𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫 | 𝐒. 𝐆𝐨𝐣𝐨 ✔️

Chapter XVI

"Yup. She's gone," Gojo announces as he steps into the room, locking the door behind him.

I crawl out from under the bed slowly, brushing dust off my pants and wiping my nose with the back of my hand. My face is still warm from all the crying I tried to hold back.

When I glance at him, he's leaning against the door, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised. "You okay?" he asks, a smirk tugging at his lips.

I sniff, trying to pull myself together. "I'm fine." My voice cracks slightly, and I hate myself for it.

Gojo narrows his eyes, tilting his head like he's studying me. "You sure? Because you look like you just lost a fight with some dust bunnies under the bed."

I roll my eyes, but it's half-hearted. "Shut up, Gojo."

He pushes off the door and strolls over to me, hands stuffed in the pockets of his—my—hoodie. "No, seriously," he says. "You good?"

I avoid his gaze, shrugging. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"'Nothing,' huh?" he echoes, still watching me closely. "You sure 'nothing' doesn't have something to do with how you're acting all weird since your mom showed up?"

My jaw tightens. "I said it's nothing."

He sighs, flopping onto my bed and lying back. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But you're terrible at hiding your feelings, you know."

I glare at him, but it's half-hearted. "You're so annoying."

He grins, propping himself up on his elbows. "You love it."

"Hardly," I mutter, sitting on the edge of the bed, my back to him.

For a moment, neither of us says anything. The room feels too quiet, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between us.

Then, Gojo starts humming softly—some tune I don't recognize but find oddly calming. I close my eyes for a second, letting the sound fill the silence, taking my mind off the ache that's been sitting heavy in my chest.

Off the things that would only make me cry if I thought too hard about them.

"Are your parents never home?" I blurt out before I can stop myself. My breath catches the moment the words leave my mouth, and I freeze.

Why did I even say that?

Gojo doesn't stop humming. "Nope," he says casually, like it's the most normal thing in the world.

I bite my lip, debating whether or not to push further. "Do you..." I hesitate, choosing my words carefully. "Do you want them to be?"

The humming stops.

The silence stretches, heavy and uneasy, and I don't dare turn my head to look at him.

I'm afraid of what I might see.

When he finally speaks, his voice is quieter than I've ever heard it. "Maybe. Sometimes."

I shift slightly on the bed, still not looking at him but feeling the weight of his words.

They sound so out of place coming from him—the guy who always seems to have a witty comeback or a cocky grin plastered on his face.

"Why don't you talk about them?" I ask softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

He laughs, but it's dry and humorless. "What's there to talk about? They're busy. Always have been. That's just how it is."

"That's not fair," I say before I can stop myself.