It Was Always You

Chapter Twenty Three

The drive felt long and slow. It was dark and all the lights were blurring by as she stares out the back seat window. The traffic soon became heavy, and Jared was nearly catching every single red light. Evan and Chelsea wouldn't stop talking about the movie that soon turned into a conversation of the different types of movies they liked or didn't like and their voices soon becoming a hum of noise.

Jared laughed at something that Chelsea had said about a funny part in a comedy that Mila ended up toning them all out even more. He looks into his rearview mirror and sees her looking out of his tinted window in silence not partaking in the conversation or seeming to be interested at all. Looking back at the road he couldn't help wondering what was on her mind and why she looked a bit down.

The holidays were soon coming, and Christmas decorations were being put up on some of the stores and houses already. And with that meant loads of shoppers out and about doing who knew what.

"Geez, I could probably walk home and still get there before this car makes it to the next light." She mumbles to herself.

Chelsea laughs. "I know right. This traffic is moving so slow."

Mila gave a small smile, not realizing that she spoke loud enough for all of them to hear. They all finally sat there in silence listening to some soft music that was playing on the radio.

"What are we listening too?" Evan scoots up between the two front seats and reaches over to change the station to hip hop and R&B. Instantly an upbeat rap song blares through the speakers.

"That's more like it." He states with a grin sitting back down next to her.

"Oh I love this song!" Chelsea exclaims and starts singing the words with gusto.

Mila didn't understand why that as soon as she heard the music she instantly got agitated with frustration. With a scowl she couldn't help but snap, "I hate it."

"Oh, well, if you want we could change it?" Chelsea provides getting ready to do just that.

"No, it's fine. I'll deal with it." She sighs heavily feeling like an asshole.

Both Jared and Chelsea exchanged looks wondering what was wrong with her. Mila was looking out at a group of people giving out hot food for the homeless. She suddenly sits up straighter in her seat, her eyes widening. They weren't in the best of neighborhoods, there was a lot of homeless people around, drug addicts, and gang members but at that moment she didn't care.

They were stopped yet again at a red light and she opens her door without warning.

"Mila, what the hell are you doing?!" Evan cries out in shock.

She ignores him and slams the door shut without a backwards glance. Quickly crossing the street to the sidewalk she heads straight for the group of people who were passing out hot steamy plates of food and drinks.

"Shit." Jared curses, unbuckling himself as he gets out of his car following after her.

"Jared! You can't just leave us here like this in the middle of the road!" Chelsea screams out not believing he just did that.

Just then the traffic starts up again as the light turns green. Cars behind them start honking their horns. "Damn it!" She growls.

Evan too starts to get out, but she snaps at him. "Oh no you don't! I don't know how to drive and you're going to pull this thing over!"

"Fuck, are you serious?!" He gets out and heads for the driver's seat to do just that.

Jared runs up to Mila and grabs her roughly by the arm, swinging her around to face him. "What the hell are you doing?! Do you have any idea how fucking dangerous that was you just did?!" He yells angrily.

"Let go of me Jared!" She yells right back trying to free her arm from his grip.

And that was the very moment she wanted to slap him with all the anger built up inside of her, that came out of nowhere and she didn't understand why.

"No! You can't just jump out of a moving car like that! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"First of all, it wasn't moving! And I happened to spot my grandparents!" She hotly yells back.

Jared looks over to the group who were now staring at them. Among them were Gale and his wife Laura. He looks back at her. "You could have just said something first. I would have pulled over and let you out safely."

She jerks her arm from his grasp and starts walking away feeling tears begin to sting her eyes. She was not going to cry in front of him, not knowing why she even wanted to cry in the first place. It was like everything coming out of his mouth just made the weight in her chest weigh even more. She felt hurt. And it seemed to her that he didn't even care whether she was with them or not.

He didn't even bother to invite her over to have dinner if that was what his mom planned doing beforehand. He didn't seem to care to drop her off in the middle of a dangerous neighborhood in a sketchy part of town. Didn't matter if her grandparents were here or not. At least that was her thinking anyways.

"Everything alright pumpkin?" Her grandpa asks her looking highly concerned as she reaches them.

"Yeah papa, I'm fine."

Jared stood where he was, watching them for a moment. He felt that she was angry and for some reason that anger was pointed at him. But he couldn't remember during the time they spent together what he may have done wrong. He didn't want her to be angry or upset, especially from something he did. All he wanted was for her to happy. He turned when he heard people walking behind him to see that it was Evan and Chelsea.

"What's going on?" She asks as she looks around at the large group of people and seeing what they were doing.

He didn't answer but looks back at Mila once more, who was now standing next to her grandmother helping to serve the homeless.

"Nothing." He finally says before walking away without another word.

Evan looks to Mila with a frown. He didn't want to approach with Gale standing next to her, the man gave him the creeps with his stern hard look. He clears his throat and calls out to her instead.

"I'll see you tomorrow, I guess. We're going to go." He points behind where they came from.

He saw Gale frown in his direction and so he turns around quickly to follow Jared, leaving Chelsea behind who waves at her with a small smile and turns as well. Mila had waved back before turning her attention back to serving, feeling even more depressed than she did a moment ago.

After an hour had passed, and the homeless were fed with what they had to offer, she stops and just stands there staring at the empty pot that previously had chicken noodle soup. She feels an arm slip around her shoulders and a warmth only her grandfather could give her.

"Whatever is bothering you pumpkin, don't let it cloud your judgement of what is really there." He tells her with a gentle caring voice.

She didn't understand his full meaning so didn't really ponder on it much. "Can you take me home papa?" She asks sadly causing concern to reflect in his light blue eyes.

Smiling sadly back for reasons he doesn't quite know yet, he states, "Of course."