novaedgar bonding post jjedgar break up?? nova feeling guilt for her irrational dislike of edgar and how that lead to jj breaking up with him??? whouda thunk!!!! (also sadly we are on poguelandia)
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Nova knew Edgar was stubborn but she didn't know he was this stubborn. He'd refused to eat with them, even though they'd managed their best catch of fish yet. He wasn't talking to any of them — and when he was it was only in Spanish because apparently he was petty as well.
On top of that, he was sitting alone, refusing to sleep with the group.
"He's being ridiculous," she grumbled as they all watched him. He was sitting on the sand, letting his legs get soaked by the ocean. "Putting himself in danger because he got dumped."
Sarah scoffed. "Could you have some empathy for once in your life?"
"It's not my fault that he's being a crybaby," she argued.
"If it's bothering you so much, go talk to him," John B said.
She knew a challenge when she heard one. "Fine. I will."
Getting to her feet, she stomped over to him. As she walked over to him, she heard Pope mutter, "Great work, John B. Now she's going to make him feel worse."
"Come lay down, Church Boy," she commanded, kicking sand at his back.
He completely ignored her, not even bothering to turn around to face her.
She groaned, throwing her head back in annoyance. Why did he have to be so difficult? She sat next to him, glaring at the side of his head. "You shouldn't be out here by yourself."
He turned to her, and the sadness in his eyes made her chest physically ache.
"Why not?" He sounded exhausted, weighed down by tiredness.
She scoffed. "Cause it's dangerous."
"I don't care," he replied.
Now she was starting to worry that he was going to walk into the ocean when they all fell asleep. "Please don't pull an Awakening," she said. She figured he'd appreciate the literary reference.
His eyes lit up, twinkling with recognition, but he didn't respond.
"What the fuck is your problem?" she said, and she distantly heard Pope groan. "So you got dumped? Who cares?"
"Nova!" Pope said at the same time Sarah exclaimed, "Leave him alone!"
She rolled her eyes, ignoring them. She knew what she was doing. "It's not a big deal. People get dumped all the time."
Edgar blinked at her, eyes sparkling because they always sparkled like he was a goddamn Disney princess. It was one of his more annoying traits. "He told me he loved me two days ago."
The switch to Spanish was jarring and made something in her chest hurt. He didn't want the others to know what they were saying. "I don't–"
"I know you can understand me. I heard you and mom arguing outside of the church last month. And your dad talks to me in Spanish," he said. If he was anyone else, it would've felt malicious, like he was calling her out on her lie. Instead he was looking at her like he got it, like he understood.
"Okay, fine, I can understand you," she relented, the words falling clunkily from her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she spoke Spanish. "What do you mean he told you he loves you?"
He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "The other day, two days ago, he.. I feel weird telling you this. It feels like I'm giving away something private." Running his hands through his hair, he huffed, forcing himself to keep talking. "Everyone else was off doing stuff, and we were just hanging out, and he started looking at me weird, and when I asked him what was up, he told me that he loved me."
There was a wistfulness in his voice that she'd never heard before. Not that she went out of his way to listen to the tones and emotions in his voice, but still. She'd never thought of Edgar as someone who yearned. How could he want more when he had everything?
"And he meant it," he continued, "I know he did. I told him not to say it if he didn't mean it, and he wouldn't lie to me."
She snorted. "Lying is a core part of his personality."
He rolled his eyes. "He's never lied to me. And I know for certain that he wouldn't lie to me about his feelings."
"How do you know that?"
He brought his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them. "Because I love him. Even though it's a stupid thing to do."
Nova's heart cracked in her chest. She'd never had that much faith in anyone. Why read between the lines when you could listen to what people were actually saying to you?
Another sigh stole her attention. God, Edgar being sad was terrible. It was like watching a steamroller run over a corgi. "Did he.. Did he say something when he broke up with you? Did he give you a reason?"
"Yeah," he groaned, apparently frustrated at the memory, "It was stupid. Stuff that he'd never had a problem with before. He said we were too different. That he was a bad influence."
Guilt struck Nova like a baseball bat to the skull. In rapid succession, her brain showed her a compilation of all of the times she'd dunked on their relationship and how they were such different people. She'd assumed JJ was ignoring her.
"You're right," she agreed, "That is stupid."
He huffed out a laugh, but his eyes still shone with sadness.
"Don't worry about it," she continued, "He's probably just freaking out from saying the l word. He'll come to his senses in a day or two, and he'll be begging you to take him back."
He didn't look convinced, gnawing on the inside of his cheek, but he didn't argue. She'd take the little victory.
"C'mon Church Boy, come lay down," she said, reverting back to English, and getting to her feet. She reached out for his hand. "I'll be your big spoon."
He exhaled, and she couldn't figure out what the expression on his face meant.
"Nova?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
Warmth bloomed under her skin and she rolled her eyes at his emotions. She was over the sentiments. "Yeah, yeah. Come to bed."
He took her hand, letting her yank him over to the group.
“ you’ve been staring at that guy/girl/person for like … five minutes. “ + edgar!
this bitch can't SEE
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"What is your deal?" Nova said, plopping beside Edgar.
He looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "What?"
"You’ve been staring at that guy for like … five minutes," she said, as if he was crazy.
"What?" he repeated. He didn't even know there was a person was in his line of sight, seeing nothing but a series of blobs and colors. "I wasn't- I didn't even see him."
Nova sent him a skeptical look. "I though you were just dilf-hunting but you're telling me you really can't see him?"
He shook his head.
"You need glasses. Like more than anyone has ever needed glasses," she said.
"I have reading glasses!" he argued, and she snorted.
She smacked him on the arm with a laugh. "Jesus, Church Boy, you're like somebody's grandpa."
He could never tell when she was being friendly with him and when she was mocking, the line was always too blurry.
