finding thea

Chapter 54

LOGAN POV

Thea answered her phone and got up to leave the room so she could talk on the phone. Jeff and Andy were feeding into the ideas that we were discussing when I saw Thea stopped at her step on her way out. Worried filled my heart. I walked towards her and found her shaking. Her face was pale.

"Thea?" I shook her but her eyes were empty. I grabbed the phone from her and put it on speaker.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi?" a man said. "is Thea still there?"

"Yes, she is," I said. "Who am I speaking to?"

"I am a police officer in Ohio. This morning, we found Jennifer overdosed in her house," he said.

I sank in my bones.

"Thanks for informing us," I said. "Thea and I are currently in LA. We will arrange someone to go down to the station," I said.

"That would be great. I am sorry for what happened, Thea," he said.

After I hung up, I pulled Thea into my arms. She was shaking and I felt how fragile she was.

She embraced my comfort for a split second before peeling herself away.

"I should call my dad," she said. Her tone was unreadable. She left no emotional trail as she walked back to her room.

"I think you should let her handle it and give her some space," Jeff said.

I stared at her back and felt my heart swollen.

"No," I said. "she was there for me this whole week. She didn't give me space because she knows I needed her more. She needs me, Jeff," I said. I followed her to her room but stopped at her door.

"I'm not going back," she said to the phone.

"But she is your mother," her dad said.

"I wasn't her daughter," her voice trailed off into the dark.

"You were. She loved you, Thea. She took care of you when you were little and I remember how much she adored you," he said.

"And I already said goodbye to that mother before she turned into what she was. She means nothing to me anymore," Thea said.

"But-" her dad started.

"She is dead, dad," she said. Her voice was broken. "Logan needs me. I have to be here for him."

I listened to her silent. My heart hurts for her.

"Thea, don't do this," her dad finally said. "I know what you are doing. You are shutting down your feelings. Don't. Don't shut your emotions off. I know this is how you cope but please, Thea. It is okay to feel. It is okay to break."

"Don't say it like you know me," Thea said. "you weren't there for most of my childhood so don't pretend you know me now."

Thea was hurt. I could hear it in her voice that she was breaking inside.

"Thea, I-" her dad was lost in words.

"I'm sorry," Thea said. "but I can't send her away," her voice was breaking apart.

"Okay," her dad said. "I just don't want you to regret this years later but it's your choice. I only want you to be happy, Thea," he said. "Take care and I'll talk to you soon."

"Okay," Thea said.

After she hung up, I listened to her silent echoed in her room. She collapsed to her bed and buried her face in her pillow. I stepped in and lied down next to her silently just like how she has done for the past week for me. No words could fix this but knowing someone is there for you makes it less lonely.