✓ | falling ➝ j. cade

xxii. broken hearted boy

❝I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP
FROM MY FRIENDS.❞
− THE BEATLES, WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

×

The next morning, Theodosia Mickelson felt content. It was the first time in years that she had felt that way. In fact, she almost couldn't remember that feeling. In the redhead's memory, it was vague and hazy, but that morning, it had been revived.

Johnny left close to dawn in fear of being caught by Theodosia's mother. But, even hours after her bed had gone cold by his absence, she could still feel him there. It was a comforting feeling for the girl. It was nice that Johnny didn't actually have to be around for her to feel as if he was. Of course, though, Theodosia preferred it when he was.

So, the redhead decided to soak up some of the spring air that morning by sitting out on her porch swing, book in hand with Marty curled up in her lap. Theodosia used her foot to gently rock the swing as the radio quietly played a Rolling Stones song. She hummed the tune quietly as her eyes danced across the page of the novel she was in the middle of.

Theodosia didn't spot her blond best friend until Marty hopped up from her lap.

James Lewis was about ten feet from the Mickelson house when Theodosia finally saw him. Even from a distance, she could see that something was wrong just by the way he carried himself. Normally, he stood tall and proud with his shoulders back and eyes looking forward. That morning, James was slightly slouched and lethargic.

Concerned, Theodosia sat down her book and stood to meet her best friend halfway. And the closer she got, the worse he looked. Now, the redhead could see that the whites of his eyes were bloodshot and their lids were puffy and swollen. His blond hair was disheveled, standing up in all directions. James' clothes were wrinkled, like he had slept in them, which wouldn't have surprised Theodosia in the slightest.

"James?" Theodosia whispered, causing his gaze to flicker up from Marty to meet hers.

Part of the girl was on edge. In all of the years Theodosia and James had been friends, only one other time had she seen him so distraught. That had been when the Lewis family split because of James' mother's affair. He had been so angry then that his whole body shook, Theodosia recalled. Now, he simply looked hopeless.

"Can we talk?" James shoved his hands into his pockets as he regarded his best friend.

"Yeah," Theodosia said gently, nodding. She gestured at the the porch's front steps."Let's sit."

So, they did.

Theodosia rested her elbows on her knees,"What's up?"

She gazed over at James, who mirrored her posture.

"I broke up with Macey," James admitted.

"Oh," Theodosia whispered.

Truthfully, she didn't see that confession coming. Theodosia always thought that James and Macey had been happy together. That was the image they put out when they were out in public, always wearing soft smiles when they gazed at the other and holding hands when they walked in crowds.

"I didn't want to," James continued,"I didn't wanna hurt her, but... I think I'm in love with Lilli."

Theodosia's eyes widened at the second confession. She really had not seen that coming. The redhead never considered the idea of James and Lilli together romantically. She always saw them as a pair of comical, platonic opposites.

"You did the right thing, then," Theodosia spoke in a level tone, watching a few brightly colored cars drive passed.

"I know," James agreed, resting his face in his hands."I just really didn't want to hurt her. She's a sweet girl, Theo. She really is."

"You did the right thing," Theodosia repeated,"and she deserves more than a one-sided relationship. And, you deserve to be happy. You both do, just not with each other."

James sighed, looking up at Theodosia,"It'd be easier if it was with each other, though."

Theodosia gave him a sad smile,"Who ever said that life was easy?"

The eldest Lewis child rolled his eyes at his friend's cliche response, a small, annoyed smile playing out on his lips,"It just sucks to fall out of love, y'know? I mean, Macey's a great girl. I don't know why I had to fall out of love with her. Things were good."

"Because maybe Lilli's the one you're supposed to be with."

James' shoulders slumped as those words fell from Theodosia's lips.

"Maybe."

"Things'll work out the way they're meant to. Just let life do what it does."

James' brows furrowed as his eyes searched her face,"When did you get all accepting over life?"

Theodosia looked down, considering her friend's question,"I really don't know."

There was a brief spell of silence. Theodosia looked back to James.

"When did you realize that you had feelings for Lilli?" Theodosia asked.

"Few weeks ago," James answered."Everyone blew off our usual of meeting at the Turn-Around. You were with Johnny, and Josiah was showing Bailey some of his photography stuff. It was just us. We had been there awhile, and I had something to make her laugh, and I swear everything just stopped in that moment."

It was the sincerity in James' tone that left Theodosia stunned. While she knew James was an honest person, his tone only furthered that belief. His words had bled with sincerity, and Theodosia knew that James was genuinely torn up about the revelation. So, she offered the best advice she could:

"Just trust the universe's timing. It could be trying to push you in the direction of the start of the rest of your life, so let it."

author's note: (unedited) wow do i love the brotp of james and theodosia :,)