“What’s your address?” She asked as she opened the navigation app on her phone.
I thought for a second before giving her the address of a house near the end of my block. As we drove, she kept glancing in my direction. I rolled my eyes to myself, getting annoyed at all this attention.
“You know, I…I overheard the conversation you had about my no cursing rule.”
I groaned under my breath, giving up all hope that I might have gotten to sit and stew in my self-pity the rest of the car ride.
“I know the boys don’t always have the most tact, so I just wanted to explain why I have that rule. Then you might understand why they were so adamant about you following it.” She paused to look over at me, and I gestured for her tocontinue. “Now I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty or sorry or anything. I just want you to know where they’re coming from and give you some context. Anyways, I, um, my first husband was abusive. Verbally. And when I married Quentin, you met him at Nox’s house, we made it a rule that there was to be no swearing so that I always felt safe at home.”
I closed my eyes mentally berating myself for being so fucking stupid. Her reason for having the rule made complete sense and now I felt like a shithead.Fuck me and send me straight to hell.
“Well shit, I mean, um, crud. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” I apologized, trying my hardest not to let any foul language slip.
She chuckled lightly and shook her head, “Don’t worry about not cursing so much. I don’t expect you to change who you are, I just hope you can try to remember and respect that rule in my home next time you’re over.”
“Of-of course, ma’am…if I’m ever at your house again I’ll keep my curse words to myself.”
I shook my head at myself, certain that I’d fucked everything up with Jae and Nox.
“Oh, don’t worry about the boys. Friends disagree all the time, doesn’t mean your friendship is over. If it did, then no one would ever have lasting friendships,” she said with a smile of encouragement.
I wanted to throw up. I’d completely embarrassed myself and I just wanted to drown out this feeling.
“Are your parents home?” she asked, changing the topic smoothly.
“Uh, no. Actually, I’m not sure,” I explained, trying not to get caught in a lie.
“Okay, well I’d really feel most comfortable if I walked you to your door,” she said as we pulled onto my street.
“Um, that’s really not necessary,” I mumbled, the uneasy feeling in my stomach growing as this conversation continued.
“Here’s good. Thank you, ma’am.”
I grabbed my backpack from between my legs and reached for the door, as she slowed to a stop.
“It looks like the lights are all off. Do you need me to wait with you?”
“No, um, I’ve got a key,” I lied.
Fucking hell!
I looked up to the stranger’s house that I think a middle-aged man lived in and let out a small groan. I could barely make out the shape of the house in the dim light of the streetlamp. The inside was pitch black.
“Okay, I’ll wait to make sure you get inside.”
“I, uh, actually will probably go to my neighbor’s house first. I’m supposed to feed their cat,” I fudged, hoping she was buying this cringe-worthy story I was concocting out of my ass.
She was silent for a long minute, and my heart started to race.Fuck! She knows I’m lying. Why the fuck am I suddenly incapable of bullshitting? God, I’m an embarrassment to my kind.
“Shiloh,” she paused so I turned to face her with apprehension. “What’s going on? Is that not your house?”
I swallowed for something to do other than open my mouth. I looked away from her gaze, focusing on the sounds of dogs barking somewhere down the block.
“No, I mean, sort of,” I mumbled.
“So, whereisyour house?” she asked, although she didn’t sound upset like I was expecting. Not even disappointed.
“Down the block a ways.”
