We're Not Alone

Chapter 16

After a while Leo and Ben decide that in a few weeks, Leo will come out too, so they can be together in public; they just want to wait until Ben is out to his parents as well. It's about 2:30 when we're done discussing, which means school is over. And as if on cue Noah calls me again, I grab my phone from the island "Sorry it's Noah again," The guys just nod. Noah just double-checked it was okay for him to go with his friends.

After I hang up I turn to the guys and Leo tilts his head slightly "Everything okay?" I nod with a small smile "yeah, school just got out so Noah was calling to make sure he can still go to Tommy's" Leo nods "Oh shoot I should tell my parents I'm here" Ben says, Milo nods "You guys can stay however long you want, and I can drive you home whenever" Milo and Ben thank me.

Leo speaks up "Let's play a game or do something fun," all 3 of us nodding. "Sounds good to me, we have just about any board or card game you can think of, and also Noah has a ton of video games" I smile, Ben smiles "Ooo let's do a board game" I smile, "Any favorites?" Ben looks to Milo "You're the game master, you pick" I raise my eyebrow "Game master?" Milo shakes his head "I just love games" Ben rolls his eyes "he's also annoyingly good at them, he always wins." I raise my eyebrows "oh this is gonna be fun, I'm annoyingly competitive" Milo laughs "Let go pick one then."

Milo follows me to the corner of the living room, stopping at a big cabinet, I open it revealing at least a hundred games "Well shit you weren't kidding" laugh "No I was not, my parents are big on game night" he smiles "Oh my god ticket to ride? I haven't played that in years, my grandma used to have it at her house so we would play it whenever we went there" I grab it, "any others?" he smiles, looking around "I know Ben likes cards against humanity" I nod and grab it, "Leo likes monopoly" I say and Milo grabs it out.

I turn to head back to the living room but Milo speaks "Wait, you need to pick one" I tilt my head slightly confused" We got Leo's, Ben's and I's favorites, but not yours" I smile, "ticket to ride is my favorite, but hmm let see" I glance around the cabinet until I find sorry "oh let's go with Sorry, Noah always loses so we never play anymore" he laughs, and grabs the box for me "Sorry it is" he smiles and we head back over.

Leo and Ben are sitting by the coffee table when we return. We gather around, picking ticket to ride first, and we all start setting it up. "I'm gonna get something to drink, do you guys want anything?" After listing the options I'm in the kitchen getting an ice water for me, lemonade for Ben, and a Trader Joe's vanilla latte for both Milo and Leo.

As I'm filling glasses with ice for the coffee Milo comes into the kitchen. "Can I help?" I smile "Uh do you wanna pour those coffees onto those?" I say while nodding towards the glasses of ice on the island, he smiles and nods, doing just that. "Also, uh I just wanted to see if you're okay, I know you're trying to focus on what happened to Ben, but also what Jules did to you is not okay, and if I were you I'd probably be terrified right now" I swallow, trying to push down each emotion I'm feeling, the gratefulness, the guilt that he should still be focused on Ben, the thud of my heart that picks up hearing someone ask me if I'm okay for the first time in a while, and all the embarrassment that I made this situation about me.

I smile "Uh yeah, surprisingly fine, I'm just worried about Ben, and Leo too. I just hope that I didn't make the whole situation worse for them" he shakes his head, sitting the glass in his hand down. "Scarlett, you didn't make things worse, I mean you stopped his panic attack, and stood up for him, no one besides me has ever done that before." I frown at that, waiting for him to continue "And I highly doubt he would be playing games, let alone smiling right now if you hadn't done that."

I give him a crooked smile, "Well, I'm glad I could help, but really I'm Okay, it was nothing compared to what they're going through right now. How are you holding up?" he smiles, letting out a small smile, "I'm fine, I mean I'm terrified for Ben, but he's holding up better than expected thanks to you guys."