12

Do you want a drink?" Rellin asked as Kelwarin entered the room once again, carrying a tray of food with him.

"Sure," Kelwarin mumbled as he walked up to the counter. He lifted the silver tray carefully with the intention to leave it behind the kitchen island before turning around to give Rellin the exact same answer that he'd given him several times before.

"Are you hungry?" the other male questioned with a frown on his face as Kelwarin picked up the food tray and placed it carefully on the countertop.

"Not really. I ate while you were gone."

"Don't worry, this is going to taste amazing."

Kelwarin smiled weakly at the older male's assurance. "Whatever makes you happy…" he muttered as he walked toward the stairs, making his way up the small flight and stopping halfway up.

Kelwarin stopped midway when he noticed that the bedroom door was still closed. "Um…" he called out hesitantly. "Is… Is everything okay? I figured you would be awake now… Maybe even awake by now."

Silence filled the room for a few seconds before Kelwarin could hear soft footsteps coming from the bedroom followed by a quiet sniffle. Without hesitation, Kelwarin opened the door quietly, peeking his head inside. "Tallulah?"

The girl was sitting on the bed staring blankly into space. Kelwarin hesitated slightly, wondering whether or not he should disturb her – before quickly determining that he shouldn't and deciding against it. Instead, he simply sat down beside her, placing the tray down on her lap and giving her a sympathetic look.

"Are you alright?"

Tallulah nodded her head slightly, glancing up at Kelwarin briefly before focusing her eyes back on her hands.

"You don't have to pretend, you know," Kelwarin sighed sadly, placing a hand gently over hers. "This isn't some sort of trick. If it helps, I've already figured it out myself."

She frowned at his words. "Figured what out?"

"The reason for your behavior… The reason why you always look so sad… I know why you're here."

Tallulah froze for a split second as she glanced back up at him. She blinked a couple of times in confusion before she let out a breathy chuckle.

"How on earth did you figure it out?"

"The way you look at me… Or maybe I've always known since day one… Either way, I can tell when someone is lying to me." Kelwarin shrugged slightly, smiling softly as he continued. "I saw your reaction before, but I ignored it anyway. I didn't care that much because... Well, until I realized that you weren't the kind of person to lie… Not to anyone."

Tallulah swallowed thickly as she listened. "Why are you being so nice to me then?" she murmured quietly. "I lied. I've lied to you multiple times before. Why bother being nice when all you're doing is just lying to yourself?"

Kelwarin shook his head, shaking his arm gently. "Maybe I'm just an idiot."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Wha-?"

"I'm an idiot who's completely stupid and doesn't know how to deal with the fact that I'm falling hard for you. That's why I'm being nice to you instead of yelling and threatening you into submission or running away as far as possible… Because I feel like I owe you that much." He paused slightly, taking note of the confusion written clearly across her features. "Well, actually…"

A sudden realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "… Oh, shit. I just realized I haven't ever told you why I was there last night. I probably forgot."

He paused slightly as he struggled to remember. "Right… Right