'Til Sun Beams Find You [COMPLETE]

Forty (Part 2)

Nico gave Jada a look as she locked the front door to the apartment.

"Kidding," she sang.

"Well don't kid like that. He's going through a lot."

Jada made a face. "So? Doesn't mean take it out on you."

"He's not taking it out on me. He's..." Nico sighed because she didn't know how to explain it. "You're acting exactly like his family. You guys don't understand."

"Oh so I'm not the only one who noticed?"

She had only been around Carter today and yesterday, and even in that short time, she noticed how her friend was walking on eggshells around him.

Nico put her keys into her clutch and frowned. "Jada.."

She knew her friend wanted to drop it, so she did.

"Listen. I'm on your side, always. If you like it, I love it," Jada shrugged.

The two women's heels clicked in unison as they headed for the elevator.

"I didn't say I liked it. I'm just saying... he needs help carrying the weight of his loss and I'm more than happy to do it. A little understanding would go a long way... for everyone."

It was like people forgot the Nico knew what grief of that magnitude was like... Jada included. She was certain she was a million times meaner and had a shorter fuse when her sister died, and Jada stuck around through it all, carrying that weight for Nico because she loved her.

But all of the sudden it was a problem if Nico did it for her boyfriend that she loved just as much, if not more?

Jada's man-eating ways had gotten to her head was the only conclusion she could surmise.

"Like I said, if you like it, I love it girl," Jada said, a casualness about her tone that conveyed she also didn't care to spend her evening talking about Carter any longer.

She lifted her phone and began taking selfies because she looked incredible, and when she was satisfied with them, she turned her phone to show Nico.

"Should I send this to Devin?"

"Who's Devin?"

"Devin.. the guy I'm going on a date with tonight," Jada said like it was obvious as she continued flipping through two in particular.

Nico smiled softly. "Don't. Keep him waiting. He'll see you eventually."

Their Uber arrived and they got in, and while Nico spent the time looking out the window at the streetlights they drove past, Jada continued taking pictures.

"Here.. come," she called Nico over.

Jada snapped a couple pictures of the two of them and then gave up after a fifth when Nico looked disinterested.

"Nico.." she put her phone down. "You're really killing the vibe here..."

Nico frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Can you, for one night, stop worrying about your boyfriend and all his problems? I want my friend back," Jada pouted, using her nails to fix the way Nico's eyebrow hairs aligned. "You don't deserve to be stressed all the time."

There was a reflective look on Nico face, because she also didn't want her mood constantly tied to Carter but she couldn't help it... and it wasn't fair to Jada and everybody else in her life.

Jada looked so excited to have a night out with her and she was there like... meh.

Nico smiled softly. "Tell me about this Devin guy.."