Noted

FIFTEEN

a/n: I had chapter 15 ready to go last week, but I didn't like the direction it was going. So I re-wrote it.

***

It appears that having a Nilsson twin around makes June's head full of uncertainty. Especially when said Nilsson is walking alongside her best friend and laughing about something ridiculous. Probably about her. June won't put it past Phoebe, who's now lowering her voice and showing Zachary something on her phone. They glance back at June simultaneously before snickering at themselves. Cheeky bastards.

She keeps her mouth shut as they walk up to Phoebe's house. Her dad's not home based on the missing car in the driveway. Somehow that makes it worse. She's been looking forward to getting rid of Zachary the second Phoebe invited him over. Add a parent in the picture, and Zachary would be leaving within the span of ten minutes.

But of course, the universe and its bloody stars refuse to align to make it true.

"Charger is in the kitchen," Phoebe says, placing her bag down in the lounge room. "Help yourself to a drink or fruit. June can show you around if you need anything."

Upon hearing the direction she is heading, June's eyes widen immediately. "Where are you going?"

"Calling my girlfriend to see what time she's coming down. Privately, in my room," Phoebe answers, waving her phone. She sighs. "Don't go killing anyone while I'm gone."

June says nothing. Phoebe winks and leaves, closing her bedroom door behind her. She's left standing in the kitchen with Zachary.

She turns her attention to him, watching as he holds his head in his hands while staring down at his phone charging. There's no reason for June to show him around, he's been here with his brother before. She turns to the lounge room, the night playing over in her head. Christian on one side, Zachary on the other. June is in the middle.

When she turns back around, he's looking at her.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asks.

Is he referring to the party? Why on earth would he ask her that?"

"Um..."

"We don't have to," he interrupts, standing against the bench now. "It'll help me figure out why you no longer need my help, but I can understand that it's not something you want to discuss."

"It's not that I don't want to discuss it," she starts, realising what he's asking her. "There's just no point in it anymore. My...relations with that person are no more. I've tried to be patient, and when I think we're heading in a mutual direction, they take me somewhere else, and I'm left standing alone again like an idiot, waiting. So I decided to stop."

"Stop...being nice?"

"Yes," June says. "To them."

Zachary nods slowly. "Because you didn't get the reaction you wanted."

"What?" June's brows knit in confusion. "No, because he was being a dick."

Zachary's grin widens. "He?"

"They." She winces at the slip of her tongue. "They were being a dick."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, we all slip up here and there. But I get it, you don't want to tell me who you're referring to or if they're really non-binary. No judgments here."

She analyzes him. Zachary hasn't given her any reason that he's a judgmental person, he doesn't try to make her feel pressured to answer him as though he genuinely cares.