Non Verbal

28

hi loves. hope u enjoy. it's a long one, idk.

happy reading, remember to vote and comment.

Lottie's POV.

28

We all get back into the car after getting everything from the store.

I sit in the back next to Sutton and use my flashlight to read the instructions in the back of the hair dye box.

"Lots the light is too bright." Rowan says as he turns the car on and I wince and turn it to a lower setting.

"Is that better?"

"Yeah." He says but he doesn't pull out and instead I wonder if he's counting like he was the other day. India confirms my suspicion when she reaches over and grabs one of his hands.

I look at Sutton, wondering what he thought about that.

Rowan deflates and then turns the car off. "I am tired Sut, can you drive?"

"Rowan if you're worried about driving maybe it would be better to fight through it." India says quietly, gently.

I shift on my seat uneasily.

Sutton ignores India. "Yeah swap with me." He says to him and starts to get out the car.

"Rowan." India frowns.

He tenses, I think trying to keep patient and I just blurt.

"India if he wants to swap, let him swap, let's all just be safe. Yeah?"

I hate cars. Honestly. And the person I feel most comfortable with driving in Sutton.

India just looks back at me and I send her a sheepish smile.

I ease up. "I just think we should listen to Rowan if-"

"No that's enabling." She says.

"No it's-"

"India." Rowan says. His tone so cold that I shut up just at the fact he hasn't ever sounded so harsh before. "Stop."

She shuts up too and he gets out the car, his body language seeming so tense that I look at Sutton, so concerned.

He just rolls his eyes at me and shakes his head, I think trying to reassure that it's okay. A few moments go past as they swap, and I just concentrate on trying to read the back of the box, wanting to seem like I know what I am doing later.

Rowan gets into the back of the car next to me and Sutton is in the front, and I breathe a little relieved when Sunny engages India into a conversation, she seems upbeat still, not at all sulking like I would have been if the rolls were reversed.

Rowan lifts his hand and rubs his head; I watch him out the corner of my eye and my lips tug up when he looks towards me.

I slide my eyes over to his, letting us make eye contact.

I lean in to whisper to him.

"I know you just wanted to sit in the back with me Roe, don't fret."

He narrows his eyes and his head lowers to whisper back at me.

"That is not the case."

"No?"

"No."

"Mm, I think it was."

"You think I'd want to come and sit this close to you? Ew, no."

I laugh at that, sitting back up properly and just looking at him. "I forgot, we're not friends, right?"