"I didn't know you could cook this good." Vanessa mumbled putting another piece of my famous pancakes in her mouth.

"I can't, I'm only good at pancakes and noodles." I shrugged.

She laughed. "That's a combination."

I nodded. "I'll definitely make it for you one day."

She shook her head and turned in her stool to face me. "I want to thank you by the way."

I frowned. "For-for the food?"

She smacked her lips. "No, thank you for..." she trailed off smiling softly. "For being you Y/n, you have no idea how many times I've been going through something and thought of you to make me feel better."

I raised a brow. "No I don't have any idea, wanna give me a hint?"

She chuckled. "Seriously you, make me super fucking happy."

I hummed. "I'm just paying it back, you know you make me happy too."

She bit her lip. "Look at us having a moment."

"All thanks to these pancakes." I smiled.

"Your right, if it wasn't for these pancakes I wouldn't have let you in my house." She took the final bite and stood up putting the plate in the sink.

"Oh wow what a bitch." I rolled my eyes and stood up.

She laughed. "A bitch is a female dog, dogs bark, bark grows on trees, trees are apart of nature and natures beautiful."

I laughed as we went upstairs. "Your lame ass."

We laid on her bed and she placed her hands onto of her stomach. "Damn I'm full."

"I tend to...fill girls up." I smirked glancing at her.

She laughed rolling her eyes. "Was that meant- never mind of course it was."

"So Nessa," I laid on my side propping my head up on my hand. "What do we have planned for today."

"I was thinking we just hang out here," she shrugged tugging at the string on my hoodie. "What's up with you and hoodies?"

I chuckled shaking my head. "Long story."

She smiled meeting my eyes. "Well since we're hanging out here all day, I think you have enough time to tell me." I sighed getting lost in her eyes as her smile got bigger and she looked away. "Or not, that's fine."

I shook myself out of the trance. "No my bad um, so my favorite uncle, Craig, was the literal definition of a gentleman."

She frowned. "Was?"

I laid on my back and looked up at the calling nodding. "Yeah, he died three years ago from cancer, he was really the only adult that I could talk to," and the only adult my "dad" was scared of.

"I'm sorry Y/n." She said.

"It's fine, people die and it sucks but, I can't mope around because he's gone," I chuckled. "He said he'd come back and hunt me if I did." She laughed softly. "Anyways, he was really chivalrous and he taught me at a very young age that I have to treat females with respect or else. I always asked, or else what, but he never told me." I shook my head. "Um, we would always watch those old timey romance movies where the guy puts his coat on top of the water for the girl to walk over. Sooner or later I realized that a jacket or sweater is a key part when it comes to "respecting females". I put up air quotes.

She chuckled. "I really wish I could meet young Y/n."

"I bet you do," I rolled my eyes. "But um, we weren't the riches when I was younger so I never really had a lot of clothes so when my uncle bought me my first sweatshirt I wore that thing everyday. Eventually I got my first crush on a girl and ended up giving her my sweatshirt, which I quickly learned is a thing girls love to take." She scoffed and nodded. "He bought me another one for my eleventh birthday and I kept that one, Travis actually has it I kind of want to keep that sweater in the family."

She shifted closer to me. "Was it just a plain sweatshirt or..."

I looked at her as she trailed off to see her looking genuinely interested in what I had to say. She held a small smile on her face and her eyes looked bright. "It was a champion sweatshirt, you know back then when champion was for the "poor" people." She chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, long story short the, sweater equals being respectful to females kind of stuck with me so I make sure I always have a sweater handy."

She raised a brow. "That's adorable, your adorable Y/n."

"Gee don't make me blush," I chuckled looking back up at the ceiling. "Question, what song best describes your life right now."

"Warrior by Demi Lovato." She said without hesitation.

"Never heard it but damn, you had that song ready." I chuckled.

She hummed. "You?" I glanced at her to see her wearing a slight frown.

Hm.

"Um, Imported by 6lack and Jessie Reyez." I shrugged.

She looked at me with her eyebrows frowned. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yup, you're in love with somebody else maybe I could offer some help, really hits the spot."

"Oh, is Jasmine in love with someone already?" She asked.

I scoffed. "Don't play dumb Nessa."She sighed and we both went silent.

Too much? Maybe, but who cares at this point.

"You feel that?" She whispered.

I shook my head looking at her. "Feel what?"

"The awkwardness in the air." She said.

I chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I kind of do."

"We should do something about that," she got up off the bed and grabbed my hand. "We're going to the basement."

"Weird place to have sex but let's go." I shrugged and stood up.

She laughed as we started down the stairs. "The basement isn't a weird place to have sex, not that we're going to have sex."

"Right now at least." I said as we made it into the basement.

She shook her head and flicked on the lights. The room glowed dark blue and showed couches, a huge tv, vending machines, a pool table, it was basically a man cave.

"What the hell, why have I never been down here?" I walked up to the vending machine and smiled.

"Because this is my spot, Summer can't even come down here," she walked up to me. "I made this room to get away from the world."

"And I'm allowed down here now because?" I looked down at her.

She shook her head. "It's just, something about you," she shrugged. "I haven't been down here for a while, you know why?" I shook my head. "Because whenever I feel like I need to get away I just go to you."

I frowned. "Wow so your just using me for comfort."

"Obviously," she went and sat on a couch turning on the huge screen. "So your down here because why not combine my two favorite...things?"

I sat next to her nodding. "I am pretty great huh?"

She rolled her eyes going to Netflix. "Your okay."

Looking at her I smiled brightly and shook my head. I'm glad I make her feel, good. Her telling me that just made my fucking year.

I shifted resting my head on her shoulder and sighing. "I love you too Nessa."

-

Opening my eyes I looked around and quickly sat up with my heart racing. Why the hell is this room- oh, basement. Sighing I sat back and closed my eyes again just to re open them.

Where's Nessa?

I stood off the couch and headed up the stairs hearing muffled voices. Coming into the kitchen I see Vanessa up against the wall with...Doddle Bob standing in front of her with both of his hands on each side of her head. I clenched my jaw rolling my eyes. I forgot all about her "boyfriend".

"Duke, I haven't seen you in a while." I put on a fake smile and glanced at Vanessa who looked surprised.

"It's fucking David." He mumbled backing away from Vanessa.

"Right sorry, you two looked mighty close was I interrupting something?" I asked Vanessa.

"Yeah you were, how about-"

"I don't think I was asking you but thanks for your input," I said not taking my eyes off of Vanessa who wouldn't meet my eyes. "Nessa?"

Her head snapped up and she looked at me. "No, it was nothing Y/n um, David let me walk you out."

She walked to the door and Davi glared at me before following her. I rolled my eyes and walked towards the fridge grabbing a bottle of water.

He seems really...aggressive, kind of like my dad. I looked towards the front door and went to walk over to it just as Vanessa walked back in.

"Hey," she frowned. "You okay?"

"Are you?" I raised a brow.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked.

I couldn't clearly see that she was pretending not to know what I was talking about.

"Has David ever hit you Vanessa?" I asked clenching my jaw.

She frowned her eyebrows. "What? No he's not like that." I raised a brow. "Y/n no he has never laid a finger on me."

I stared at her, waiting for her to break but she never did. "He seemed really aggressive-"

"I know what that looked like but he was just upset, he wouldn't hit me and if he does you'll be the first to know." She said softly rubbing my arm.

I clenched my jaw as I felt my blood start to boil and my eyes start to sting.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Vanessa asked reaching up and wiping my cheek instantly bringing me back to realizing.

"Vanessa, your not lying to me right?" I whispered. "Please don't lie to me okay, has he ever hit you?"

She blinked rapidly and shook her head. "No he hasn't."

I looked down at the ground and bit my lip. My breathing started to get heavier and she quickly tilted my head up. "Baby, calm down everything's okay."

"Look at me I'm fine now stop crying."

I shook my head softly pushed her away

rushing upstairs to grab my things. I definitely need to see Quincy right now.

"Your leaving? No Y/n stop and calm down," Vanessa rushed out and turned me to face her. "Y/n." She whispered. I met her worried eyes and sniffed. "Breath with me okay." She rubbed the back of my neck softly and started to take deep breath in and out. I followed her actions getting lost in her eyes. "Good job." She reaches up and wiped my cheeks. I felt my body relax and my thought disappear as I continued to look into her eyes. "Better?" She asked.

I nodded and forced my eyes away from hers. "Sorry I just um, the thought of you being scared to tell me if someone was hurting you kind of, triggered me."

She nodded. "I understand don't think about that okay, come here." She pulled me into her causing me to drop my things and wrap my arms around her waist. I sighed closing my eyes as she whispered sweet nothings into my ear. My heart skipped a beat and I smiled softly inhaling her scent. She leaned back meeting my eyes. "How about we finish the movie we were watching before you so rudely fell asleep."

I chuckled and nodded as she smiled.

Damn that smile.