After Kissing

23.

I sighed and crouched beside her, holding on the side of the building carefully not to get dirty on any of the puddles. I shouldn't pry, but she was there, looking down, and I found out I couldn't just leave her like this. Something in me wouldn't allowed it.

"Come on. What's wrong?" but her gaze remained on the same spot, as if willing herself to withdraw from here. Was I doing the right thing by making her talk? I didn't know, but I wouldn't be at peace if I just left the teen out there like this. "Something happened?" Ginny shrugged. "You can tell me."

Her lips pressed into a thin line and I thought she was going to ignore me, but her voice came out flatly a second later. "Wendy was supposed to pick me to go drive in the industrial park. It's lonely and she'll teach me, but then it started raining."

"So she didn't come?" she shrugged again, but I got the feeling this Wendy not showing up wasn't the reason of her sulking. Not the main, at least. "And then what happened?"

"Nothing." her fingers tightened on her pants over the knees. "It's just... Steve's back."

"Alright." I was actually surprised she gave in this information, but forced my voice to keep calm and gentle: "Who is Steve?"

"My mother's boyfriend." her eyes watered, but her jaw clenched, glaring hard before her and I could tell she was struggling not to let the tears fall. "He's her dealer too."

"Oh." I kinda remembered my nosy neighbour Aurora saying something about Mrs Sinclair being an ex addict. "I'm sorry."

Ginny blinked, not even hearing my lame useless words. "She's supposed to be clean. But with him back, it's only a matter of time." she sniffled and I awkwardly contemplated what to do or say next.

I kinda expected some teenage drama or another quarrel with Mrs Sinclair, but a dealer as her ex-addict mother's boyfriend? That was a new level of fucked up I wasn't prepared for. So, instead I cleared my throat.

"Are you okay?"

"I want him out." she hissed. Her voice half-sad, half-enraged. "I told her I'm not going in with him in the house and she said 'okay'."

That something stirred in my chest, and I fisted my hand over the rough wall, feeling violent all of the sudden. I'd known she kinda had a situation going on, with constant fights and rebellious phase, but now I wasn't so sure it was just her being rebellious. And despites wanting to help, it was hard to know the right thing to say or what was my place to say anything.

"Does he scare you?"

Her brows pursed but she didn't answer, turning her face away so her hair fell as a curtain between us. "Whatever. He never stays for this long, anyway. Must be about to leave. Any moment now."

So she was gaining time. I see. Not for the first time, I was spurned with an uncomfortable feeling of familiarity, but I shook it off before it could get into my head. I wasn't going back there.

I sighed, balancing my options. Once more, I wasn't that comfortable leaving her there like this when the street was already dark and this lonely and she was obviosly shaken. Again, this wasn't the safest neighbourhood too. Not something you have to actively worry about, but also not needing to take extra risks.

"Have you had dinner?" I wondered, standing and brushing my hands in my jeans as she eyes me carefully. "I have mac and cheese if you want. One of those pre-cooked packs."

"I don't need your pity."

"I'm just offering dinner." I rolled my eyes, playing it as if nothing so she wouldn't overthink it either, but I was already working on my options if she rejected it. "And it'll be warmer inside."