Chapter 17
Seventeen
Shiloh
“Ah, fuck! No, no, no…Shit.” I slammed the controller against my thighs and groaned, my mouth twitching to smile as Nox and Jae laughed at my outburst.
“This game is fucking stupid. Why the fuck do they make it so impossible to win?” I whined, looking over at Nox on the other end of the sofa.
“Shy, I think maybe you just don’t have the best hand eye coordination…Ow!” Nox swatted my arm away after I slapped his shoulder.
“It’s not my fault I have fucked up eyes with crappy vision.”
“Oh, crap, sorry. I didn’t realize,” Nox said with a guilty half-smile.
“Whatever, it’s fine,” I kind of felt bad for using my eyes as a cop-out for sucking at video games. “You guys probably also play this game a lot. So, I never really stood a chance with, like, an hour of experience.”
Jae scrunched up his mouth in thought, “Yeah, we’ve probably played this game thousands of hours.”
“Right,” Nox nodded. “Jeez, we really don’t have a life, do we?”
“Speak for yourself,” Jae scoffed. “I have a very active social life.”
“With who, your dick?” Nox smirked.
Teenage boys. I rolled my eyes, almost laughing aloud.
“Shut up, you dip!”
Nox caught the pillow Jae threw at him and flashed me with a smile when he caught me staring at him.
Fucking hell, Shiloh. Stop acting like a fucking creep. You’re friends.
“Anyways,” Jae sighed. “How about we get back to Stranger Things? My hands are cramping and need a bre—” Jae squinted his eyes and shot Nox a look. “Don’t even frickin’ try. I walked right into that one, so just don’t.”
Nox tried to stifle a chuckle as he sealed his lips, locked, and threw away the key.
“Don’t worry, Jae. We’ll take a break from gaming, so your precious hands are rested for all the socializing they’ll be doing later,” I deadpanned before smirking at Nox who placed his hand in my lap for a high five.
Jae groaned, and I shrugged innocently before slapping Nox’s hand.
“What?” I asked with feigned ignorance at Jae’s embarrassment. “There’s no shame in masturbation Jae, really. It’s the twenty-first century.”
“Cheese and rice,” Jae grumbled, slapping his forehead. “Can everyone just shut up about masturba—”
Jae abruptly shut his mouth, his eyes widening, and Nox and I turned towards the entryway behind us.
“Masturbating. You guys are talking about masturbation…” Dan looked between us with a look of disbelief as he shook his head.
“No, Uncle Dan we—”
Jae snapped his mouth shut once again when Dan raised his hand with a smirk, “Save it. I really don’t want to know.
I, um, just wanted to say I’m going to pick up my parents from the airport.
I hope you guys aren’t in the exact same position when I get back.
Maybe go outside for a couple of minutes at least so you don’t forget what reality looks like. You know, touch some grass.”
Nox rolled his eyes with a smile, “Yeah, yeah. Like you’d do anything different if you were in our shoes.”
Dan chuckled and waved as he walked out of the living room, Jae’s lethal glare returning as soon as his back was turned.
“Should I, um, should I head home?” I asked awkwardly to Nox.
“What? No,” he shook his head adamantly.
“But your family is going to be here soon, and I’m like…you know. Not family.”
Nox placed his hand on my knee, “Seriously, you’re fine to stay as long as you want. I mean, hell, stay the whole weekend. My parents really wouldn’t mind.”
I gave him a ‘bullshit’ eyeroll.
“Shy, I’m not exaggerating. You are welcome to stay as long as you want to—”
“But your grandparents are going to be here…where would I even sleep? And don’t you guys have, like, family stuff to do or whatever? I thought you said it was Ruthie’s birthday. Isn’t that why your grandparents are coming. I’m sure you have to do stuff for her birthday party.”
“My grandparents are taking the guest room, and my room will be empty tonight until my sister comes tomorrow with Ruthie and Sebastian. We can sleep down here or up in my room.”
I bit my lip, glancing at Jae who nodded at me in agreement with Nox. I honestly wanted to stay as long as I could, I wasn’t ready to go home and face reality yet, but I felt way out of my comfort zone. Nox was probably just being polite, and it wasn’t a genuine offer.
“And to answer your question from before,” Jae spoke up, “just consider yourself a Reznikovsky for the weekend. You know, long lost sister or…” Nox and Jae shared a look. “I mean, adoptive, definitely non-blood related relative.” Jae corrected with a smirk towards Nox.
Okay, I’m not stupid. Is he implying that Nox has a crush on me or something?
No, that’s crazy. He’s probably just fucking around.
“Um, well, maybe. But only if you check with your parents first,” I eyed Nox, still unsure that they would actually want me to stay.
A smile spread across his face, reaching his brown eyes and he squeezed my knee.
“Alright,” Jae clapped, “now back to Stranger Things.”
I bit back a smile as I settled into my spot on the couch, excited to maybe experience what I’d secretly always coveted but was too prideful to admit—a normal family.
???
Okay, fuck me. Why the fuck did I ever agree to staying? Where the fuck is the exit button? I want to get the fuck out of this situation!
Sweat was starting to seep through my shirt, and I tucked my arms closer to my sides.
“I mean I think I’d have remembered a beautiful young lady like you as being one of my grandbabies,” Baba smiled as she handed me a stack of plates to set on the table.
I awkwardly attempted to smile as I grabbed them and she continued with her rant, tugging Jae’s ear.
“Seriously, how could you lie to your Baba like that? You could have given me a heart attack, boy!” She scolded him.
Jae winced and held his hands up in defense, “I’m sorry Baba, it was just a joke.”
Baba let out a huff and released his ear, stepping out of the room as she muttered something under her breath that definitely wasn’t in English.
Nox let out a bellowing laugh, Jae smacking him in the stomach as he told him to shut up.
I proceeded to set the table while Jae and Nox cleared it of the clutter that seemed to have a permanent home there.
After spending the last two hours third wheeling on their reunion with Nox’s grandparents, who I was told to call Baba and Ded, I was thoroughly annoyed with Nox and Jae for telling me I should stay.
Especially after Jae introduced me to Baba as their cousin, trying to convince her that she was going senile. Baba visibly paled and pulled me into such a tight hug I thought my ribs were rebreaking. I sucker punched both the boys until they admitted the truth to Baba.
After some extremely awkward small talk with me, I was sweating from all the attention, and although no one ever said I was an unwelcome guest, I certainly felt that way.
“Nox, can you ask your parents now? I don’t want to stay if I’m crashing another family reunion,” I interrupted their banter.
“Huh? Oh, um, sure. But I can guarantee that they’re going to say they want you to stay.”
I rolled my eyes and motioned for him to go ask already. I watched intently as Nox spoke with his mother in the kitchen and didn’t realize I was being annoying until Jae touched my arm and pointed at my foot tapping against the floor.
“He’s right though, they will tell you to stay,” he commented.
Shelby was smiling and they suddenly both turned to look my way. I averted my gaze to the floor and tried to act like I wasn’t just staring at them.
“Told ya,” Jae smirked, bumping his shoulder against mine.
The knot in my stomach relaxed a little knowing I didn’t have to go home yet. As much as I hated socializing, it was miles better than what waited for me at home.
???
October 16, Saturday
Enoch
I chuckled to myself as I massaged my cheeks, thinking back to the times I caught Shiloh doing the same when she thought no one was looking.
If mine hurt from smiling, I could only imagine what Shiloh’s must’ve been feeling like all day.
This was the most I’d ever seen her smile, and they seemed genuine, unforced and not out of politeness.
It was hard not to stare when she did, I was just so in awe of her and how much she was letting herself enjoy the company of my family.
It was stupid, but I imagined what it would be like if she joined our family permanently.
As in, we were married one day. I knew it was egotistical to say that I could be a source of happiness in her life, but I genuinely wondered what would have happened if our lives had not crossed paths.
Would she be as happy as she seemed today, her icy exterior seemingly melted away, and an aura of peace radiating off her?
It was now blindingly obvious to me she was grieving, and I yearned to take away the pain that she seemed desperate to hide.
I would catch her staring off into space sometimes with that cold, distant expression she had perfected, before someone or something would draw her back to reality, and her smile would slowly return.
I wished that I could turn back time and be a better friend to her when she needed it.
All the times she deflected, lashed out or withdrew from the world, could now all be chalked up to her grieving the loss of her brother.
And I was a fucking idiot for not trying harder to understand her from the beginning.
If only I had known what she was going through, I could have supported her sooner.
I groaned and rolled out of bed, sighing as I read the time on my phone. I’d been laying here unable to fall asleep for over an hour.
I was surprised to find Baba in the kitchen making a warm drink and called out her name, hoping not to startle her.
“Baba.”
“Oh,” she spun around with a smile. “Enushka. I thought you went to bed ages ago.”
“Yeah, I just couldn’t sleep,” I shrugged, leaning against the counter. “What about you? Isn’t it a little late for you?”
She chuckled, quickly covering her mouth as she shushed herself.