In which a young girl who lost her mom
befriended a boy who helped her through everything
until she's brought to the point when she has to
make a decision that will change her life
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TRIGGER WARNING
This book does mention suicide multiple times...
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This was exactly what I looked like while writing this chapter.
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TRIGGER WARNING
This chapter does mention suicide
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After a 45-minute drive through traffic, Luke and Olivia arrived at a small graveyard in Pasadena. Luke stayed at her house the night before because he knew this day was going to be hard for her and he wanted to be there to support her through her pain. Since the two woke up that morning, Olivia hadn't said a word. She got out of bed, brushed her teeth, washed her face, ate breakfast, threw one of Luke's shirts on with a pair of shorts, and they walked out the door.
It was the seventh anniversary of Olivia's mother's suicide and the girl still didn't know how to handle this day. Every year she had a breakdown that was progressively getting worse each year. Last year she locked herself in her room all day and didn't let anyone in, not even Luke. She didn't show up to school for the entire week and when she was at band practice to watch the guys, she didn't say a thing. Luke didn't want to push her to do anything she didn't want to this year but suggested a few days before that they visit her mother since she hadn't gone in a few years. Olivia just nodded in response and went along with their day.
"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, but I just wanted to tell you this. I know you are struggling right now. I don't know the best or correct way to support you through it, but I will stay by your side till the end. I care about you so much and you have so many other people that care about you as well. You are not alone, and you don't have to go through this on your own. I don't want to see you go through what happened last year because it broke my heart seeing you like that, and I will do anything, get you anything, to help you not go through that again." Luke pulls the girl into a hug and she adjusts her face so her cheek is against his chest.
"Thank you, Luke. It really does help having you here. Every year when this day comes around, even if everything is going great, it suddenly feels like everything is falling apart and I can't fix any of it. Every year, I'm back in that bathroom at 4 in the morning, kneeling in a puddle of blood, crying, shaking my mom, and telling her to wake up." Tears begin to slip down her face, wetting Luke's shirt. He gently pulls her away and looks her in the eye.
"I know that I can't do anything to get that image out of your head, but I will be here to hold you through it." Luke presses a kiss to her lips before pulling away.
"As much as I want that right now, could you give me just a few minutes to talk to my mom? I haven't visited in a long time and I really do need some alone time for this." Olivia says as Luke wipes the tears from her cheeks.
"Of course, I'll go to the store and pick up some flowers and I'll be right back. Enjoy your time with your mom. Stay safe, baby." He pulls her into one last hug, kissing the top of her head before she walks toward the grave she used to visit often. Luke turns around and walks back to the truck and is out of the parking lot within a minute.
