Thin Lines

Rest of the Family

Xela

"After you loop this through, you just pull and repeat until you finish the row." Elsie demonstrates for me how to tug the thick pieces of yarn around each other to make a chain.

"Where did you learn how to do this?" I ask, following her steps to form the first row of a chunky blanket. I picked a pastel blue, purple, and white color scheme.

"My papa taught me how to do something like this, so I kind of just transferred the skills over."

It's been a day since the meeting with Ryder and since our encounter after work, and I got the morning off because some Canadian business cancelled their meeting.

Weston called me this morning and asked if Elsie could come over and hang out with me because apparently she really liked me. I thought the whole thing was adorable, and I really do need friends in New York, so of course I agreed.

So here I am, making blankets with Elsie on my couch and a cheesy Christmas movie playing that Elsie insisted we watched.

She was making a green and red blanket and was planning on giving it to Weston as a Christmas gift.

A part of me wants something like they have, they are so adorable together. But a part of me is also terrified of being with anyone again, not after Ryder, not after Jay.

I tugged down my left sleeve a little bit, making sure it covered the bandage that was wrapped around my wrist due to my outburst last night.

It's crazy how in the moment, I felt no pain of literally mutilating myself. Now, I can definitely feel the pain.

"How are you so fast at this!" I stared in awe at Elsie halfway done with her blanket, while I was barely halfway done with my first chain.

"It takes practice, which you aren't gonna get by staring off into space and daydreaming!" She giggled.

She was so nervous when she first got here this morning, and Weston had given me threatening glares to be nice to her, but now I think she has warmed up to me a little bit more.

We talked and ate breakfast until it was nearly noon, then I told her I had to start getting ready for work.

I was just going to bring her to work with me since Weston was there.

Elsie helped me pick out an outfit to quote unquote, "Get a man". She really is something.

We settled on this white long sleeve blouse and a black skirt that I wore sheer black stockings underneath, and boots.

I braided her hair before we left, which fascinated her so much I wouldn't be surprised if she had never seen a braid before.

I did two Dutch braids that ended halfway down her head, into a kind of half up half down look.

"West is going to love this! Can you teach me how do I can do it to him?" She said, ecstatic.

"Sure, I kind of owe you for teaching me how to make a blanket." I smiled at her.

"Oh my gosh we can totally make this like routine! We can have brunch and stuff every week!" She was so excited it caught me off guard.

"I mean we don't have to...I just wanted to suggest it. You know what it's fine I shouldn't have asked" she started rambling, her face red.

"No no no, I would love that!" I reassured her.

So today I left my apartment with a new feeling, a feeling that comes with actually making a friend.

Ryder

"Good to see you shaved" Blake teased, climbing into the car with Denny and Nikos behind him. I rolled my eyes at him, Blake thinks facial hair makes me look old, which it does, but I see nothing wrong with that.

"How was your flight?" I ask, mainly to Denny and Blake. Since I took our best private jet up here a few days ago, the only one left was our smaller jet, which had malfunctioned this morning, leaving the three of them have to ride with other people, in a normal plane.

It obviously hadn't affected Blake or Nikos, who came from poverty like me, but for little Denny who's never not flown in a jet, it was hilarious to watch him complain about it.

Despite them all getting first class, Denny was cursing at me for taking the good jet this morning on the phone.

"It was awful, they wouldn't serve me anything to drink!" Denny whined, and I could tell he was about to vent.

Blake cut him off, "Maybe because you asked for beer and you're not 21 for another month."

"On our jets nobody ever cares" he mumbles. Nikos laughed, "Who knew someone could have so many negative things to say about flying first class."

"Y'all make me sound like I'm spoiled or something!"

We all three simultaneously responded, "You are", which nearly made me burst out laughing.

The conversation transferred to other random topics, the drive back to the penthouse being a little over thirty minutes.

I kept trying to cut into their conversation and to somehow mention that Xela was here, because it's better they find out now than walking into Westons building and seeing her.

Seriously what are the fucking odds of her working for him?

Every time I looked at her yesterday my heart tried to reason and make excuses to just forget what happened and care about her, but my mind keeps reminded me what she did. And the simple truth is, no matter how badly my heart missed her at first, and how badly seeing her reminded me of the void created when she left, I will always hate her.

When the conversation slowed, I took my opportunity to try and casually tell them. "Xela works for Weston Black" I said, making everyone's head snap towards me.

"What?" Nikos blinked, like he hadn't registered what I just said.

"I saw her yesterday."

Dead. Silence.

"How was she?" Denny asked. I feel bad for Denny, I mean he hadn't found out Xela was his sister until Xela was already gone. I had always wondered why they were so close all those years ago.

"Same as usual." I said, not wanting to talk about her. It wasn't true, she had changed plenty.

Her hair was the same silvery white, but it was cut a little shorter. She looked mature, taller, and she no doubt gained lots of attention from men.

I don't know what had happened since I last saw her, but something so drastic had changed from her once joyful, curious eyes. Now they were...dull. If I cared, maybe I would be curious about it. But I don't.