Addie:
When I woke up Laney was in the chair beside me and the room was empty. Laney’s head was in her hands as I heard her softly cry. The first thing I could think to say fell from my lips with a shake “Where’s Riley?” I watched as she pointed her finger up. She whispered the word “gone.”
I felt a weight in my throat as I took in the news. Riley was gone. I hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye. His bed had already been wheeled out and I looked back to Laney who was rocking back and forth in her seat. I put a hand on her shoulder and she quickly brushed it off. She cried loudly into her hands.
When she finally looked up her eyes were swollen and red. Her lip was in a trembling pout. The collar of her shirt was sopping wet. “It’s my fault.” She said in a shaky yell. My jaw dropped at her aggression. “No it isn’t Laney! It was a drunk driver, you weren’t even there!” she shook her head before I could continue.
“No, it is my fault! You don’t get it Addison. Riley was at my house before the accident. He told me he loved me and we got into a fight. He told me he was done and left before I could ask him to stay. He texted me to apologize. If we hadn’t fought in the first place, he’d still be at my house now.” She stood up as she screamed the words to me. They pierced my eardrums and she fell to her knees.
I stood still with my jaw dropped, not sure of how to react. I watched as Laney’s cut up wrist became visible to me. There was a streak of blood dried around her arm. “Laney what the hell I thought you stopped!” quickly she covered her wrist with her opposite hand and I realized I shouldn’t have yelled. She pulled herself off the floor yelling “leave me alone” as she ran out of Riley’s room. I wanted to go after her but I didn’t know if I should. Her phone was on her chair and it started to ring. Confused, I checked to see who was calling at such an obscure time. It was Niall.
In a panic I decided to answer. “Hello?” I regretted picking up the phone as Niall’s Irish voice filled my ear. “Laney?” he asked, clearly confused. I twirled a piece of my hair around my finger. “Uhm, no it’s her friend Addison. Laney kind of… just ran out. Can I take a message?” there was a silence on the other end of the phone. His voice cracked as it came back through. “No, it’s fine. Just uh, is she okay?” I wanted to say yes because of course Niall fucking Horan had better things to worry about than a seventeen year old girl that just lost one of her best friends. I couldn’t bring myself to lie to him, or anyone for that matter. It was a weakness I had. “No.” I heard him sigh and then he began to speak much too quickly for my tired mind to comprehend. “Okay?” he asked into the phone. I realized I missed everything he said but I didn’t want to sound rude. “Yep” I said back into the phone as we both hung up. Shit what did I just agree to?
