Enough | ✔️

+ 38 +

"Four."

"Lara, I'm not-"

"Six?"

"I-"

"Eight? Oh my god, don't tell me he has eight."

I groan, covering my face with my hands to hide my mortification.

"I am not talking about how many abs my freaking teacher has!" I repeat for the umpteenth time, just as the door buzzes and the devil himself appears.

I mutter a profanity under my breath, already knowing that Slater has the hearing of an owl and definitely heard me. Buring my face into my piillow, I await his humiliating remark.

"If it aids your discussions at all, ladies, I'm not as fit as I was before coming into this profession."

With a snort, I turn to face him, not even trying to hide my lack of agreement, "Yeah, okay."

Lara giggles as if she's still sixteen, smacking my arm with a dreamy, "Awe, you guys."

We both give her blank looks. Slater busies himself with removing his outer layers and organising the endless stack of work on the desk while Lara and I fall into another conversation. The atmosphere is light and fluffy, like egg whites whisked to oblivion, and has my heart beating away elatedly in my chest.

Forget cloud nine - I'm over here on cloud 19.

"What were you actually going to tell me though? You said you had a reason for coming here, and don't think it was to ask about Slater."

Lara's eyebrows, which she also had dyed to match her head of fire, shoot up her hairline as she rubs the back of her neck, "Ah, yes... Well..."

I soften my gaze, picking up on what it might be as she looks down, struggling over a suitable sentence. Laying a hand over hers, I convince her to look up at me and offer her a reassuring smile.

"You're still having second thoughts about marrying Bennett?" I ask.

Her eyes widen to saucers as she frantically shakes her head. I sigh in relief, knowing that her and Bennet are the definition of the perfect couple and that if she were to end things, she would deeply regret it.

"Of course not. My hesitation before was just early pre-wedding jitters. I know he's the one for me and he just will not let me forget it as the days go by," she laughs a little, "My news is something else."

Her honey brown eyes lift to Slater before falling onto me.

"Can we go to a café or something?" she asks me, before adding, "No offence to you, Slater. This is just sisterly talk."

Holding his hands up in surrender, Slater only nods in understanding, eyes catching mine for a moment, "Of course. There is a café just around the corner."

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

Lara exhales nervously, cupping the warm cup filled to the brim with freshly-brewed coffee in her hands. The low buzzing of chatter in the small café hums in my ears as background noises as customers enjoy their warm beverages. I clutch my own hot chocolate - loaded with brown sugar and creamer - impatiently, concerned for my sister.

"Spill already," I sigh, getting restless and shuffling closer to the edge of my birchwood chair.

I'm literally on the edge of my seat right now.

"Alright, alright. I'm just nervous; I don't know how you're going to react," she excuses her fiddling with a final sigh, and, taking a sip of her scorching latté, gathers the courage to spit it out.