You step into the common room, scanning the area. Barty spots you from the armchair near the fire, his feet propped up and a smug smile on his face.
"Finally, there’s my favorite sister," Barty greets, his voice dripping with mock affection.
"You’re in a good mood, huh?" you reply, approaching.
"Yeah. Theo and I get along well," he adds, giving Theodore a light shove with his shoulder.
Theodore sits beside him, half-curled with a book in his lap. "Could you sort everything out with Evan?" Theodore asks.
"What?" You stop short, caught off guard.
"Weren’t you away with him?" he presses, his head tilting slightly.
"Yes… we sorted everything out," you answer carefully.
"Where did you leave Evan?" Barty inquires, his gaze sharpening.
"I don’t know where he is," you respond, crossing your arms over your chest.
"There’s nothing between you and Evan, right?" Barty asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Are you crazy? What makes you think that?" you snap, your voice low and defensive.
"Because you’re both acting weird… I didn’t even know you knew each other," he mutters.
"We just know each other by sight," you insist.
"By sight?" Barty echoes, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes. What’s your problem?" you challenge.
"He’s my best friend and not the most sensible guy," Barty mutters.
"I don’t care about your friends," you fire back.
Barty leans back with a sigh, dragging a hand through his hair before turning to Theo.
"Fine… can I borrow Theodore for tonight?" he asks too casually.
"Why? I wanted to spend the evening with him," you protest, looking between them.
"Theo, you didn’t tell me you already had plans for tonight," Barty remarks, feigning surprise.
"Amore… I completely forgot," Theodore admits.
"Forgot? You said you were looking forward to it," you remind him.
"Of course, but… can we do it another time?" he murmurs, gently.
"What are you doing instead?" you demand.
"We just wanted to have a guys’ night… nothing special. Evan and Reggie are coming too," Barty explains, shrugging like it’s nothing.
You lie back on your bed with your arms folded behind your head. The silence presses in.
You told Theodore it was fine. You even smiled.
And yet, here you are.
Your gaze fixes on a crack in the ceiling. You’ve been staring at it for minutes, trying not to think about them. About Theo laughing at something Barty said. Or Evan, glancing around the room with an unreadable expression. About how no one really explained why they wanted this night.
Your stomach twists.
What could they be doing that you aren't supposed to see?
You shift restlessly, rolling onto your side. The empty room feels hollow. You reach for your book, flip it open, then close it again a second later.
"Stupid," you whisper into the pillow.
You sit up, pulling your knees to your chest.
It’s not that you don’t trust Theodore. You do. Mostly.
It’s the way Barty looked at you when he asked. The way he mentioned Evan like it meant something. Like he knew something.
You could stay. You could try to sleep. Wake up tomorrow, pretend this doesn’t bother you.
Or…
You glance toward the door.
You could just check.