angel eyes 🤍

sister

okay, guys so this chapter is going to be kind of sad. I got the same shitty phone call I'm going to describe in this chapter from my mom today so I'm just really sad and need to get the emotions out. so, sorry for the sad chapter. this whole story is true, exactly how it happened in my life. it's nice to write it all out, so thanks for letting me do this

honestly, if you don't want to read it, you can just skip it. I'll make the next chapter soon and it will make sense even if you don't read this one

Y/n POV
Lizzie and I finish our dinner and head to the kitchen. As we wash the dishes, I am racking my brain for ways to fluster Lizzie to get her back for what she did at dinner.

My brilliant ideas are interrupted by my phone ringing. I pick my phone up to see my mom is calling. I decide to just let it go to voicemail. Every time she calls it lasts over an hour so I'll just call her back later.

But then it rings again. Weird. Must be important.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Y/n. I need to talk to you about something. Do you have a second?" My mom asks on the other side of the phone. She sounds sad and worried, emotions from her I know all too well.

"Of course, mom. What's up? Is everything okay?" The concern in my voice matched hers. Lizzie picks up on my change in demeanor and stops washing the dishes to walk over to me.

"I'm sorry, Y/n. I feel like every time I call you it's with bad news. I wish things were different," my mom said apologetically. Well, now I'm really scared.

"Mom don't apologize, it's okay. But you're freaking me out. Please just tell me what happened."

As my mom tells me everything that is going on, tears start to stream down my face. I sit down on the couch and bring my knees up to my chest. I say goodbye to my mom and hang up the phone as Lizzie sits next to me and takes my hands into her.

"Y/n what happened? What did your mom say? Is it about your sister?" Lizzie asks, voice and eyes full of concerns.

I just nod, not ready to speak yet. Lizzie brings her hands up to my face and cups my cheeks, rubbing the tears off and stroking my face. She lets me take a few deep breaths before asking again.

"Talk to me, Y/n. I heard part of the story in the airport if that makes it easier for you," She softly says while looking into my eyes.

I turn my whole body towards her and take a couple of deep breaths to calm myself. Lizzie sits across from me to face me fully, giving me all of her attention. She rubs her thumb over my hands, giving me time to collect my thoughts. Finally, I get the nerve to tell her my story.

"Okay. Let me give you the full backstory. So, my sister is 11 years older than me. She was my favorite person. I used to think she was the coolest person in the whole world. But, once she went off the college, everything went to shit. She got addicted to drugs- bad. She dropped out of school and disappeared. I'll never forget how scared I was. She wouldn't respond to anyone for weeks so we thought she was dead. She turned up eventually and came back like everything was fine. We were so relieved she was okay; we forgave her easily. Then it happened again. And again. And again. She would get totally clean, act like the sister and daughter we thought we'd lost, and then leave without a word. Every time she came back, I let her back in, and every time she left again. I'm sure you can imagine what the does to a person, what that does to a child. I thought it couldn't get worse, but I was terribly wrong. Once she gave birth to my nephew, we thought we had a new start. My sister was back again, clean for almost two years. She was a fantastic mom and really seemed to find her stride. Until we found her passed out in the front seat with a needle in her arm and my nephew screaming in the backseat. She disappeared for a while after that, leaving the rest of my family to raise her son. We loved it, of course. He's an angel and we all loved having him around. But it's like she could sense our happiness, so she came back to ruin it. I guess the paternal grandparents of my nephew wanted custody of him, so instead of asking us to see him, they went to the courts. They paid my sister a couple of hundred dollars to testify against my family in court to get her son taken away from us. And she did. All for drug money. She went on the stand and told the courts not to let my family raise her child. Want to know her main argument? They couldn't let my mom raise her kid because look how I turned out! She told them about how I was depressed and struggled with my emotions. If my mom raised someone like me, how could she be trusted to raise another child? I guess the courts agreed because they took my nephew away from us. Because of me. After that, I didn't talk to her. I got a couple of letters from her, asking about how I was and bullshit like that, but I never responded. How could I? I've kept track of her using the public police records. She went to jail for a couple of months for drug possession. When she got out, she was drug tested every month. Each month I would check just to make sure she was alive. Until a couple of months ago she tested positive so there was a warrant out for her arrest. I called around to local hospitals and morgues, but nobody came in matching her description. So, I haven't known what was going on with her these past couple of months." I look down at my hands, tears refusing to stop streaming down my face.

"Oh my god, Y/n. I am so sorry you have had to go through all of that. You can't blame yourself for any of it. You are an amazing daughter, sister, and aunt. You did nothing wrong." Lizzie affirms me as she brings me into the warmest and safest hug I could have asked for. "So what did your mom tell you?"

"Well, she's secretly kept in contact with her, I guess. She said that she was clean and in rehab, again. But then she left the rehab, again. But I guess she's been mixing drugs lately and has overdosed five times in the past few months. She's getting worse and worse. So, my mom gave me my sister's latest phone number and told me to reach out to her, even just a text, because she's scared my sister is going to die soon. Why does everyone I love die or leave?" I finish my story, exhausted from the crying and worry. I just rest my head down on Lizzie's shoulder while she rubs my back.

"Jesus Christ, Y/n. I am so sorry. I'm never going to leave you." I lift my head up to look into Lizzie's eyes and all I see is sincerity. She cups my cheeks and returns the gaze. "I will never leave you, Y/n," Lizzie repeats.

With that, I lean into her warm embrace. I allow myself to melt into her, taking in all of her comfort and peace.

"I am so sorry. We were having fun and-" I try to start apologizing but am cut off.

"Y/n. No apologies." Lizzie strokes my hair. "So, are you going to reach out to her?"

"I think so. I have no idea what to say. But I'd rather say something, and she ends up being fine than saying nothing and regret it if something happened to her."

"Yeah. I think that's the right thing to do. You don't have to make up with her or forgive her, but it's better to say something just in case."

I continue to take comfort in her embrace. Lizzie keeps rubbing my back and playing with my hair. I start to get really tired.

"Do you want to stay here for the night?" Lizzie asks me sweetly.

"Please," I admit, thankful she offered. "You know, I've never told anymore my full story like that before. You should feel special," I tease her a little with a small smile, wanting to hear her laugh again.

Lizzie giggles lightly, "I do feel special. Thank you for telling me."

Lizzie gets me all ready for bed, giving me a change of clothes and a toothbrush. We both change into sweatpants and her old t-shirts. They smell just like her. I can't wait to "accidentally" take this home with me tomorrow. As I lay down in her bed, Lizzie turns to walk away.

"I'll sleep in the guest room. Let me know if you need anything."

"Can you stay?" I ask softly, half embarrassed and half scared to hear her response.

"Of course, Y/n." She gives me a warm smile.

Lizzie crawls into bed and I already feel a little bit better. Her presence is so calming to me. But then I start to think about everything that has happened. It's all so overwhelming. I turn to face away from Lizzie and start to cry a little.

"Y/n, come here," Lizzie says softly, holding up the covers so I can come closer to her. I nestle into her side, my head resting on her chest and my arms and leg wrapped around her. I've never been a person who likes cuddling, but I never want to leave this position.

"Goodnight, Y/n."

"Goodnight, Lizzie."

Lizzie rubs my back until I finally drift off to sleep.