“So, you two moving in wasn’t over that?” She smiles. “When he told me, I thought there was a sort of ulterior motive.”
“None like that.”
“You aren’t pregnant?”
My eyes widen. “Sorry?”
“Is that the reason?”
“No!” I blurt. “Not at all.” I bite my lip and avoid her gaze before saying, “He… uh… saved me… and I l-love h-him.”
“He talks about you a lot,” she says, breathing a laugh.
My cheeks burn.
“When he first mentioned you, I was a little hesitant. Wary of his motives because you’ve been through so much, Noya. But when he told me you two were moving in together, I knew he cared for you. Conner was never the type to jump into things unless he cared for them.” Her face then hardens, and I notice her lip curl in disdain. “His old girlfriend was horrendous. She would appear at our home, and I know Conner didn’t invite her, but was too kind not to let her in. He didn’t introduce her to us. It was as if he didn’t want her around, nor did he want to date her.”
“Oh… yeah, she’s uh,”—I swallow—“interesting.”
“But the way he introduced you,” she says, struggling to keep this conversation lighthearted. “It was as if he were proud to be beside you. Even Milo noticed the way he hovered, as if he couldn’t stand to be a foot away from you.”
This conversation is awkward, but she’s trying to make me comfortable. It isn’t working, but I can see where she’s coming from.
“Now that we’ve met again, I hope our old affiliation doesn’t chase you away. I’d like it if you considered this place yoursecond home. You’re more than welcome to come over, day and night.”
I smile tightly. She’s trying to make me comfortable, possibly because of guilt. I realise I’m still the same girl trapped in the cage I built rather than a free bird flying off into the sunset. I’m still in a broken home, and because she knows me, it must hurt her to know that I’m still with the monster who frightens me the most in the world.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I whisper.
42
FAMILY FUN NIGHT
I sitin the middle of Conner and Charlotte. She hands me the red controller and tells me how to hold it. I listen as she explains when to push down on the button at a specific time for a speed boost. Conner leans back, the strap of the controller around his finger, spinning it. His other hand rests on my back, and I sit up straighter.
Noah crouches on the lounge, his feet sinking into the cushions. Mr and Mrs Jones sit on the other side. Mrs Jones doesn’t have a controller, but she holds a camera. I blink when the flash goes off after she aims the camera toward Conner and me.
“I found out what your name means,” Charlotte says with glee.
I smile encouragingly at her.
“It means theBeauty of God. At least, that’s what Google says.”
The beauty of God. I grimace at the thought. I wonder if Mum and Dad knew the meaning and who out of the two named me.
“Thank you for telling me.”
I raise the controller and say, “Wish me luck.”
“Hold it now,” Charlotte says when it counts down to two.
I press the button, and when it says GO, smoke puffs out from behind while the other cars and bikes zoom ahead. Conner chuckles, and I’m a little embarrassed as I chug along behind the speed racers.
“Tilt left and right and make sure you get the boxes.”
I missed the first two boxes. I overshot it and hit the wall the first time. The controller is sensitive. The second time, the car in front of me with this character in a pink dress hit the box before I could get to it with my green elf beanie and tunic. My character is coming last, and I think – aside from my horrible driving—that it is because I keep hitting random green shells and bananas.
“They are the worst,” Charlotte says with a shake of her head.