Page 63 of Love Not Qualified

Merielle’s family was perfect. Her parents were growing older together, loving each other as if any day could’ve been the last. They had family meals, they laughed, celebrated, and they called her every day to check on her.

When I met her at my first job in Los Angeles, I didn’t want to be the girl with a dysfunctional family, though then it wasn’t as bad as it was now. So I lied, and the lies multiplied as the years passed.

How was I supposed to know she was going to become my best friend?

The look on her face transformed as if I just slapped her. “Ashamed because of me?” Her bottom lip quivered and I reached out to her, caressing her skin.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, and yet I could still hear the words echoing.

She dragged her lips over her teeth and took one quick glance at the ceiling, before sitting next to me. “I’m so mad at you rightnow for choosing to go through all that alone instead of telling me the truth. I would’ve been there for you.”

“I know.”

“But I love you, and even though you have a fucked up past, I want to know. Your past won’t change anything, Hae. You are still my best friend who has worked her ass off to take care of her mother, who has to watchJohn Wickto get over any heartbreak, who chews gum when she’s nervous. You are still my Hae,” Merielle said, putting one of her feet under her bottom as her hands landed on mine.

I nodded, biting my bottom lip. My chest heaved and for the first time in my life, since I met Merielle, I was ready to tell her everything. She deserved to know the truth.

“My father is not dead,” I started, and watched how she struggled to keep the reactions away from her face. “He’s in prison and we didn’t move from Compton because I wanted to be closer to work. We moved because he came home over the limit one night and Mom had enough. We wanted to take Nash with us that day, but Dad spent the entire time with him. We couldn’t call the police because he had some good friends in town who would ignore Mom’s calls, so we went to Compton every day for six days, then my mother started to pass out on a daily basis until she wouldn’t move from her bed. She couldn’t do anything, but I continued to search for a moment alone with Nash.” I gulped and she encouraged me with her eyes to continue.

“One time, I almost got him. Dad was in the garden with his friends and I snuck through the window in the living room where Nash was watching a movie. I barely hugged him to my chest when the door flew open and he walked inside. I got Nash out first and we ran through the woods, but before I could make it to the train station, a cop got us. He let me go because he only wanted my brother, and he took Nash with him. From thatmoment until a year ago, Dad kept him close with a leash. I didn’t stand a chance,” I murmured, and when she hugged me to her chest, I realized I was shaking.

“I never stopped thinking about the day we’d get him back, Merielle. While I paid for my mother’s health care, I saved up money for a lawyer, but it wasn’t much. When I got the phone call from the police that my little brother had been found beaten to death in our house, I was three hundred dollars short from getting the retainer for a lawyer. Three hundred fucking dollars. But it was too late.”

“Oh, Haelyn.” Her voice croaked and broke with tears and I closed my eyes as I returned the hug.

I nodded. Somehow, the air filtered easier through my lungs and I knew it was because Merielle finally knew me. The real me. And the fact that she didn’t run the moment I closed my mouth, I knew nothing was going to break us apart.

“And now I have to decide whether I let my mother die or not,” I continued, leaning my head on hers. She’s pressed on my shoulder, her arms tugging me to her chest.

She fought for air, clearly at a loss for words. Still, she chose the best thing to say.

“I’m here for you for whatever decision you take,” Merielle reassured me.

I smiled, my chest blooming.

I didn’t consider myself lucky, but Merielle made me feel like the luckiest person in the world. She was my other half.

Her phone rang from under her and she scooped it up, before hitting the red button.

“Answer him,” I told her after I saw David was calling.

“No.” She shook her head.” It’s fine.”

I couldn’t help but sigh. “Merielle, I heard you two fight because of me. Answer him,” I pushed.

She shook her head again. “I’ll talk to him when he gets home from work. Right now, I want to spend time with my best friend. He’ll understand.”

As much as I was grateful, I was also worried. Unfortunately, I knew Merielle was too stubborn to listen.

So I kept my mouth shut.

We sat in silence for a while and because she knew me so well, she started the TV in front of us and pulled up the firstJohn Wickmovie. When his dog died, we cried together, smiling at each other as we wiped the tears with our palms, occasionally sipping from the tea she made for me.

It was no longer warm, but it didn’t matter. Having her by my side was more than enough.

A phone vibrated and Merielle looked at her side, taking a device between her fingers. When I looked at her, she had her eyebrows furrowed, then handed me the phone.

“It’s your boss.”

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