The downside was that no matter how clear the emotion was in her expression at that moment, she refused to speak up about it.

Jalen knew that something had occurred between Noelani and her parents when he had picked her up hours ago from the front of a doctor's office.

The couple were sitting on Jalen's couch and Noelani was focused on the homework and the math textbook in front of her.

Her eyes were rimmed red with, what Jalen guessed to be anger, and the hand resting on Jalen's thigh was shaking, her long olive green and gold dragon print acrylic nails pulling back and forth furiously against the material of his black joggers.

Jalen reached his hand over to seize hers but as soon as his fingertips made contact, Noelani pulled her hand back in alarm.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a low tone.

"Holding your hand or I'm trying to." Jalen made another attempt but Noelani rested her hand in her lap, not looking at him.

"Sorry, I just don't feel like being touched right now. I need to focus on this. It's due tomorrow." Noelani was still avoiding his gaze.

Jalen looked around the corner to check if his family was anywhere downstairs then stood and put two fingers underneath her chin to force Noelani to look up at him, "Take a break."

"What's going on, Lani?" He asked softly.

"Nothing. I don't want to talk about it. Now come on, you have homework too." Noelani responded.

"I'm not takin' that as an answer. What's going on?"

Noelani gazed up at him, her eyes narrowed and Jalen stared back, not blinking.

"I uh, I went off on Erin and my dad today. Erin tried to spazz on me, Dad tried to defend her and I kinda blacked out on both of them. I'm not even sure I can stay in my own room tonight. If I see either of them, I'm probably gonna go fucking crazy." Noelani started to blink rapidly then stopped as a couple of tears came out, rolling out of her tear ducts and off of her face.

Jalen sighed, lifting his other hand to wipe her tears with his thumb.

"The worst part is right after you got me, my mom texted asking if I think my dad will split a plane ticket home for me because that's the only way she's gonna be able to afford it. And now I can basically kiss Christmas with her goodbye. He's not gonna give me that money. Ain't no way in hell he's giving me that money." Noelani sniffled.

"You don't know that baby." Jalen replied in a low tone.

"I do. I'm gonna have to spend Christmas without my mom. And I know that that's literally one of the lamest things to cry and be mad about but I haven't seen her in almost five months." Noelani shook her head in an almost pitiful way.

Jalen released her jaw and pushed away the textbook off of her lap before pulling her a bit closer to ensure that no one else heard her.

"Both of them were just running their mouths. Talking out the side of their neck. Tired of both of they asses." She mumbled, leaning back into the cushion then plucking a napkin out of the silver napkin holder and pressing it to her irises.

"What happened exactly?"

Noelani sighed, "She was like, 'Why are you always so harsh to me?' Like you know exactly the reason why, don't act stupid. The doctor came in and tried to give us a therapist which just got me even more pissed. And I started yelling at Erin and I kinda threatened her."

Jalen groaned, "You threatened her?"

"I might've... Uh, promised to toss her out a window at the end of her pregnancy." Noelani shrugged.

Jalen simply stared at her for a moment then started to snicker, "Sorry. I shouldn't be laughing but..."

Noelani burst out in a fit of giggles, "I wish I had taken a picture of her face when I said that. I didn't think it was possible for her to get so pale."

"What'd your dad say?"

Her face darkened once again with anger, "'Don't threaten the mother of my child.' My child. Singular. As if I didn't exist. And then they tried to say they were gonna give the baby my middle name as if that's gonna fix anything between us."

There was a long silence then Noelani spoke up again, "I told him that he's the reason I have such bad trust issues with guys now. I told both of them that they're a match made in hell. I thought being mean to them would make me feel better but I don't. I still feel pissed."

"It's not your fault. You can't blame yourself."

"I don't blame myself. I blame him. I'm over all of it." Noelani pressed the tissue to her tear ducts again.

"Lovebug?" Noelani asked suddenly.

Jalen snickered, "Yeah?"

"Please don't mention me crying to any one else."

Jalen paused at the solemness in her tone, "I've seen you cry before."

"No, you've seen me after I was done. And that was only because I trust you. Not the same thing. Please don't tell anyone. I don't like crying in front of others usually." Noelani placed the balled up napkin onto the coffee table in front of them.

At the word trust, Jalen's stomach clenched with guilt.

Jalen gazed at her again but relented, "Whatever you say. I won't."

"Thank you," She sighed then returned to the homework in front of her.

"Nah, the break isn't over yet. Let's make a tiktok or something." Jalen pulled Noelani to her feet.

"Tiktok is so lame," She whined as she watched Jalen stand his phone against the napkin holder and press record.

Noelani started laughing as Jalen hit the woah, "Boy, you can't dance. You dance like Jack."

"You wouldn't win in a dance battle though."

"You don't want it," Noelani dusted off her shirt playfully.

Jalen grinned at the return of her usual personality then let his smile falter at the idea in his head.

"What do you think about coming to our Christmas? My family and I's, I mean. We're gonna be in L.A. A couple of my friends have a game down there and I told them I would go."

Noelani gave him a curious look, "You don't think I would be intruding?"

Jalen shook his head, "As soon as I mention it, Jurnee will back me up. She really likes you."

Noelani gave him a grin, "Okay, then. Yeah, I'd be honored. Don't think it saves you from this ass whooping though."

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