𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮, 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝟎𝟎𝟖

Chapter 8
Two Weeks Later

Gina had the night off and decided to do some house chores—cleaning, and catching up on some laundry. As she walked through the house, her footsteps light on the polished wooden floors, she hesitated at Kehlani's room. The door was slightly ajar, a silent invitation that Gina wasn't sure she wanted to accept. But curiosity got the better of her.

She pushed the door open and stepped into the organized chaos. Piles of clothes lay scattered across the room like discarded memories. Some were flung over the chair by the window, others spilled out of the closet as if they'd been thrown there in haste. Gina sighed, feeling a pang of concern and affection for her friend.

Kehlani had been working crazy hours at the warehouse, running her weed business on the side. The exhaustion weighed heavily on her, and it showed in the state of her room. She hadn't really been there to stay long, only coming home to crash before repeating the cycle the next day.

Gina moved toward the bed, stepping carefully over discarded jeans and t-shirts, her eyes catching on a small collection of cups gathering dust on the nightstand. The sight made her frown. It wasn't like Kehlani to let things get this messy.

"What the hell, Kehlani?" Gina muttered to herself, her voice barely a whisper in the stillness of the room. She wasn't sure if the clothes strewn across the floor were clean or dirty. With a resigned sigh, she began to separate them into two piles: lights and darks, trying to bring some semblance of order to the chaos.

As she worked, her mind wandered, thinking about the difference between their lives. Gina's own room was immaculate, almost sterile, with every item in its place, just as her parents demanded. But Kehlani's room was a reflection of the chaos she dealt with daily—a chaos that Gina could never fully understand, but desperately wanted to help with.

She paused, holding one of Kehlani's faded hoodies in her hands. It still carried the scent of Kehlani's favorite lavender body spray, mixed with a hint of something earthy. Gina pressed it to her face, inhaling deeply. It was a small comfort in the midst of the cluttered room.

Gina decided to do more than just the laundry. She picked up the cups from the nightstand, her fingers brushing against the sticky surface. With a grimace, she took them to the kitchen, rinsing them out before placing them in the dishwasher. As the machine hummed to life, Gina wiped her hands on a towel and looked back toward Kehlani's room.

She knew her friend wouldn't appreciate her going through her things, but she also knew Kehlani needed this. Needed someone to help carry the weight, even if she would never admit it. Returning to the room, Gina straightened the bed, fluffed the pillows, and folded the clean clothes she had just washed.

When she was done, the room looked less like a battlefield and more like a refuge—a place where Kehlani could find peace, if only for a few hours. Gina sat on the edge of the bed, running her hand over the soft fabric of the freshly made blanket.

She stood up, taking one last look at her work before quietly closing the door behind her. She knew this small act of kindness wouldn't fix the deeper problems Kehlani faced, but it was something. and right now, that had to be enough.

They hadn't spoken much in the last few days, both caught up in their own worlds—Kehlani with her warehouse job and side hustle, Gina with her online classes and part-time work.

Finally, she made her way to Kehlani's room. The door creaked open to reveal the chaotic space with clothes scattered everywhere, shoes thrown in different corners, and an empty fast food bag on the floor. Gina sighed as she stepped inside, feeling a familiar mix of frustration and concern.