Everyone's a Winner with a Heart That Small

"Gigi, hurry the fuck up!"

Gigi rolled her eyes and continued rummaging through her clothes until she found the top she'd been looking for. She yanked it over her head and ran a brush through her hair quickly before opening the door to meet an annoyed Ezra.

"Calm the fuck down. It's not like you have to be there at a certain time"

"So? I'm getting hungry"

"You're always hungry, fatty"

"You're one to talk!"

"I'm not fat!"

"It's amazing that you aren't. You eat more than my dad"

"Yeah, yeah. Come on"

When they got into Ezra's car, immediately music came blasting from the speakers. Gigi slapped her hands over her ears until Ezra could get it turned down enough.

"What the fuck was that?"

He shrugged. "Some band John likes"

"John was in here?"

"Yeah, yesterday"

"Oh"

The music of John's played quietly now, filling the silence between the cousins.

"So..."

"So?"

"You've been talking to John?"

"Some. Why?"

"He just won't shut up about you. Mostly about how amazing you are and whining about you not letting him meet you"

Gigi furrowed her eyebrows at his words. She knew John was driving her crazy asking but he was telling his friends all about it too?

"It's fine by me, you know"

"What?"

"I know he's a good guy so if you like him, it's totally cool with me"

"Ezra-"

"Seriously. It's about time for you to be happy again"

"I'm not getting in any relationship"

"Gigi, it's been five years. You have to get over him"

"Easy for you to say"

"No, actually, it's not. He was my best friend, remember? Don't act like you're the only one he left behind"

Gigi frowned and pulled her legs up under her body. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Ezra sighed and nodded his head, taking her hand in his much larger one. "Me too"

Neither of them said another word the rest of the way. Gigi silently followed Ezra into the house and to the living room where Tim, Pat, and Kennedy were.

Tim greeted Gigi enthusiastically but they could all tell immediately that there was something wrong with her. She wasn't smiling and she wasn't flirting with Tim. She sat down between Ezra and Pat, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them.

Ezra knew that she'd just need to take some time. Talking about him always made her upset and he hadn't meant to bring him up like that. He tried to take the focus away from her by beginning a conversation with Tim and Kennedy.

Pat nudged her with his elbow. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and gave him a small smile but he could see right through it. She had never been able to hide her feelings well. He frowned; he didn't like sad Gigi. When she was happy, she could light up a room. But when she was sad, it was like this heaviness that just sat over everyone.

Gigi's phone buzzed in her pocket and she reached into it to pull it out to read the text.

Hello, beautiful! How are you this lovely afternoon? :)

Gigi frowned again and replaced her phone in her pocket without replying. She didn't mean to give John the wrong idea. And she suddenly felt like maybe she shouldn't continue on the way she had been.

She decided she just wasn't ready.