Translucent

Chapter 26: Perthshire Highlands

"What happened between you and Greg?"

Mum's voice startled me at the door when I just got back from school. A laptop was plopped on her lap and a dozen papers scattered all over the coffee table. 

"I heard you broke up with him." Mum frowned, like what had happened to Greg overly concerned her. Well, words traveled fast. "Oh, darling, are you okay?"

I should've seen it coming though, for both of our mums to put their nose into their children's personal matter. "Things just didn't work out between us. Our chemistry isn't the same as it was." I sighed. "He'll move on. We will."

"You know it's just..." She cringed. "Don't you think you've been in your room a little too much lately? You seem so...isolated like being on the phone or Skype so often. It's been a while since your friends came over."

I froze. Mum had been listening. At the corner of my eyes, Diane was wiping the windows, absentminded of the conversation I had with mum. Or could it be her? Could Diane be the whistleblower of this house after all this time? What was most important was, did she tell mum about Cornelius and me?

The thought instantly sent blush to my face, but I quickly brushed it off.

"Err, I've been kept busy with some group work," I assured her. "Don't worry, Mum. I'm fine."

So then I sprinted upstairs. Cornelius near-transparent figure already leaned against the window in the corridor as I turned up, his face lit up at my sight. 

"There you are!" He leaned to kiss me, but I dodged it. Instead, I took his hand and hastily pulled him into the room, where I closed the door and we kissed deeply.

"What are you doing?" I pulled away. "We could get in trouble, again."

Intimacy bloomed between us overtime, with us now being able to fully express our feelings without hassle. Cornelius had grown warm and lighter in the mood. In rainy afternoons, we'd lie on each other's arms on the window seat, whispering sweet nothings at the sound of water dripping from the roof tiles. We'd spend our nights talking in bed, kissing, and I fell asleep with my head leaning against his chest. Every morning I would wake up to him feigning sleep and pretending to yawn. I could only snort at his effort.

Some parts of me longed to tell this to my friends back in London or even my dad. He would've loved Cornelius. I could picture myself texting Irma in the girl group chat that I was seeing someone, except he was...of an unconventional type.

However, with Cornelius agreeing to "court" me–as he preferred to say it–we would keep our relationship even more discreet, which would mean a lot of sneaking out to do. Even Sophie had no idea about this. She had been kept busy helping Lorelai with school events–who recently was appointed to become the committee president of the student council.

"My apologies." Cornelius ran his finger on my cheek. "I'm–how would you say it–excited to show you something. The snow on the glens had melted!"

"Whoa, just give me a moment. I'll go change."

"Aye, meet me in the back garden then." He vanished.

I dug my wardrobe for something to wear and Nathan's gift from his recent trip to Glasgow caught my eyes. It was a knee-length, spring yellow tank top dress with buttons running down on its front. I put on my dark blue cardigan around my shoulder and applied light makeup. Afterward, I sneaked down to the back door in the kitchen, away from mum's presence in the living room before she could pry about my relationship with Greg any further.

Before I reached for the door, I stopped abruptly, catching a sight of Diane chopping vegetables with her back facing me. Not wanting to spark another argument, I waited until she left her spot. Then I tiptoed my way into the drawers, gathered simple sandwich materials and a bottled water, a couple serviettes, and stuffed them into a canvas tote-bag all in a dash. I wasn't exactly sure what Cornelius and I were going to do, but a little preparation wouldn't hurt. I rushed my way out discreetly into the back garden, where Cornelius already waited.