Let them go

Chapter 2

Lucy POV

“Is Theo running a workshop on how to be an overprotective brother?” I heard Riley’s voice behind me.

I closed my locker and turned around to look at her.

“What?” I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

Riley leaned on the locker next to mine. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Is Theo teaching other brothers how to be overprotective?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Oh. This was about Aiden.

I chuckled and shook my head.

“I love him, but I don’t think that he has enough patience to teach.” I said as I started to walk toward the cafeteria.

“You never know.” Riley mumbled.

“Well, the vein on his forehead almost burst when he tried to teach me how to use the laptop.” I said, chuckling.

Theo was a tech genius. I grew up without laptops and phones. I knew the basics, but I struggled with learning new stuff. Theo helped me a lot, but I could tell that he struggled with being patient.

Riley didn’t find it funny, though. Actually, she probably wasn’t even listening to me. She was biting her lower lip, her eyebrows were furrowed, and she was staring at the ground.

“Is this about Aiden?” I asked my best friend.

“Yes.” Riley sighed and looked up at me. “I don’t know what to do anymore. I love him, and I just want him to be okay. I can see that he is struggling, but he doesn’t want to go to therapy.”

Aiden has become a lot like Theo ever since Jack and Brian kidnapped me. He became overprotective of Riley, and he is constantly scared and tense. He was looking for danger everywhere we went. Riley was doing everything that she could to help him, but I could tell that she was very worried.

“What does Ethan say?” I asked her.

“He is worried too.” Riley sighed. “He tried to talk to him a few times, but it didn’t do much good. Aiden only made Ethan even more protective than he was before. They are all on team Theo.”

I chuckled a little before I bit my lip nervously. I was worried about Aiden too. I saw how much he loved Riley. I saw how scared he was. I wished that I could do something to help him. I wished that I could do something to help Riley.

Riley was my best friend. I needed to find a way to help her. I needed to help Aiden.

“I am sorry, Lee.” I said, wrapping my arm over her shoulders. “Is there anything that I could do?”

Riley took a deep breath and looked at me.

“Maybe you could tell me how to deal with it?” she mumbled. “I mean, how do you deal with Theo’s protectiveness? I can’t change Aiden, but I can change the way I respond to his protectiveness. I can make it easier on him.”

I smiled at my friend. I admired her for not trying to push Aiden to change.

It wasn’t hard for me to accept Theo’s protectiveness. I craved it. I craved to be loved, safe, and protected. But I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t challenging at times.

Riley was different. She grew up in a safe and protected environment. She was more open than I was. She was used to going out alone and not being under a constant supervision of her brothers. Dealing with Aiden’s protectiveness was harder on her than it was on me.

“Well, Lee, my situation is a bit different.” I said softly. “I craved to be wanted, loved, and protected. At first, I didn’t mind it at all. But now that things have cooled down a little, I sometimes do wish that he wouldn’t be so worried all the time.”

“I know, Lu.” Riley said softly, leaning her head on mine. “You deserve to be protected. You deserve to be loved. You are loved.”

We could barely walk straight holding onto each other like that. But I didn’t care. I needed my friend, and she needed me.

“Thank you, Lee.” I said softly.

“You are welcome.” she smiled as she lifted her head. “So, how do you deal with it?”

“Well, I always ask myself how I would feel if something ever happened to my brothers.” I said just as we arrived in front of the cafeteria. “I would probably do the same thing. I would become an overprotective monster, really.”

“You? A monster?” Riley chuckled. “I don’t see it happening.”

I rolled my eyes playfully, moved my arm away from her shoulders, and opened the cafeteria door.

“You are right, though.” Riley said. “I would go insane if something happened to Aiden or Ethan. I can see myself protecting them the way Aiden has been protecting me.”

“Try to remember that every time you feel like Aiden’s protectiveness is becoming too much.” I told her as I looked around the cafeteria. “It will make it easier to understand.”

I saw our brothers sitting at our usual table.

“Thank you, Lucy.” Riley said.

I looked at her and smiled.

“I’m always here for you, Lee.” I said softly.

“I know.” she said, smiling at me. “I’m always here for you too.”

We approached our table, and our brothers looked up at us.

“What took you so long?” Aiden asked, reaching out for Riley.

She smiled and sat down next to him. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

“I had to grab something from my locker.” I said as I sat down between Noah and Theo.

“So, are we going to the mall tonight?” Aiden asked, looking from Riley to me and my brothers.

“No, man.” Theo said. “Ezra is making dinner, and our family is coming. He wants us home.”

“Okay.” Aiden nodded. “How about tomorrow?”

“Sure.” I said, smiling at Aiden.

“We need to ask Liam and Ezra, but I’m up for it.” Noah added.

“Cool.” Aiden nodded, looking back down at his plate.

I glanced at Riley. She was looking at Aiden with a worried look on her face.

I wondered if Theo or Noah noticed that Aiden became a lot more protective of Riley. They never said anything about it. We’ve never talked about it. I should probably ask them. Aiden is their friend. Maybe they could help him a little.

Well, maybe Noah could. Theo would only give him more advice on how to be overprotective, and the whole conversation would probably turn into a workshop, just like Riley said.

“Are you okay?” Noah asked me quietly as he leaned closer.

“Yes.” I answered, furrowing my eyebrows. “Why?”

“You look lost in thought.” Noah said as he put his arm around my shoulders.

“Oh.” I said, giving him a small smile. “I’m fine. I will tell you later.”

Noah nodded and looked back up at Theo and Aiden, who were talking about some new movie they wanted to watch.

Riley was holding Aiden’s hand in hers, and I could tell how much it meant to him.

I smiled and leaned my head on Noah’s shoulder. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have all of them in my life. I didn’t want to lose them.

I didn’t know what I would do if I did.

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Hello, my dear readers! 😄

I would like to apologize in advance. There won't be another update until Sunday afternoon or maybe even Monday morning (Central European Time). I'm celebrating my birthday, so I won't have time to write. Thank you so much for your understanding.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! ❤❤