Being Bad

Chapter 75: The Aftermath

I grabbed my crutches and went outside to the patio. I sat in a lonely pool chair, watching the pool water. It was so still that the lightest touch would send ripples throughout the entire perimeter.

I heard multiple footsteps behind me. I didn't bother to look back.

"What do you want? I'm fine." I said with a harsher tone than I intended.

"We just wanted to check up on you. You barely finished your slice of cake." I heard Lina's voice.

"Also, two people stopped by and wanted to see how you were doing." That was Mason's voice.

I turned back and saw my boyfriend and his best friend staring sympathetically toward me. I rolled my eyes and turned away.

I missed them, but I feel so dark and helpless that it's clouded my emotions. I didn't feel like doing anything, talking, eating cake, nothing. I just wanted to lock my bedroom door and stay there until every part of me heals.

"Wow, she cares so much for me." I heard Andrew speak first.

"That's regular Lia, guys she's totally fine. Where's the cake?" Eli asked.

"It's in the kitchen. I'm going in the pool. Wanna come, Mase?" Lina suggested to her brother.

"Yeah, but what about Lia?"

"I got her." My boyfriend whispered softly.

I heard the sound of a chair being placed beside me, and a figure in my peripheral vision sitting down.

"Hi." He said.

I sighed shakily. "Hi."

"How are you feeling?" He takes my right hand softly, making sure he doesn't hurt me.

"Not good." I felt tears surfacing, and I tried to breathe them away.

Happy thoughts, Lia. Happy thoughts.

"Tell me."

"I just..." I sighed, looking at him. He stared back with his beautiful chocolate brown eyes. "I feel so helpless. Everyone has to help me do things. I've always been so independent even back at home in Maine. Now, I just feel like a burden."

"You're not a burden. You're so valuable, Lia." He feathered a kiss on my hand. "When I saw you in that car, I thought you were dead. And it made me think about what life would be like without you. I wouldn't be able to bear it."

I leaned into him, and he put his arm around me, encasing me into a hug.

"I needed to hear that." I told him softly.

"Good because I really needed to say it." He replied back.

In front of me, Mason and Lina were playing basketball in the pool. Whenever Mason would make it, Lina would swim after him and push him in the water and then swim away. Mason would get mad, and then they would start splashing each other until they finally surrendered and starting playing the game again.

I kept replaying those words in my head.

You're not a burden. You're so valuable, Lia.

It makes me feel worthy of something—someone. To feel important to someone, and know that no matter what, there's always that someone there to look after you.

That's the greatest feeling in the world.

***

"You know, you don't have to do this for me. I could always just take a shower and save everyone the trouble." I told Lina as she rinsed my hair.