I cleared my throat awkwardly trying to cover up the grin that was about to take over my face, “No reason.”
Jesus, I need to get over myself. She has a boyfriend, even if she’s not wearing his clothes and honestly never talks about him.
I dropped my arm to pull my keys out as we approached the car. Jae looked up from his phone and pushed off the car when he saw us.
“Sup, Shiloh, you coming with?” Jae greeted as I unlocked the car and opened my door.
“Yeah,” she nodded, opening the door to the backseat.
“Cool,” he said, eyeing me.
“We’re dropping her at home first.”
He gave the ‘okay’ sign and hopped into the front seat.
I quickly texted my uncle that I was going to be a little late. Jae resumed his usual routine of swiping through his phone mindlessly and I tried to converse with Shiloh who was anxiously biting her nails. I hoped that she wasn’t worrying about inconveniencing me still.
“Guess what?” I asked, unable to contain the smile spreading across my face. She raised a brow, and I grinned with confidence, “I totally beasted the math midterm!”
She looked at me like I had grown a second head.
“Oh, come on, I’m not lying,” I pouted. “I really think I did well. There were, like, maybe one or two questions that threw me. But otherwise, it was actually kind of easy.”
She nodded slowly, a small smile gracing her face.
“That’s really great, Nox. So, ‘beasted it’ means you…did a good job?”
I laughed and nodded, Jae looking at me in confusion, but I dismissed him to return to his own little world.
“Yeah, I guess you’re not the only one who makes up words.”
I heard her chuckle from the back, and I smiled to myself. Every time she laughed, something inside me forced a smile to my face and a warm feeling to flutter in my chest.
“Don’t think I didn’t hear you say ‘fridge nuggets’ the other day when you hit your funny bone,” Shiloh said playfully, a smirk on her face when I glanced in the rearview mirror at her reflection.
I coughed a laugh out and sighed with fake dejection, “Okay, so maybe you’re rubbing off on me just a little bit.”
“Where the hell did you come up with fridge nuggets?”
“I dunno,” I shrugged. “It was just the first thing that came to my mind.”
“I mean, fucknugget, sure, because I said that before. But fridge…” she paused to snort, causing me to bite back a smile. “Have you ever even said fuck before?”
I rolled my eyes, scoffing. “Yes. I just don’t say it as often as you.”
“Sure, sure,” she muttered, shaking her head.
The radio filled the silence for a while and I focused on the drive to her house, the neighborhood notably growing worn down the closer we got.
I knew she had a point, that I wouldn’t understand her problems. I didn’t come from a poor neighborhood, I hadamazing parents, and had never lacked anything be it emotional support or wants and needs. But Iwantedto understand her. I was lucky enough to be in a position to help without expecting anything in return, and I wanted her to accept my help. I could tell that she wasn’t one to ask for it though, and there was only so much I could do without her allowing me into her world.
It could be scary trusting someone with your secrets and struggles, especially when she thought that I never had any of significance, but maybe in time she would realize that I was ready and willing to help in any way that I could. The thought haunted me, but I couldn’t help but feel like she had a reason to be so reserved and skeptical of accepting help. Someone must have broken her trust to make her so guarded, and I didn’t think it happened just once.
“Right here is good,” she said.
I pulled to a stop in front of a chain-link fenced house.
She threw out a quick thank you, jumping out of the car before I had a chance to reply. I rolled down my window and called her name. She stopped abruptly and slowly turned to face me.
