life could be like. She loves you, we both know that, and it used to scare me. She’s only thirteen. Grown up in some aspects of life, but still a child in others. Are you sure of your feelings?”
“I am.” No hesitation, no second-guessing. I know I’m only sixteen, but Phoebe Wells has held my heart in her hands for as long as I can remember. “I understand what you’re saying, but please know I’d never force that on her. I want her to love me just as easily as I do her.”
“I know that, Lucas. We trust you with her, and that isn’t easy for us. Don’t abuse it.”
It was then I formulated my plan of allowing her to live the life she had been robbed of, so when she came to me it was on her own free will and not out of familiarity. Of course I shared it with her parents, and while her dad seemed to agree and appreciate it, her mom was pissed. She believed we were once again taking the power away from Phoebe and that at some point we needed to allow her to take some control of her own life. I stop my reminiscing and jolt back to the tragedy at hand.
“He can’t tell her. I have to.” I know it would kill me to see her pain and feel her devastation, but I needed to be the one to do it. I need to be there for her when she breaks, and she will break. I met with the partner and learned all the plans and provisions her parents had made, what my role was in them, then went outside to wait on her. I had no idea when she would be home, but I know from the moment I tell her, she will never take another step without me. She will never have to face life alone. She has always had a support system around her. With her parents gone I don’t want her to feel displaced or lost. I have a lot of decisions to make and plans to change. Tonight, while a part of her life will change forever, I am going to be there. No more games, no more waiting. From the moment she gets out of the limo, she will never be without me again.
Waiting is killing me, thinking about the past, what lies ahead for her, on top of everything she has been through. She doesn’t deserve this. God, she doesn’t fucking deserve to have any more pain and heartache in her life. I hear the limo pull up and see her register that I’m waiting on her. She knows something’s wrong, I can see it on her face. She’s ready to flee when I grab her, hold her, and try to anchor her because the words I say next will sink her. “There was an accident, Twinkle.” I choke on the words, unsure of how to get them out of my mouth. “God, I’m so sorry. They were trapped inside when the building collapsed.” With one final deep breath, I utter the words that are going to crush her. “Phoebe, your parents are gone.”
She tries to pull away, but I hang on tighter. The words haven’t sunk in yet, and I don’t know if it is denial, or she doesn’t understand what I am saying, but I am waiting for her collapse. I look down at her beautiful face, and when she stares in my eyes, the sobs begin. That’s the moment my heart begins to crack. I can’t stand to see her in pain, it guts me, but I can’t fix this, and that just about breaks me. I have to let her live with this, drown in her grief, and just hold her. I can’t do anything else, but be her solace in this storm. If I could take it away from her, switch places with her, I would. It may make me sound like a bastard, since I’ve been the cause of so much of her pain, but I would do anything to stop her tears and take this away. When I feel her body crumble and sag against me, I effortlessly pick her up and carry her inside. I make my way to her room and place her on the bed. She clings to me. Her whimpering crushes me. I have to be strong, I have to be the one to hold her up. I go back out into the living room with her in my arms to sit on the couch, cradling her as close to my body as I can. She continues to cry but doesn’t utter a word. I’m scared that she’s in shock. In an effort to get a response from
“I am.” No hesitation, no second-guessing. I know I’m only sixteen, but Phoebe Wells has held my heart in her hands for as long as I can remember. “I understand what you’re saying, but please know I’d never force that on her. I want her to love me just as easily as I do her.”
“I know that, Lucas. We trust you with her, and that isn’t easy for us. Don’t abuse it.”
It was then I formulated my plan of allowing her to live the life she had been robbed of, so when she came to me it was on her own free will and not out of familiarity. Of course I shared it with her parents, and while her dad seemed to agree and appreciate it, her mom was pissed. She believed we were once again taking the power away from Phoebe and that at some point we needed to allow her to take some control of her own life. I stop my reminiscing and jolt back to the tragedy at hand.
“He can’t tell her. I have to.” I know it would kill me to see her pain and feel her devastation, but I needed to be the one to do it. I need to be there for her when she breaks, and she will break. I met with the partner and learned all the plans and provisions her parents had made, what my role was in them, then went outside to wait on her. I had no idea when she would be home, but I know from the moment I tell her, she will never take another step without me. She will never have to face life alone. She has always had a support system around her. With her parents gone I don’t want her to feel displaced or lost. I have a lot of decisions to make and plans to change. Tonight, while a part of her life will change forever, I am going to be there. No more games, no more waiting. From the moment she gets out of the limo, she will never be without me again.
Waiting is killing me, thinking about the past, what lies ahead for her, on top of everything she has been through. She doesn’t deserve this. God, she doesn’t fucking deserve to have any more pain and heartache in her life. I hear the limo pull up and see her register that I’m waiting on her. She knows something’s wrong, I can see it on her face. She’s ready to flee when I grab her, hold her, and try to anchor her because the words I say next will sink her. “There was an accident, Twinkle.” I choke on the words, unsure of how to get them out of my mouth. “God, I’m so sorry. They were trapped inside when the building collapsed.” With one final deep breath, I utter the words that are going to crush her. “Phoebe, your parents are gone.”
She tries to pull away, but I hang on tighter. The words haven’t sunk in yet, and I don’t know if it is denial, or she doesn’t understand what I am saying, but I am waiting for her collapse. I look down at her beautiful face, and when she stares in my eyes, the sobs begin. That’s the moment my heart begins to crack. I can’t stand to see her in pain, it guts me, but I can’t fix this, and that just about breaks me. I have to let her live with this, drown in her grief, and just hold her. I can’t do anything else, but be her solace in this storm. If I could take it away from her, switch places with her, I would. It may make me sound like a bastard, since I’ve been the cause of so much of her pain, but I would do anything to stop her tears and take this away. When I feel her body crumble and sag against me, I effortlessly pick her up and carry her inside. I make my way to her room and place her on the bed. She clings to me. Her whimpering crushes me. I have to be strong, I have to be the one to hold her up. I go back out into the living room with her in my arms to sit on the couch, cradling her as close to my body as I can. She continues to cry but doesn’t utter a word. I’m scared that she’s in shock. In an effort to get a response from
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