ADDICTED

42

LEAH

The closer we got to the house, the more nervous I got.

I didn't realize I was tapping my fingers on the gearshift until James seized my hand.

He moved it to his leg, gently squeezing my palm.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Fine," he said.

"You're not having any pain?"

He shrugged. "There's always some level of discomfort, but I won't be taking pain meds again. I'll be fine."

That didn't sound fun.

As we pulled up to the house, Julia's rental was parked out front.

We drove into the garage and then closed it.

I reached behind his seat to grab the meal we'd brought for Julia. Once we were inside, I placed the bag on the kitchen island and followed the television sounds into the living room.

Julia sat on the couch in a hoodie, swaddled in a massive Sherpa blanket.

She wore massive wire-rimmed glasses that swallowed most of her face. The television light scattered across her features as she turned to look at me.

"Are you okay?" I asked, walking over to the sofa.

She limply shrugged. "Had better days."

"What happened?"

"Just parental bullshit, that's all."

Nodding, I sat beside her and rubbed my knees. "Parentals are the worst. I brought food though. Might make it a little better?"

"Meh. I'm not hungry."

"Your last text told me otherwise."

She heaved a sigh and paused the television. "Why are you being nice to me?" she asked.

Her question stunned me. Had I been not nice to her before?

"I just mean," she went on, "that most girls don't like me. Unless they want to fuck me, of course. But they never want to be friends."

"Well, girls can be mean. We all know that." I leaned my shoulder into hers. "Truth is, I've never had many friends either. I think they don't know how to handle us. You're fun to be around, Julia. And you're funny. You've never given me a reason to be mean to you. So why not be nice?"

For a moment, there was only stillness and quiet.

Julia removed her glasses and tears spilled down her cheeks.

This was the first time I'd ever seen her without gobs of makeup on.

I wasn't sure why she ever wore any at all. Just like her brothers, she was the definition of beauty.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into me.

She felt so thin, even with the jacket and blanket on.

"Are you, like, my friend now?" she asked, voice wobbly with withheld sobs.

"Yeah. Of course, I am."

"Okay." She leaned into me and cried more.

Once she had slowed and her sobs melted into hiccups, I left to grab the food I'd brought.

James sat at the kitchen table on his phone. He put it aside as I walked in.

"Everything okay in there?" he questioned.