him as well."

I watched her as she smiled brightly while talking. She looked happily in love as she reminisced in her memories, her mind zoning out as she seemed to have forgotten I was there. Now I understood what William had meant when he said it would shatter her. Once again the guilt crept up my spine, but this time there was also a new feeling. There was a sting in my heart that made it impossible for me to enjoy the tale of William's love.

I forced a smile onto my face. "That's a beautiful story, Mia."

"Thanks, Rose. It means a lot to me to hear that from you. I always wanted to meet Li's family, but he's just too stubborn to introduce me. I mean how bad can they be? They're his parents. But now I have you. You're kind of like his family."

I cringed at that. "I guess."

"Tell me something about his real family", she said enthusiastically grabbing my hand. "Please, Rose, I know almost nothing about them."

I didn't know if it was a good idea, since if William would have wanted her to know he would have told her. But the guilt stabbing me in the back made my loyalty to him fade in her presence. "Well, his parents are Alaric and Mallory Arnolds. Alaric is really conservative, but Mallory isn't that bad. I think she still cares a lot about William. And his grandmother Abigail is really nice. She would always support him, no matter what."

"Li's told me about her. I think she's the only one still visiting him frequently."

"Visit him here? Why haven't you met her then?"

"Oh no no not here! At his own place."

"What are we doing at my place?", William came in.

"Nothing, babe, I just told Bellerose that we don't live together."

"Oh yeah. No, we don't", he smiled at me as he walked over to his girlfriend.

"I didn't know you lived on your own", I sounded slightly confronting saying it.

"Why would you, there was neither use nor an opportunity to tell you", he shrugged. "Would you like to see it later? We got to go somewhere else anyway when Mia goes to work."

"Okay", I said still slightly confused.

"Great! Are we meeting at the club again tonight?", Mia asked him.

"Sure. Grey, do you-", he interrupted himself. "Sorry, Rose, do you need clothes for tonight?"

"You can borrow some of mine", Mia immediately responded enthusiastically.

"Okay, thanks, I appreciate it", I told her truthfully.

"So, since when do you go by Rose or Bellerose?", she asked me. "When Li spoke of you before he only ever called you Grey."

"I decided to leave my name in the past", I lied. Telling her William chose it for me seemed like a bad idea, especially the reason for his choice. "As Liam did, when he reinvented himself."

"That's so cool, I wish I had a nickname or something sometimes. You can't really variate Mia a lot."

"Hey I call you Mi all the time", William intervened offended.

"Yeah, but only you call me that."

"Only I'm allowed to call you that, Mi", he smiled.
"Cute", I commented.

"Rose, shall we pick out your outfit for tonight?"

"I would love to", I smiled at her, although the guilt grew heavier on my heart.