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I hear the creak of our screen door a split second before Mom yells, “Niko!”
I’m already in Aislin’s yard, so I ignore her and continue my trek. She’ll yell at me later for not listening to her, but I don’t care. Aislin is more important than not being yelled at. Besides, she has to know I wouldn’t last long not knowing what was wrong with Aislin. Aislin herself should know too.
Finding the door unlocked when I turn the knob spikes my anger even more. Aislin knows better than to leave her door unlocked even during the day. An unlocked door in this neighborhood is just inviting anyone to come inside. She’s normally good with remembering. Just goes to show something is seriously wrong here.
The house is quiet when I walk into the living room. I wrinkle my nose when the smell of stale smoke hits me. The place is a disaster. The carpet is stained and worn, the furniture is ripping at the seams, and the walls have several holes the size of fists. The once white paint is now stained a dull yellow. I hate that Aislin lives here and has to breathe in the stench of this place. Aislin tries her best to keep it as clean as possible, but it’s pointless because her mom just comes right behind her and makes it disgusting again.
I walk through the living room, making sure to step over the weak spot I know is under the carpet by the ratty recliner. The hallway is dark but not because the light isn’t on. There hasn’t been a light bulb in the fixture for years. Aislin’s mom won’t buy any to replace it, preferring to spend her money on booze and drugs. The last time Aislin’s light went out in her bedroom, she had to get one from us.
I stop at her door, pull in a deep breath, and then knock.
“Go away, Niko,” Aislin’s muffled voice comes from the other side of the thin wood.
Ignoring her demand, I reach for the doorknob then blink in surprise to find it locked. She uses her lock frequently, fearing one of her mom’s men will try to come in her room, but she’s never used it against me. And right now, it’s not locked to keep bad men out; it’s meant to keep me out because she knew I would be coming over.
A fierce stabbing pain hits my chest, forcing me to suck in a sharp breath. It takes me a minute to push back the pain this gesture causes.
“Open the door, Aislin,” I say through the door. She may want me to go away, but I’m not going anywhere. Not until she opens up to me.
“No. I’m not feeling well. Just leave.” I hear a sniffle, and it ramps up my need to see her.
“Open the door, or I’ll bust it down,” I growl.
I look down at the wood separating me from her and determine it won’t take much to force it open.
“Please, Niko, just go. I’ll come by later and explain. I just need to be alone right now.”
Her voice cracks, and it snaps the thread holding my control in place. She seriously can’t expect me to just leave her alone. If the situation were reversed, she’d be yelling at me to let her in. I step back a foot, turn my shoulder to the door, and then ram it forward. As expected, the door slams open easily and hits the wall. My eyes zero in on Aislin sitting on the end of her bed, her knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Her beautiful eyes round as she takes me in. Adrenaline of knocking her door in has my chest pumping.
When I see her red and splotchy face, fear has me racing across the room and dropping to my knees in front of her. Her bed consists of a single mattress on the floor, so my position puts us at eye level. She watches me cautiously, her eyes guarded. She’s never been guarded with me before. What in the hell is going on? my mind screams.
“North,” I whisper, my voice hoarse. I reach up and pull one of her hands from her leg. Another tingle starts in my fingers as soon as I touch her. Again, I push the feeling away. “Please talk to me. You’re scaring me.”
She squeezes her eyes shut and drops her forehead to her knees. My heart drops because I think she’s still going to keep me in the dark, but then she lifts her head.
“It’s stupid,” she mumbles.
I frown and scoot closer to her. “Nothing that has to do with you is ever stupid.”
She rolls her eyes. “This is. And it’s embarrassing.”
“Aislin, just tell me. I promise there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re my best friend. If something is bothering you, then I want to know about it. I want to help.”
She laughs, but the look on her face says it’s fake. “You can’t help with this.”
Frustration has me gritting my teeth. I’m about to give her a shake to make her see reason when she blurts out, “I started my period today.”
I blink, and it takes me a minute to process her words.
I started my period today. Her words repeat over and over in my head. My eyes widen, and when she sees them, a blush creeps up her cheeks. Seeing that color on her skin makes my own body heat. I drop my eyes from her and sit back on my heels. When she tries to pull her hand from mine, I tighten my fingers and look up at her.
“Are you okay?” I ask, remembering the pain my sister goes through every month.
She shrugs, not looking at me. “Aislin,” I call.
“What?”
When she still doesn’t look at me, I squeeze her hand and call her name again. Her eyes finally meet mine, and I can tell she feels awkward. What I thought she knew, but I now realize she doesn’t, is that there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, she needs to be embarrassed about with me or scared to talk with me about. I don’t care what it is; I’m always here for her. Even something as private as this. Aislin is my North, she’s my everything, and there’s not one thing on earth I ever want her to have to go through alone.
