Rachel
“DID YOU JUST REPORT your boyfriend for breaking and entering?” Noah asks as we watch Leo and Kai being loaded into a police vehicle in front of my house.
“Pretty much,” I say as I take a sip of my wine. “Yours too.”
“I can see that,” Noah chuckles. “You know we will have to go and pick them up, right?”
“I know,” I say, unbothered.
“So why on earth did you report them?” he asks as he takes his usual seat on the couch and picks up his book.
“He ghosted me for a week, so I reported him to the cops.” I take my seat in the armchair, book in hand.
“Sounds fair,” Noah says as he starts reading.
“I know, right?” I chuckle and open my book.
“How do you like the new book?” He changes the subject.
“It’s pretty good. The author has done an amazing job of building those characters. What do you think?” I turn to the page I was on and start reading. It’s one of the rare times we are reading the same book.
“I'm not a fan of slow burns, but the characters are indeed very well written.” Noah and I have slightly different tastes in books. He loves his fantasy and reverse harems; I prefer slow burns and obsessed alpha males who will burn the world for the heroine. But we both like the dark books with mile-long trigger-warning lists, and that’s why we keep meeting to read in each other's company. It’s one of the habits that keeps our friendship alive.
“You know, eventually you will have to deal with your inability to accept rejection.” Noah reaches for his wine as if he didn’t just hit me with this.
“I don’t have an issue with rejection.” I don’t stop reading, hoping he will drop the subject.
“Yes, you do,” Noah presses. “You have always fought to be accepted by people, and when you are not, you lash out. You don’t know how to deal with being rejected because your parents rooted the idea deep in your mind that you are only valuable to people when you have something to offer them.
By being rejected, you think that you are not good enough, when in reality, rejection might come from a number of things.
Yes, sometimes the root of the problem is the person you reject, but other times it might be wrong timing or other minor things that have nothing to do with them and everything to do with you.
” He pauses for a minute, and his words hit something inside me that I have been trying to suppress my whole life.
The fact that he is right makes it even worse, but I try to ignore it as he continues talking.
“Rachel, Kai might be a little weird, and I really don’t understand the obsession you both have for each other.
But if you think about it, every damn thing he has done since the day you kidnapped him shows exactly that.
He is obsessed with you. Could he communicate better than disappearing for a week?
Yes, totally. Can you blame him, though?
If you think about it, he was actually giving you time after the stunt he pulled at the restaurant. ”
“I don’t like you when you make sense,” I say, dropping my book on the table. I take the glass of wine and bring it to my lips. I gulp half of it before I speak again. “I don’t plan on leaving him in jail, Noah. I am not a monster.”
“I know,” Noah admits. “And honestly, it might do them some good.”
I laugh because I agree. Those two definitely need a lesson.
“You’re right, though, about one thing. I don’t do well with rejection. I’m trying to work on it, though,” I admit.
“I think Kai’s obsession with you is helping. That’s probably why you freaked out when he was gone for a week.” I think about it for a minute before I answer.
“You might be right about that, too.”
Noah laughs and reaches for the wine bottle. He tips it over his glass, but nothing comes out. “I think we need more wine,” I joke, and he nods, but before he can say anything, my phone vibrates with an incoming call.
I slide the answer button and put it on speaker.
“Hello?” I say with hesitation.
“Hey, little criminal.” Kai’s voice comes from the other end. I check the number, and it’s a landline; he’s probably calling from the police station.
“What’s up, Kai?” I pretend I don’t know anything about the reason he’s calling.
“I’d tell you what’s up, Rachel, but a very angry police officer is looking at me. Can you come and pick us up, please?” Noah starts laughing, and I raise my hand in a stopping motion.
“Sure, I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I say before I hang up on him. I pick up my book and settle back into my seat, but Noah keeps staring at me with confusion.
“Are we going to pick them up?” he asks.
“Eventually,” I say as I start reading. My friend quickly gets the point and settles back into his seat.
Kai and Leo will have to wait a little longer before any of us come to get them.
That will teach them a lesson for ghosting me for a week.
Regardless of whether what Noah said is true or not, it’s still a shitty thing to do.