Broken ✔

Chapter Sixteen

Michael's eyes were off me the second I blinked. The anger remained though, but it was from me, because seated across the table was a girl prettier than Linda. He had the nerve to look at me like that when he was also with someone else.

I turned, pretending as if I didn't see him, but Justus kept staring at him.

"Do you want to leave?" He asked.

I smiled gratefully. "Yes please."

I was glad that he understood me. It was more than I could say for that other person.

I didn't get to finish my ice cream, because Justus paid the bill and we were out of there before I could even blink.

"It was going so well," he groaned, pushing the door open for me to go first.

"Get used to it. You could never be close to me and have a good day. I'm bad luck."

"You really think so?"

I nodded, the corners of my lips lifting into a sad smile. "I've been followed by it all my life; bad luck."

"Maybe you just haven't been around the right people."

I spared him a glance. "Maybe. That just means I'm not lucky enough to have people in my life who appreciate me."

"You have me."

I laughed. When he didn't laugh back, I turned to him and didn't turn away.

"This has been the best time I've had in a long while." By then, we were in the car but he hadn't started the engine because I suspected that he wanted to talk to me for a while before. "All the parties, alcohol, drugs, sex, they were meaningless. In a way, I thought I was having revenge on her by having 'fun'. I thought I was showing her that she leaving me had no effect whatsoever on my life, then I met you. Something about you made me realise that I was just hurting myself. She didn't care anymore, that was why she left me to burn. You made me see that Elorm. I value you, and if the people around you can't, then they're stupid."

I'd never been good at heart to hearts. I tried to laugh it off, but the intense look in his eyes got the better of me. I smiled, but a single tear snaked down my cheek. Before I knew what was happening, I was crying.

I used my palms to wipe those treacherous droplets of moisture, but Justus had already fetched Kleenex tissue paper and was wiping them away more efficiently.

"You're going through a lot, aren't you?" He commented, wiping my face like a was a delicate doll. "Your strength amazes me. You don't make all the foolish decisions like me. You don't let emotion drive you to hurting yourself, like I did. How Elorm? How?"

I laughed then. He had no idea, all the foolish decisions I had made. I wasn't strong, he was disillusioned. "Maybe it's something in my melanin."

He chuckled. "I'm black too, if you didn't realise."

I punched him playfully. "Carowhite."

He groaned. "Please don't remind me."

I laughed the rest of the tears away. Just as he sparked the engine, there was a knock on the window. It was Michael and he looked a bit confused. He stared into the car, peering at Justus' face, and when he recognised him, he frowned and stood upright.

"I think he's done with his examination. Let's go," I told Justus.

Justus tried to obey my command, but Michael knocked again. I groaned and lowered the window. "What do you want?"

"Can we talk?" He asked, then looked at Justus. "Outside?"

I looked to Justus for permission even though I didn't need it, because if he shook his head, only God would be able to move me from my seat. Like the moron he was, he nodded. I sighed and stepped out of the car, only to be greeted by cold.