MENDED

twenty-three

alex

two days after arlo followed saylor to her apartment, saylor is still staying at my apartment. she hasn't left since i brought her here that night, and she doesn't seem to want to. i'm letting her stay as long as she feels that she needs to.

i know he's her brother, but it really doesn't feel safe that he knows where she lives now.

i'm just glad that he only knows the apartment complex and not which apartment she actually lives in.

i want her to stay with me, so that she's not in any kind of danger. i don't want her to go back to her apartment complex.

but at the same time, i know that's not rational. i know that she has to go back at some point.

i also know that there's a way that she won't have to go back, but that's really not an option right now. it's too soon for that.

i also don't know how i would handle it if i asked her to move in and she said no. that, and i always like my space alone sometimes. i like living alone sometimes.

i don't know what the fuck to do.

i thought back to when saylor called that night. as soon as she spoke, i could tell that something was wrong. she just sounded so panicked and hurt.

then she told me that she needed me. i don't think i've ever ran as fast as i did that night.

she told me what had happened after she had cried in my arms for a while. i listened intently as she did.

you know how people say "my heart broke for them?" well, it felt like my bones broke when she explained it all to me, and i saw how much it was affecting her.

i have never hurt so much for someone else, like i did that night and the day that she told me about everything with arlo.

i sighed.

despite everything, the fact that saylor called me that night has not escaped my mind. she needed help and comfort, and she came to me.

i feel terrible though, because she came to me, and i have no clue what to do. i don't know how to handle this situation or how to help her.

i just know that something needs to be done, because she seriously cannot handle this. it has taken such a toll on her already, and i don't know how much more she can take.

i dropped my head into my hands and let out a deep breath. i pushed my hair back as i tried to clear my mind.

i stood up from the couch, and i walked towards my room. i slowly and quietly opened the door. i spotted saylor laying on my bed, sound asleep. she was hugging theodore closely to her chest, and she was showing no signs of letting him go any time soon.

she came in here about ten minutes ago, after she told me that she needed a nap.

i couldn't help the small smile that made its way to my lips as i looked at her. she looked so cute and peaceful as she slept. she was completely relaxed.

i stepped out of my room for a second. i grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. i wrote "i'll be back soon. call me if you need anything. i love you," then set the pencil down. i took the paper, and i set it on my nightstand, so that saylor would see it when she woke up. i then pressed a faint kiss to her forehead.

i walked out of my room, and i quietly closed the door behind myself. i grabbed my keys and my wallet, slipped on a pair of shoes, then headed out of my apartment. i made sure to lock the doorknob, then locked the deadbolt once i was out of my apartment.