“Give me your card!” she demanded, pouting, reaching across his easel.
“You have my card in your damn phone,” he muttered without looking up, paintbrush moving steadily.
“Alex! Give me!” she whined louder, stretching out her arm. He finally glanced at her, unimpressed, then placed his palmflat against her forehead and pushed her back like she weighed nothing before shifting his full attention back to his canvas.
“You havetwoof my cards in your damn phone. Use those. What the fuck.”
“One,” she countered, smug.
“Two. You have two,” he corrected, voice laced with suspicion.
“Two,” she continued. And he froze mid-stroke again, eyes still on the canvas.
“Jen—”
Her lips quirked, victorious. “Three.”
He groaned, defeated, shoving his wallet into her palm. “I fucking hate you.”
She giggled, flipping it open as if she’d just won a prize. “You love me, Lexi.”
I shook my head, turning back toward the window, tuning them out. The laughter, the easy closeness, they grated on me.
I wonder if she’d give me what she gave Miles… if I knew her language. If I were able toseeher out loud instead of quietly from my own corner.
I pictured her smile, the one she’d given him. That tiny blush on her face when she whispered back to him, like he’d just unlocked something only she kept hidden.
She looked at him as if hesawher.
Like she forgot I was therefirst.
“I saw you with Campbell,” Alex said suddenly, dragging me out of my thoughts.
My head snapped toward him. Aurora?
Why is he suddenly mentioning her?
Jennie lit up, nodding fast. “Aurora? Oh my God, Iloveher. She’s literally so pretty. Like, unreal. Have youseenher?” She practically rolled her eyes back as if she’d just remembered some goddess walking among us. Which, fine. Spot on.
“The mute one?” Alex asked casually, not even looking up. My jaw tightened.
But Jennie was quicker; she reached over and jabbed her elbow into his side. “Hey. She’s not mute. Don’t call her that.”
Alex raised a brow but didn’t argue, just let her talk.
“She has SM,” Jennie continued, softer now, like she wanted to make sure it came out right. “But she’s… she’s really sweet. Like,reallysweet. Honestly, the cutest thing alive. She joined our group just yesterday, officially!”
SM. What the fuck is SM?
The word sank into me, heavy, sharp, like it was supposed to explain her, but it didn’t.
“SM,” I repeated, my voice flat.
Jennie nodded, as if it was obvious. “Selective mutism. It’s like… a trauma response. Kids or even teens, adults sometimes, they go through something terrible, something that shakes them, and then their body just…” she exhaled softly, shrugging, “shuts down when it comes to speaking. Not everywhere, not with everyone. Just in situations where their brain feels unsafe. Like, theywantto talk, but their voice doesn’t come out. It’s not a choice; it’s their body deciding for them.”
Her words blurred in my head, pressing against my skull until it was hard to breathe.
Fuck, she must’ve gone through hell before me. Before Silverwood. Before I even knew her name. And that’s why she didn’t speak.
