Haunted Wood de dragul tău

She thought she felt his eyes boring holes in the side of her head, though Meerkat couldn't bring herself to look at him yet. Only when Issorartuyok mentioned love did she move, quite suddenly whipping her head sideways. She felt heat creeping along her throat, her stomach clenching. He begged her to speak and now she rushed to oblige.

"I asked if you liked me," Meerkat said quickly, "not if you loved me. I don't—" Her lips slammed shut. "But I think you're answering my question. You don't look at me that way. You're not attracted to me." She exhaled every single ounce of air in her body, it felt like. Then she inhaled. "And that's okay. Really. Is it hard to hear? Yes. But I'll be okay. It's fine. Really."

Her soft eyes rested on his face a moment before dropping away again. Meerkat breathed in and out a few more times, willing away a slight, sudden tremble. Her chest ached in a familiarly ephemeral way that pulled a sigh from the very deeps of her spirit. She'd told herself not to say anything unless he expressed interest first. Now she'd paid the price for violating that simple rule.

Thanks, mom, Meerkat thought sullenly, reaching up a paw absently to rub at the sore spot in her ribs.