Our indelible pasts|✔

sixty one - kiana

"SO I HEAR you two have been having sleepovers without me." Nia says as she scrolls through her phone.

I look at Noah who looks at Nia like she just told the world about his favourite SpongeBob underwear (yes, the SpongeBob underwear is very real).

"Mason told me." Nia explains when she's met with silence.

Noah and I exchange a look before we both look back at Nia.

It's normal for Noah to come over without Nia so I don't really understand why Noah's looking like he's about to shit his pants.

Nia speaks again when she's met with more silence. "He also told me that he thinks you two are seeing each other again. Correction, having sex."

So that's why Noah is reacting the way he is.

Nia looks between the both of us for an explanation, but I look at Noah for an explanation.

"Nia, no we're not." He proceeds to look at me. "And I didn't tell them anything."

"Them?" I ask, getting more confused by the minute.

"Bryson and Mason. They asked me where I've been spending my nights and when I said your place, they couldn't shut up about it." He explains.

"Why so many nights that I didn't know about though?" Nia puts her phone down, a sly smile on her face that I can't help but roll my eyes at.

"It's been a rough week; Noah's just been trying to make it better. Nothing is going on." I promise her.

"Exactly." Adds Noah.

And it's true; as far as I'm concerned, there is nothing going on. In senior year I tucked my feelings for Noah away into a box far, far away in my mind and I have no desire of knowing if that box is within reach. My life is still too complicated for me to allow myself to go down that road again. Adding a relationship to my growing list of my problems is the last thing I need right now.

"I'll try not to be offended by the fact that you picked Noah over me."

"I didn't pick anyone." I point out. "I had a breakdown and Noah just happened to be around when it happened."

A look of concern overtakes Nia's face. "I didn't know you had a breakdown."

"You just got a new internship that you're crazy about. I didn't want you to start worrying about me. And besides, it's not that big of a deal."

"Babe, I will always worry about you. I'm your best friend. Or did you forget?" Nia looks at me pointedly.

I chuckle. "No, I didn't forget. This internship is just so important to you-"

"And so are you." Nia insists.

"Okay, I'm sorry I didn't tell you." I sigh in defeat.

"No don't be sorry about that. Be sorry that you thought my internship was more important than you."

"It won't happen again." I send a sincere smile Nia's way.

"Good." She smiles back. "But just to be clear, you two are getting back together, right?"

"No." Noah and I say at the same time in slight frustration.

"Okay, okay, don't attack me. It was just a simple question." Nia throws her hands up in defence. "I believe you but I'm pretty sure Mason doesn't."

"Yeah, he doesn't. Him and Bryson are on my neck about it. It's 'Kiana this' and 'Kiana everything' all the damn time."

I laugh. "I honestly don't blame them. You're here literally almost every night."

On Thursday Mrs Miller even made sure to bring enough food for three people because she too noticed Noah's frequent visits.

Noah shakes his head. "What Mason needs is an active love life. He slept with some girl last week but apparently that was the last of any action he'll be getting in a while. So now he's bored and bothering me."

"Does he still like Nia?" I ask even though I already know the answer.

"I think he always will." Noah says and both Nia and I laugh. "As for Bryson, him and Sandra are having issues, so he's also shifted all his focus to me. I know no peace in that house."

"You'll be fine." Nia tells him. "And what's up with Sandra and Bryson? They're literally like the perfect couple."

"Right!" I agree with Nia's last statement.

"We think she might be seeing someone else." Noah sighs.

"You think she's cheating?" I raise my eyebrows in shock.

"I wouldn't say cheating...none of us want to. But whatever it is, it's not good cause she's hiding it from him. She's lying to him about something." Explains Noah.

"How do you guys even know?"

"Bryson accidentally so a text on her phone from one of her exes."

"Oh, damn." I mutter. "That's tough."

Poor guy. Since I've met him, Bryson's been nothing but a decent guy, so I really hope for his sake that Sandra's doing nothing wrong.

"Crazy that Ashley ended things with some guy over accidentally reading his texts too. It's things like that that remind me why it's always a good thing to stay single." Nia sighs.

"Honestly." Noah drones.

"I really don't want you agreeing with me because I will always ship you two." Nia teases, her index finger dancing between Noah and I. I throw a pillow at her head.

"Quit it." I tell her at the same time Noah tells her to "fuck off."

"I love you too." Nia explodes into a fit of laughter.