NERDBAE

Part 7

Elle had heard the news upon her arrival in the house. Her oblivious parents asked her what the fight had been about and she'd shrugged obliviously.

"Tre's bitch ass; is a bitch" is all she got from a very brief phone call to Gina. It was evident the argument had been about her. Her mother said she'd never seen Tre so mad, she'd never seen him talk to anyone like that. It took Elle everything in her not to comment that they didn't know him as well as they all thought.

Still, Gi and Tre were blood and she'd never allow herself to get between that. Gi would go to hell and back for her and if she went to war defending Elles honour, Elle would have to reciprocate - it was only fair. The string of bullets sounds as Elle descends into the theatre room finding Tre sitting pissed and killing everything moving on the screen. Elle grabs a spare remote lifting it up and he pauses the game looking at her.

"I want to play" she gestures sitting beside him.

"Press this to run and this to shoot, this to change weapons" he instructs and she sits failing to contribute anything to their two person team as Tre murders everything moving. The same coping mechanism he'd used since he was fourteen. Only then it was grand theft auto and he ran over everything moving.

"Why'd you go off on Gi" Elle asks as he pauses to take a drink and he freezes.

"She went too far this time" he mumbles swallowing hard and clenching his jaw out of frustration.

"So you just had enough? What's the difference this time?" Elle shrugs looking him over.

"She needs to mind her business, you already won't look at me now that you know about my pastimes. You don't want to be around me and now she's up my ass" Tre explains more tense than Elle's used to.

"I went through a lot over this past year Tre. Gina's been a rock for me and she's seen me through it. She knows when I'm keeping something from her and she worries because with Cameron I gave her cause to. So if she went at you hard over me - get upset with me not her. She always has my back" Elle asserts reciprocating Ginas energy and Tre exhales smiling slightly at their bond.

"Have I ever hurt you Elle?" He asks. "Have I ever given you cause to not trust me or be fearful around me?" Tre adds. "No, never" He asserts knowing its true. "I never will, I'm not Cameron and all of a sudden you can't be around me, we don't talk and you act like I'm some guy not someone you grew up with. All of a sudden I'm a stranger and my sister comes at me sideways like I'm some piece of shit who doesn't care about you" Tre explains openly.

Meeting his eyes for the first time in a week Elle swallows understanding his frustration.

"Spoke to Lily"

"What?" Tre asks with alarm.

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure it was random - I was at the coffee shop." Elle pauses. "She says you're the best" she acknowledges looking at Tre. "I don't think what you do is bad Tre, I may not understand it but I know you'd never hurt anyone and you deserve to be happy" Elle swallows.

Tre can see theres only truth and she means every one of her words but the sparkle in her eye is gone, so is her warmth around him. She's armoured and he's no longer allowed into her inner circle. She sighs looking at the ceiling before folding her arms.

"I don't expect for things to get so sticky between us with everything that happened and the web of emotions. You do sex parties Tre and I'm not a fan of sex; you're practically a sex expert" Elle shrugs trying to give him transparency. "If you think I'm a liar ask Gina; I've been celibate for over a year now" she explains.

"Why aren't you a fan?" Tre asks.

Was it the fact that she almost never came? Or that Cameron had a smusher? Maybe after awhile of dealing with that she couldn't even bring herself to getting wet? She'd tried with other men post break up but her brain would short circuit like someone suffering from PTSD and somehow it was a no go.