*Geek Boy*
I stared at the textbook in front of me without seeing the words.
It was past midnight. Mom was asleep by now.
I couldn't sleep. I couldn't study either. My brain refused to switch off.
I'd gone over mom's words a hundred times in my head, and yet, I couldn't stop thinking about them.
I felt...I didn't know how I felt.
The sound of the doorbell ringing made me jump.
My gaze flickered to the clock. 1:15am. Who could be at the door at this hour?
When the bell rang again, I left the room. Whoever it was, I didn't want them to wake up mom.
The woman waiting outside was tall, with golden blonde hair and dark blue eyes. I'd never met her before, but she looked familiarâ
She blinked at me. "Will?"
Ellie. She looked like Ellie.
My brows furrowed. "Yes?"
She smiled. "I'm Ellie's sisterâJulianna. Can I talk to you?"
A few moments later, she was sitting in our kitchen, sipping from a cup of coffee.
I peered at her. She looked a lot like Ellieâthe colour of her hair, the shape of her nose. What was she doing here?
A jolt of panic ran through me. "Is Ellie okay?" I rushed out.
Julianna nodded. "Ellie's fine."
My shoulders sagged. "Ohâgood." I glanced at the empty kitchen, then cleared my throat. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"
I suppressed a cringe. I hadn't meant for it to sound so impolite. This was Ellie's oldest sisterâI needed to make a good impression.
I opened my mouth to apologise when she spoke.
"I need you to break up with my sister."
I turned to stone.
"What?"
Julianna sighed. "Did you know Ellie was kicked off the cheer squad?"
My eyes widened. "She was?"
Ellie would be devastated. I should have been there for herâ
"She was removed from the squad as a result of that poster."
I stiffened.
She'd lost her position on the cheerleading team because...of our poster?
She met my gaze. "Did Ellie tell you that our mother's pregnant?"
My head jerked into a nod, but I could barely feel the movement.
"When she found out about you two, about what happened because of you two...she fainted." She paused. Then she said, her voice soft, "She nearly lost the baby."
A dam shattered. It was as if water was flooding the room, filling my lungs. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak.
"Our mom's pregnancy is high risk," she said. "She needs as little stress as possible. The tiniest thing could tip her over. I know it hurts to hearâbut your relationship is hurting my family." She paused. "And if you're hurting her family, you're hurting Ellie." Julianna stood.
I couldn't move.
"Ellie told me you're a good personâa kind person." She touched my arm. I smothered a flinch. "This is a plea from my entire family, please end this. If you really care about her," she said, "you will leave her alone."
She left the house before I could speak, before my mind could catch up with her words.
She nearly lost the baby.
An image flashed in my mind: my mother, devastated, the blank look on her features.
The idea that that could happen to Ellie's familyâ
That all the devastation it caused mineâ
If you really care about her.
I loved Ellie. I loved her more than anything.
And if I was responsible for hurting her...
Mom's face from this afternoon filled my mind. Jed's face when he'd broken down. James's expressionâ
I vomited into the sink.
I squeezed the edge of the counter, a tremor running down my back.
I knew what losing a child did to a family.
*
Next update will be up tomorrow!