Dear Kayden,

Chapter 2

Emory

I shrug my coat off of my shoulders as I enter Lorraine and I's apartment and head to my bedroom before hanging it on one of the hooks on the back of my door. I sigh and cross the room, sitting down on my bed and sliding the heels off of my feet. I rub my ankles for a moment in an attempt to alleviate the soreness from my shoes. I fall back on my bed and close my eyes, letting myself relax for the first time in a few days.

Putting on a brave face is never an easy thing to do, especially in a situation like this one, but I know that I have to be strong for Lorraine. She needs me now more than ever, and if I let myself fall apart then she will have no one left to help her. Besides today, she hasn't left her room since we got home the day she found him. She mainly sleeps her days away, and I've been trying to give her some space for the time being, but my worry for her only grows stronger as she retreats further into herself.

I'm concerned about what the sight of him like that has done to her. I've never seen her like this in all the years that I've known her, even when everything happened with Lucca all those years ago.

I get up then, deciding it's time to change out of this dress and put the funeral behind me for good. I reach behind me to unzip the dress and step out of it before going to my closet and grabbing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. After changing, I lay down in my bed again, closing my eyes and allowing the memories to enter my brain for the first time since he died.

I remember when we first truly met. Although I had several short encounters with him previously, we had never really had much of a conversation before. Lorraine and I were going to spend the day together and she had asked me to come pick her up from his house, which I had done many times before so I didn't think much about it. I usually just stayed out in the car, but this time when she came outside her hair was dripping wet, she was holding a bath towel, and she approached my window.

"Emory, would you kill me if I asked you to come inside for a bit? I'm not quite ready yet, I just got out of the shower," she said after I rolled my window down, towel drying her hair as she spoke.

"Really, Lou? I told you that I was going to pick you up at noon, didn't I?" I asked, a slight annoyance in my voice. She gave me an apologetic look.

"I know, I'm sorry! I accidentally overslept this morning and I asked Kayden to text you but I guess he never did," she said before continuing, "Please just come inside, I won't take long. You can hang out with Kayden while I get ready. He's just watching a movie right now, he won't bite, I promise," she told me with a slight grin. She had always bothered me about being around Kayden. I personally had nothing against him, but I just found it weird to be around him since him and Lorraine were so close. It also didn't help that I am hopelessly awkward when it comes to being around people that I don't know all that well. I sighed deeply in defeat.

"Alright, fine," I said, turning off the ignition and getting out of my car. I reluctantly followed Lorraine inside, and scanned my surroundings since I had never been in his house before. The kitchen was directly ahead and to the right, an archway with a bar looking into it. The living room was to the left, a large television mounted above a bookshelf with an L-shaped couch opposite, Kayden sprawled across the cushions. His shining blue eyes looked over to me as I walked in.

"I'll be quick, promise," Lou said before heading to the staircase behind the couch and disappearing upstairs. Kayden's eyes returned to me after she was gone, and he patted the seat beside him on the couch. I shuffled my way over there, my eyes staying glued to the ground.

"Nice to see you again, Emory," he said, his voice welcoming.

"You too," I said sheepishly, fiddling with my hands. I glanced up when I heard the tv come on and a familiar voice fill the room. He was watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower, one of my favorite movies. "I love this part," I said quietly, finally getting the nerve to look over to Kayden. He smiled a warm, genuine smile.