bad decisions

Chapter 11: The Truth Does Nothing if You Don't Share It - Part Two

Noah Day 6

Sitting at the table with the guys while Saturn is in the kitchen is tense. I can see the guys looking at me, and I know they have questions. I know they think something's wrong. And there is but it's not what they think. After taking a long sip of my coffee, I sigh.

"Hey Sat, you going to be okay if the guys and I step outside for a few?" I ask, raising my voice just enough that she'll hear me over the noise she's making in the kitchen.

"Sure thing. I'll bring it out if you want," she responds, half listening.

Without a word, I stand and turn around to head out back. I hear the chairs scrape the floor as the guys get out of their seats and follow me.

I sit in the chair farthest from the door and Nick plops down on the couch with Folio next to him. Jolly shuts the door behind him and takes a seat in the chair next to mine.

"Go on," I say, looking at the floor with a pit in my stomach, "I know you have questions."

Nick starts, "Are y'all an item?"

Folio follows up, "What's with the shit on her ribs?"

Jolly didn't say anything.

"Saturn and I are Saturn and I. That's all I know right now. And fuck off Folio," I spit at the end, shocked by the venom in my voice but continuing anyway "That was beyond fucking rude and you should be glad you asked me instead of her, she'd have you on your ass in half a second for being like that y-"

Jolly interrupted me, "He didn't mean anything by it, you know that Noah. Are you okay?"

I sighed and slumped back into my seat, "I know. I'm sorry. And I don't know."

"We'll, you brought us out here to talk, so talk man," he said.

"I like her. She's amazing. I don't want to push anything, though she has her own problems and I don't want to make that worse for her. She sees through me, she understands things that I've been unable to tell you guys. Things I've been unable to tell myself..." I trail off toward the end, not knowing how else to express everything flying through my head.

Folio chuckles, "Good for you man," he gets up and heads for the door, clapping me on the shoulder on his way by, "It's about time someone got through to you." He walked in the house with a smile on his face.

Nick was quick to follow him, "Y'all are totally an item, but hey, it's good to see you back in the game," he ruffled my hair, laughing when it frustrated me, before following Folio into the house.

It was just me and Jolly. It was tense for a minute, and quiet.

"I know what Ali did to you. I haven't been blind to you for the past months. I was hoping you'd see sense or find a way to start healing, and now you have. I'm proud of and happy for you Noah, but you need to listen and listen good. You need to make sure you still look out for you. You can't dive headfirst into taking care of that girl, you'll continue to hurt yourself in the process," I looked up to him as he spoke, "I can see that she's got a soft spot for you, but you drown in everyone else's sorrow to escape your own. Don't do that here," then he got up and walked back inside.

I sat outside by myself for a while, going over what he said before steeling myself and heading back into the house. Jolly was at the kitchen table, reading some article on his phone, and Folio was sitting on the kitchen counter while Saturn was wrapping up breakfast burritos.

Walking in, I asked, "Want some hel-" I was cut off by the sound of groaning.

Looking down to the floor, I saw Nick curled up holding his stomach, groaning in the fetal position.