Page 45 of Cinder
But I don’t want this sweet pixie girl to think I’m a weirdo who can’t make friends. So I nod.
“Lars is a really good guy. He’s got a past. Like we all do, I guess. And he likes to party. We have a lot of fun together but only ever as friends.”
“And he’s single?” I don’t know why the words fall out of my mouth, and I could kick myself for asking them.
“Lars will never settle down. He says it’s because he doesn’t want to feel responsible for someone else. But that’s a lie. He feels responsible for all of us as it is because we’re his family.” She sighs. “Something happened a long time ago, and whatever it is, it made him decide falling in love isn’t for him.”
I don’t know which is sadder. Me never having any friends, or Lars deciding he never wants to fall in love.
“He never told you what happened?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Never.”
“And you never asked?”
“When something cuts that deep, I don’t pry. I always figured he’d tell me when he was ready. But I’m still waiting.”
I like Mya. I can tell she likes to spill the tea. But I also get the feeling it’s all surface-level stuff. She’s not going to gossip about deep secrets.
Her eyes twinkle with mischief, and her lips curl into a conspiratorial smile. “Why do you ask?”
I shrug. “I was just curious.”
But the way Mya looks at me tells me she doesn’t believe the lie. “You’re just his type. Beautiful. Sweet. Smart.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “I mean, there’s no harm in a little fun.”
Oh boy, she couldn’t be more wrong.
Becausea little funwith Lars could get us both killed.
I smile. “I don’t think that would be a very good idea. Someone once told me they don’t fuck where they sleep, and that sounds like pretty sage advice to me.”Then we made out on the couch.
Mia laughs. “Oh honey, you only work here, you don’t live here. Have some fun. And as for sleeping… I’m pretty sure there would be none of that if you decided to have a sleepover with Lars.” She leans forward and whispers, “I bet that boy has stamina.”
I can’t help but giggle. I don’t know if she’s being serious or not, but this is nice.Girl chat.I’ve never had it before. At boarding school, the other girls kept clear of me. They came from families with prestigious names and unimaginable wealth. Even if they wanted to be friends with me or include me in things, once their parents learned who I was, they were told to stay away from me.
By the time I reached my senior year of high school, I was used to it and had built a wall so high around my feelings that it didn’t matter to me anymore.
Well, that’s what I told myself.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, I realize Mrs. V. has already been gone for an hour and will be back any minute.
I stand up so quick I almost spill my coffee. “Oh no, I haven’t done any of my chores. Mrs. V. is gonna kill me.”
“What do you need to do?” Mya asks.
“Unstack the dishwasher. Clean the coffee pot. Mop the floor.”
My very first day of employmenteverand I’ve already fucked it up.
“Don’t worry, sweet Ella. You grab the mop and bucket, and I’ll do the rest,” Mya says sweetly.
She gives me wink then turns away to start unstacking the dishwasher.
CHAPTER 21
Ella
I’m just puttingaway the mop and bucket when Mrs. V. returns. Mya is sitting at the breakfast counter drinking another cup of coffee.
