The way I missed you

Chapter 26- Linh

I was so angry with Dex. He had been gone from school for nearly a month when I needed him most. He refused to answer my calls, and when he finally was back, he avoided me.

But when I backed him into a corner to force him to speak to me, it slowly melted as he told me why. Told me everything.

I pulled him into a hug when he was done, and I could feel he was crying.

"Dex," I started, "you didn't fail anything. Not one thing. I was the older one, believe it or not." He knew who I was talking about. And sure, maybe it was only a few minutes rather than a few years, but the concept was the same. If he had failed, then so had I. And maybe I had, but for Dexs sake, I refused to believe it.

He sniffed. "You were?" He pulled away and looked me in the eye.

I looked down and said, "yeah. By like 5 minutes."

He let out a small chuckle, but all humor dropped from his voice when he said, "I was scared you wouldn't understand."

I almost laughed at the irony. "Dex, I do. Probably better than anyone."

"Yeah, I- I know that it"s-" His face turned red as he turned from me and mumbled, "just nevermind."

I grabbed his arm and waited until he was facing me to say, "Dex, what is it?"

"I-" He stammered. He took a deep breath as thought stealing himself, "I knew I'd need you. I knew that, but I also knew you were going through your own pain, and I- I just didn't want to admit to that."

I could tell he was still hiding something, but I could tell he didn't want to say, and after pushing him to share something like I had, I didn't want to risk running or friendship. "Dex, I would have helped you. I still will. I'll always be here for you."

Dex nodded. "Thank you." He looked up, and his expression changed as he said, "So Havenfield, huh?"

I chuckled, "yeah. Grady and Edaline are so sweet... It's different tahts for sure. And Sophie has helped me a lot. And the new girl, Eliza, she's strange and it's always-"

I was cut off by the evry person I couldn't seem to shake off my tail for the past month. "Hey Linh, we should get heading home."

I cringed. I didn't know what it was, but something about her gave me the chills. Maybe it was that she had shown up randomly and would not leave me alone since, but there was something else...

"Oh well, I'll um see you, Linh." Dex said, moving towards his home.

"Yeah, bye, Dex." I frowned. There was so much I had wanted to tell him.

"Ready?" Eliza asked.

'Yeah whatever," I mumbled.

As she started following closely behind me, I realized why I hated it. She was so similar to Tam. I hadn't noticed it before, but the way she had her dark hair covering half of her face and how she hid in shadows reminded me so much of Tam.

I nearly stopped dead in my tracks with hurt. My heart had been ripped in two and slowly pulled back together by Sophie and Dex. It felt like Eliza was slowly undoing the careful thread holding it together.

"You okay, Linh?" Eliza asked.

I struggled to find my voice, and when I did, I said, "I- I have to go."

I rushed off in a random direction. I didn't know why, but something about her repeled me. It wasn't just her similarities to Tam. I would love it, but something was off.  I just didn't know what.

I had my head down and was walking so fast I didn't see Dex right in front of me as I bumped into him. He turned as I frantically apologized.

The minute he saw me, his face contorted into a worried look. "Linh? What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

I was trying to take deep breaths, but I couldn't. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Linh?" He asked louder.

"I- I can't." Was all I managed to choke out, but I sunk to the ground curling into a ball.

I vaguely heard Dex calling my anem asking me questions, but I couldn't answer. I could barely think.

I felt his arms wrap around me protectively, and the world came into more focus. I was still breathing heavily and couldn't think straight, but his arms around me pulled me back to earth.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here, Linh. It's okay." I heard Dex comfort.

Then the tears started. I don't know where they came from or why they were being shed, but they were horrible sobs breaking through my throat and unto Dex's shoulder.

I don't know how long it took for me to calm down, but at some point, Dex had coaxed me to move from the ground over to a bench.

I laid my head on his shoulder, and he had his arm around me. "It's okay." He said again.

"I don't know what got into me. I was just scared and-" I started.

"It's fine. I said I'd always be here for you, and I am. I'm just glad you bumped into me. If something had happened to you..." He trailed off.

I nodded against his shoulder. He was so warm, and it was starting to get cold. "I should get home. Sophie's probably worried, and I'm sure your parents are wondering where you are."

"They can wait. I want to make sure you're okay." Dex said. "Do you want me to drive you back to Havenfeild? I know the way."

I looked up at him and saw he wasn't going to let me go on my own, so I nodded. "Thank you, Dex."

.......

It was raining as we arrived at Havenfeild and the sun was dipping below the horizon. Dex put his coat over my head and walked me to the door but I froze with my hand on the doorknob.

"Linh?" Dex asked worry seeping into his voice.

My brain slightly fogged as I thought about tonight. I hadnt accidently bumped into Dex. I think I wanted to. I think I knew Dex was the only person able to help me. Able to calm me down.

I needed Dex. I needed him like I had needed Tam. And Tam had been my whole life. I realized taht without Dex I wouldn't have gotten through losing Tam. I don't think I ever would've.

"Linh?" Dex asked even more worried. I looked up at his face as he got the cute crease in his eyebrows.

"Dex?" I asked.

He smiled lightly obviously glad I wasn't going back into panic mode. I watched as his dimples appeared. "Yeah?"

"I need to tell you something." I said. I had no idea how but I knew I needed it to eb said aloud.

"Yeah," he asked slightly leaning down under his jacket to get out of the rain.

Words weren't enough. They never would be. Not for what I was feeling so I settled by asking, "you held something back earlier. What did you want to say?"

"I-" He took a deep breath and said, "I've held this back for a long time and I need to tell you. I just- I don't want you to think this will make us not be able to be friends. And-"

"Dex the point?" I asked inpatient really nervous about what he was going to say.

He sealed himself and said, "I love you Linh."