After neatly arranging the groceries and dropping the clothing bags off in Neon's room, Belle retreated to her own bedroom, staying holed up there for the rest of the afternoon. Surprisingly, Eli didn't come to knock or disturb her rest with medical review materials. For a fleeting moment, a sense of quiet isolation washed over her, and she felt an urge to seek him out just to talk. But she quickly dismissed the thought, pulling the covers over herself and closing her eyes to sleep.
Ceres, however, had absolutely no intention of letting her rest.
[I don't understand you at all!] Ceres complained loudly from the back of her mind. [First, you wanted us to seize the opportunity and get close to him. I agreed! Then, you suddenly tell me to put some distance between us. I didn't question your logic. Next, you agree to become his assistant. I—]
(I didn't agree to that,) Belle interrupted sharply. (You did.)
[But you didn't refuse either!]
(I did. You just chose to tune me out.)
