Page 93 of Through You
“Good girl.”
I leave him to finish packing and make my way downstairs.
Everyone is waiting for him in the living room. Artemis and I exchange a quick glance before I head to my room. I don’t even want to be present when Ares leaves with his suitcases in hand.
Farewells are a newly discovered personal weakness. I run into my mother in the hallway.
“Is he leaving already?” my mother asks with a sad smile.
“Yes, he’s about to come downstairs.”
“I’ll go say good-bye.” I nod and step aside to let her pass.
My mom loves the three Hidalgo boys very much. She’s spent more time with them than their own mother. I let out a sigh when I enter my room. Ares’s flight departs early, but it’s not yet dawn, which means I have a few hours left to sleep. Sunrise is in three hours and I’ll need all the energy I can get. I crawl into bed.
I want . . . I want to be with you, Claudia.
I roll to my side and rest my cheek on my hands. Artemis’s words keep circling inside my head. Several days have gone by and I haven’t seen him other than just this morning, but I can’t stop thinking about him.
Because it’s you. Because you’re the only person who can seethrough me.
How can he say those things and disappear, just like that?
I roll over again, and this time I’m lying on my back with hands outstretched on either side.
“Stupid iceberg.”
I close my eyes, and take a deep breath. I really need these three hours of rest or I’ll perform poorly during the day.
Moonlight sneaks through my window, invading the darkness of my bedroom, and the trees outside make shadows on the roof.
A wistful smile forms on my lips.
“What are you doing?” I asked with trepidation when I was eight years old, watching Artemis place some sheets on the floor of his room before turning the lights off. My fear of the dark from spending so many years living on the streets still tormented me.
So I closed my eyes, feeling afraid.
Artemis took me by the hand and led me over to where he’d put down the sheets, and we both lay down on our backs. I kept my eyes closed because I didn’t want to see the monsters around me.
“Artemis, I don’t like the dark.”
“I know,” he whispered. “Open your eyes and look at the ceiling.”
I slowly opened my eyes and discovered that the ceiling was covered with glow-in-the-dark stickers. There were stars, planets, and constellations, all in different colors. It was a beautiful sight.
“Wow.”
“You don’t have to be afraid, Claudia. You can also find beauty in the dark.”
After that night, we shared other moments together in the dark and he showed me so many beautiful things. Eventually, I came to associate positive experiences with the dark and overcame my fear.
I doubt anyone else knows how kindhearted Artemis really is. I wonder if he’s shown that side of himself to anyone else.
At last, exhaustion wins and I fall asleep with that question lingering in my mind.
“This is the list of your daily tasks,” Mrs. Marks concludes, giving me a sheet of paper. “And Claudia, I want to reiterate that we’re very happy you accepted this internship. Your résumé and writing samples are impressive.”
“Thank you very much. It’s a great compliment coming from you, Mrs. Marks.”
