Nothing has ever scared me as much as that look did, and I’m worried that this is going to be the thing that finally pushes her over the edge.
But I can’t think like that. I need to stay positive, for her.
Because sheisgoing to be okay.
“Grieving?” Noah asks.
I shake my head. “Don’t worry about it.”
“But Cole… how can we help her when we don’t even know what we’re helpingwith?”
I spin to face him, my emotions warring inside me as I try to think. None of us have ever dealt with loss the way Lana is right now, and I honestly have no idea what to say to her when she does snap out of it and starts talking. I’m not the best communicator to begin with, and this is way out of my depth. But I need to help her. I need to get her through this.
“What about if we invite her friends over?” Logan asks, and I stare at him in bewilderment.
“Friends?” Has he met her? She doesn’t exactly come across as the friendship bracelets and gossiping kind of girl. I could ask my sister to come over, but she’d have far too many questions that I can’t answer. I wrack my brain, trying to think of anyone I’ve ever seen Lana with, and then it hits me.
I snap my fingers, getting everyone’s attention. “I’ve got it. Savannah Marks. I’m pretty sure she and Lana have a friendly thing going on, but I’m not sure how close they are, or if they’re close enough Lana would want her to know her business. But I guess I could ask Savannah to come over and… I don’t know, talk to her?”
“No,” Harley says almost as soon as I finish my sentence.
“What? Why not?”
He shakes his head. “Your girl isn’t the type of person who would want someone they’ve only just met knowing their business. What happens when we invite Savannah over and fill her in, only for Lana to not want anyone to know about what she’s been through?”
I sigh, knowing that he’s right but also not knowing how else to help her. We all glance between each other, equally as clueless about how to make this situation better.
“Jeez. Who died?”
I spin around to find Lana standing at the entrance to the room. She’s wearing a pair of my sweats with a tank top. Her eyes are a little puffy, but she looks brighter than she has since before this entire thing.
She looks at us all quizzically before understanding flashes across her face.
“Ah… you’re wondering what to do about me, huh? Well then, I’ll just get out of your way and let you keep discussing,” she says, backing away, and I take a step towards her. She holds up her hand, but for once, I don’t listen.
She huffs, spinning and walking from the room. I follow her back to my bedroom and she takes a seat on the bed, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she bites down on it.
“Are you okay?” I ask and immediately regret it. What a dumb fucking question to ask her.
She shrugs halfheartedly and nods her head once before shaking it.
“I don’t know,” she whispers, and the look of utter heartbreak on her face cracks my chest down the middle. I sit down next to her and gather her in my arms, pulling her into my lap so she’s sitting sideways with her head nestled in the crook of my neck.
“You don’t need to be strong all of the time, baby. It’sokay to be weak. It’s okay to feel the pain, and it’s okay to let it out. You don’t need to mask how you feel around me. I’ve got you.”
My words pierce the last barrier she had in place, and she breaks.
She trembles in my hold, her body shaking as she sobs into my neck. My skin is wet with her tears, but I just hold her, murmuring quiet reassurances and letting her know that I’m here for her, and that I always will be.
God, she’s so fucking strong. So fierce.
“You’re okay, little menace,” I whisper into her hair, and she shivers. I grab a blanket and wrap it around us, cocooning us in our own little bubble as I keep a tight hold of her, never once loosening my hold.
Her cries quieten, and her body slowly goes lax in my arms, though I can tell from her breathing that she’s still awake.
“You’re not alone in this, Lana.”
Her head lifts, and her reddened eyes peer into mine.
