Page 82 of Never His Girl
I hate that I even have to worry about this, but crying about it won’t change things. The situation could definitely be worse, though, and that isn’t lost on me. Scar and I are together, and we’re fine.
For now, anyway.
As a loud laugh from the living room floats into my bedroom, I smile a little, grateful Scar has no clue how bad things really are. She deserves to just be a kid, not concerned with all the other B.S. that haunts our family like ghosts.
“No!” Shane yells when Scar beats him in another round of whatever they’re playing, on a gaming system I couldn’t evendreamof buying her.
My first thought when she walked through the door carrying that huge box was that Ricky had slipped her some cash, before his Aunt Carla took her and Shane to the mall. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d done something like that. However, I quickly learned I assumed wrong. The one who brought that huge smile to my sister’s face was the last person I expected.
West.
I almost told her she couldn’t keep it. Not because it came from him, but because I don’t want her getting used to people giving her things so freely. Mostly, because I know for a fact that there aren’t many who do so as‘freely’as they pretend to, but I decided not to take this from her. She’s endured some pretty ugly shit. One gift won’t spoil her.
Settling on the edge of my bed, needing a break from packing for the bus ride to the game tomorrow, I glance toward my phone. Despite nearly a week passing since West left his number, I haven’t called. Maybe it’s pride? Maybe it’s knowing that a phone call would further build the bridge between us? One I waver between being ready to mend, and also kind of uncertain about.
Although, I’m positive that kiss on Monday told usbothall we need to know.
It dawns on me that I’m probably overthinking all of this, so I stop being wishy-washy and just grab the phone.
It only rings twice, which is unexpected.
“Shut the fuck up,” he whispers first, catching me off guard before a rushed “Hello?” touches my ears
I hold back a smile. “Uh… not sure if I should say‘hello’or if I should just shut the fuck up.”
West lets out a quiet laugh and I melt at the sound of it. It always gets to me when he’s softer like this, easy.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Tried to quiet down Dane and Sterling before I picked up, but I guess my timing was off,” he explains, sounding sort of surprised to hear from me.
Can’t blame the guy. I haven’t exactly been easy on him lately. Or maybe not ever, but that goes both ways.
Scar lets out another noisy laugh and I’m reminded why I called.
“Listen, thanks for what you did for Scar today.”
“No problem. I don’t think those pieces of shit will bother her again, but if they do, I know my way to South Cypress High.”
My brow tenses when his response isn’t quite what I was expecting. “I was talking about the game system. What wereyoutalking about?”
The silence on the other end lets me know he’s starting to wonder if he’s said too much. And it has me wondering if Scarlett didn’t say enough. Her story was that she ran into West and he just handed these things over to her and Shane. There was no mention of anything else going down.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. I thought—”
“Was someone messing with her at the mall?” I cut in.
West hesitates again, but likely knows that when it comes to Scar, I won’t let up.
“There was a group of them. Kids about her age. Guys and girls.”
My breathing turns shallow as rage sets in. Sounds like the same group of assholes who chased her into the bathroom the other week.
“They pretty much bailed when I walked up. Just took me getting in their faces, talking shit,” he explains.
Hearing this, I imagine it, West coming to Scar’s rescue this evening.
I’ve threatened to kick his ass on many occasions for even mentioning her name, but tonight I was grateful he’d been around when she needed him.
“Sounds like I havetwothings to thank you for,” I say quietly, still trying to shed the anger from what I’ve just been told.