Page 55 of The Silent Princess

“It’s not nothing.”

“I-” I sigh, “I don’t know how to sign it.” I curse under my breath. “Migraine,” I murmur, keeping my voice low enough that no one downstairs will hear.

“Like this.” She lifts both hands to her temples and twists the tips of her fingers. I fight back a grin because, God, how cute is she, patient enough to teach me something I should already know. I really need to get up to her level. And fast. This is embarrassing.

“I get them often,” I sign.

Her brows pull together. “Why?”

“Lack of sleep, probably. My doctor says I have a stressful lifestyle.” She represses a smile.

“That’s an understatement.” She frowns, her fingers brushing my temple. “How can I make it go away?”

“Just being with you makes it better. Thank you for telling me about your mom, I can tell you miss her.”

“Thank you for…listening,” she signs as I keep running my fingers in her hair, then doing slow back and forth to the side of her throat.

“It's actually better when I’m with you–the migraines.” I tap the side of my head. “You are like my personal stress ball.” She giggles silently, and I zero in on her lips. Damn. What I would give to see that every day of my life.

“So, are you like your mom then? Do you hate bicycles too? I sign, trying to lighten the mood.

“Bicycles are the worst. I can’t stand being on one.” She winces, her shoulders shivering.

“Guess what?” I sign. “So do I.” We exchange a light laugh, silent nevertheless, the voices downstairs still echoing, surely her sisters watching a movie late or something. When the quiet settles again, her gaze drifts toward the blanket beneath the bed, and I follow it, understanding that the subject has not really left us.

“That is how you cope? Hiding underneath?”

“When they are too mean to me…yes.”

“Can I tell you how I cope?”

“Do you have people being mean to you? Is that possible?”

“I have lots of enemies, Ella. Lots of people I displease on a daily basis.”

“Does it affect you? When they say mean things to you ?”

“No, because I found a way to cope.”

“How? I don’t exactly have a tower with my name on it to look down at Mara from above.” She pauses, twisting her mouth, then adds a silent, “Sorry.”

“Touché.” I give the ghost of a smile, unable to hide how much I like seeing another facet of her.

“I picture myself somewhere else. That’s what I do.”

“Dissociating?” she signs quickly, then repeats the word letter by letter.

“Disso...” I stop and shake my head. “No, not really. I know what’s going on. I just leave the room in my head when staying in it serves no purpose.” Her hands slow.

“Do you do that…with me?”

“Never. Never, Ella. I wish I could be with you longer, or that it would never end, actually. It is a business strategy I’m telling you about, a way to never let an opponent get to you.” I explain quietly.

“I don’t have a business.”

“But you have opponents.”

“Could you…teach me?”