I arranged my scarf as if it could hide the rawness inside. Amira watched me from the corner of her eye, that knowing smile playing on her lips. She was waiting for me to break, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.
Skyler settled next to Tia and Amira. He glanced at me briefly, then down at the table, and I realized there wasn’t a chair for me.
Amira walked up, pretending to be the most gracious host. “Um, Raya, I’ll get a chair for you,” she said, her voice dripping with false concern. She grabbed a chair and breezed past me, placing it far from Skyler. “It’s better here,” she announced.
“You can sit there, Raya,” Skyler said, his eyes barely meeting mine as he flashed that cool smile—the one meant for Tia. The indifference in his voice pierced through me. I stood there, frozen, while everything inside screamed to run.
I decided to sway past that and not act affected in any way. Keeping my chin up, I walked to the far end of the table and sat down. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.