Page 43

"It's perfect, thank you."

They look at each other, and Laia is the first to glance away, because right now all she wants is to hug her, press a kiss to her neck, and tell her everything is okay—that she should stop thinking about whatever it is that's torturing her, that she'll take care of her—but she can't do any of that.

"If it hurts too much, you can go home. Your aunt won't be upset."

A short laugh escapes Claudia through her nose, because she finds it ironic that she's been thinking about asking to be moved to a different section, and now that she has the chance to disappear for the rest of the day, she doesn't want to take it.

"Would you go home for a burn like this?"

Laia shrugs.

"I don't know, maybe."

"What a liar you are." The corners of Claudia's mouth stretch, though there's no joy in her expression. "You and I both know you wouldn't leave here unless your skin was literally melting off."

"Maybe, but you don't need to—"

"I don't need to what, Laia? Work? Be here? Push myself like everyone else to earn a salary my parents just hand me?"

"I didn't say that." Laia takes a step back, and Claudia goes very still before she realizes she's not being fair.

"You're right, I'm sorry. This hurts like hell and I get anxious when I can't control pain—it's automatic—and that puts me in a bad mood and I spiral. I'm sorry, I really am."

"It's okay. I get really worked up too when I have bad period cramps and they won't go away."

Claudia smiles at her—a real one this time—and her eyes linger on Laia as Nadia's question comes back again.

"If you had the chance, would you sleep with her?" Yes. Of course yes. That's the answer she didn't dare give Nadia, and it's the one that makes her look away now from those eyes that always watch her with such careful attention.

"Okay, I'll leave you to it—but if you feel bad or—"

"I'm fine, Laia. I just feel like tearing my arm off, but other than that, I'm great."

Laia laughs and leaves the first-aid room feeling lighter, and Claudia follows a few seconds later to return to what she considers her personal torture zone. But she's barely had a few minutes to find her rhythm again when she sees her aunt walking down the hallway with her eyes fixed on her and a worried expression on her face, and when Elvira notices that Claudia has spotted her, she gestures for her to come over.

"How are you doing?" Elvira asks, glancing at the gauze.

"Fine. And I don't want special treatment, Aunt Elvira—it's just a burn."

Elvira fixes her with such intensity that Claudia swallows.

"This isn't special treatment. I would have come down for anyone—it's common sense, Claudia. Let me see."

Claudia sighs and holds out her arm. Elvira lifts the edge of the gauze slightly to check the burn, and as she does, she notices that Claudia's hand is trembling. Her first thought is that it's from the pain, but then she looks at her other hand and sees it's doing the same thing. She lowers the gauze and stays there a moment, looking at her niece, before taking her hand in an instinctive gesture and giving it a gentle squeeze that says far more than any words could.

"Are you okay, Claudia?" she asks, her voice full of concern.

"Yeah, it's just the pain—it'll pass."

"I'm not talking about the burn. I mean you."

Claudia's pulse stops for a fraction of a second. Elvira sees something in her eyes that frightens her—an expression of emptiness and fear she can't quite interpret, but that, if Claudia ever allowed herself to be honest with someone, she would describe like this: she feels so lost that she no longer knows what she has to do to keep going, and she's been running on autopilot, waiting for something to happen that will light up the end of a path that seems darker every day.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Hey." Elvira takes her other hand too. "I know I haven't been present in your life. I know you don't really know me. But if you ever need to talk, or anything else, I'm here. I promise nothing you tell me will ever get back to your mother."

Claudia's eyelids flutter quickly, and Elvira feels her fingers tense against her hands.