NOVA.
Jahani' hands groped me up while I giggled as he left tender kisses on mm exposed chest. "We were supposed to be chilling." I rubbed his head and looked him in the eyes.
"I am chilling." Jahani grinned before kissing me sensually, I gasped as he ran his cold hands up my sweatshirt. His hips grinded into me while my curly hair was in the grasp of his fingers, moaning softly as I melted beneath him. Like snow in the rain, I melted.
I bit into my lip when Jahani moved his lip against my neck, "Shit." He smirked and continued. The door opened causing my heart to sink and Jahani jumped off of me while Noel glanced at the two of us and continued her way to the back of the house.
I sighed, partially in relief, and sat up adjusting my sweatshirt and fixing my hair.
"Who was that?"
"My mom." I rolled my eyes while he shrugged on his hoodie and looked at me.
"Oh, um...I didn't re-"
"I'll call you later?" Standing to my feet and kissing him as I walked him out, locking the doors and exhaling sharply. Noel came waltzing out of the back.
She loudly gasped, "Novi, I didn't know you had a boyfriend! Why didn't you tell me?" Her shaky hands cupped my face and I smiled weakly, while grasping her hands.
She was high.
"I-I was going to, we're still figuring things out."
"He's very handsome! He makes you happy? Got a job?" I giggled and watched her pace through the living room, excitedly.
"Yes and yes. Mom, I don't have any money."
"Oh! I'm not looking for money, Novi. I wanted to see my babygirl." She grinned and got up. Her hair was as big as her, she was just flesh and bones these days. But somehow her beauty didn't budge—smooth dark skin, youthful features and high cheekbones. She could easily be a model.
"Ma, you're high."
"I'm trying...to get clean. I want to, they said the first step in recovery is a support system. That's what I'm missing. Nana doesn't want anything to do with me, Caio hates me, and I don't know where I stand with you, Novi."
"They don't hate you, Mom. They're scared and tired. You remember the last time you went to rehab? Caio, found a place in the city and set you up there. Two days later you tried killing yourself, when they admitted you to psych you became selectively mute and didn't speak for three months. Once they released you it took you thirty minutes to get high and you didn't stop. They try—we try, you don't. I get it's hard but you've got to meet us halfway, Mom. I can't lose you. I don't want to...I want to have you around for my kids, my wedding, my life and to be happy." She grasped my hand tightly.
"Novi?"
"Yes Mom?"
"I wanna get better."
I sighed and glanced around the living room.
"How about you get cleaned up and I'll make you something to eat, okay?" Noel smiled weakly before lifting off of the chair and going to the bathroom.
Noel suffered from critical depression and bipolar disorder. It wasn't always this bad—she was taking medicine and seeing a therapist or practicing coping skills. Then one day she just snapped. She started coming home later, partying with people she didn't know, taking anything that made her feel okay for the moment and stopped being a parent. The men didn't help. It was lighter fluid on the fire and she just spiraled completely out of control.
It first started with her kicking out Caio and then one of her boyfriends' beat me up so I was put in foster care awhile before Nana fought to gain custody of me. If there was anything I wanted it was to have my Mom back but I wasn't sure it was plausible at this point.
When I heard a thud in the bathroom I rushed into the restroom to see her on the shower floor, gripping her side in pain. "Ma." I quickly helped her regain balance before noticing the bruise on her arm. Knitting my eyebrows before noticing her side bleeding as blood pooled into the shower.
I helped her wrap herself in a towel as she shivered while going beneath the sink to grab the first aid kit.
"Who did this to you?" Spraying her open would with peroxide and cleaning it.
"Nobody." She muttered.
"Who did this to you?"
"Deon."
"He did the bruise too." Noel glanced away, shaking her leg while I wrapped the wound.
"It's nothing. You should see him," She stifled a laugh, brushing her hair out of her face.
"I'm sure." I cracked a weak smile and glanced up at her face. Noel was quiet and scared. "You're staying here tonight."
