Just Friends: The Sequel.

Part II: Chapter Twenty One

 The ride to the apartment is silent. I keep clearing my throat and adjusting the air, taking quick glances at her to try and see if she's okay. I asked her about ten times since we've been driving until she eventually told me to stop, so I did.

She hasn't cried yet. I would be surprised, but Reina has been through so much shit that I knew she'd get like this. She bottles everything up until she can't take it anymore, and then she'll spill over in anger or tears. It just depends on the situation.

I lean over to turn down the heat again and finally hear her let out a sigh. "Can you stop? I know what you're doing."

"I just think we should talk about it." I suggest.

"Talk about what? Talk about the fact that my drug addict mother wants to see me?"

I'm trying to tread lightly. I know her, and I know that if I say one wrong thing she will shut back down and won't say a word. She needs me now more than ever whether she'd like to believe that or not.

"You don't think she's changed? She called you from rehab, right? I mean, maybe-"

"Maybe nothing." She says through gritted teeth. "No offense Justin, but you know nothing about my past. You don't know what I fucking went through. Trust me when I say that she deserves not an ounce of my time."

"I'd like to know." I say, which surprises her. "I want to know more about that piece of you. It's important."

I pull into the driveway and shut the engine off before I turn to look at her again. I'm chopping away at the wall she's put up, the angry Reina being replaced with the sad, traumatized little girl she's tried so hard to forget.

"You wouldn't want to be with me if you did." She says quietly. "It's not pretty."

I can't help but smile at the audacity of her thoughts. How on earth can she not know how in love I am with her? After everything we've been through? After everything we've built?

"What's so funny?" She asks, clearly hurt.

"Sorry." I immediately reply and grab onto her hands. "I just don't think you realize that there's nothing you could ever do to make me leave you. You should know that by now. Hearing about your past will only draw me closer to you."

"It's just not something I like to talk about." She mumbles. "I get like, nervous about it. I didn't even talk to my therapist about it."

"I get it." I say, understanding completely. "Just know that if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you. I'd like to know."

"Okay." She nods.

"So, you're not going to see her? That's what you've decided on?"

"Nope. Not seeing her."

I drop the topic of discussion as we head into the apartment. I finish cleaning the dishes we made from earlier as I hear her start a shower. Normally I'd go in there and fuck her senseless, but after the night she's had I think it's best if I just let her collect her thoughts.

After another half hour or so I've cleaned up the living room and done some laundry. I realize then that she's taking a longer shower than normal.

"Reina?" I knock softly on the bathroom door and wait to hear an answer.

"Just a minute." She calls back.

I can tell that she's crying though just by the sound of her voice, so I open up the door and catch her off guard. She quickly wipes underneath her eyes to get rid of the mascara that's smudged, but eventually she just starts to cry again and falls into my arms, the both of us sinking onto the floor of the bathroom.