How Can We

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

"Who are you?" Jade asked Wally rudely. In her defense he was a stranger standing in the middle of her living room floor.

"Someone who care more about Artemis than you do." He answered her before rushing out to follow the blonde who captured his heart.

Artemis had a head start, but Wally was still able to catch up to her at ease. She was just a block away, stopping because her emotions were just so overwhelming. Wally jogged up beside her quickly, almost tripping over a step on his way out of the building.

He made it over to her and pulled her in for a hug almost instantly. It was purely instinct, and he was worried she would push him away. There was a 95% chance of that happening.

Artemis was so distressed that she latched onto him, clutching onto his shoulder for support. Wally brought her as close as he could without the risk of suffocation. His chin resting above her head.

"You're ok." He whispered against her hair. "Let it out." He said giving her comfort in the middle of a city block. Artemis, the girl who was always guarded with walls so high they could be seen from space, was crying softly on his shoulder.

Wally desperately wanted to tell her that it was going to be ok, but he didn't want to give her false hope. None of them knew what the future would hold or if things got better, and he had to be realistic because that was who she was, sugarcoating the situation wouldn't get them anywhere. He was also weary of telling her it would get better because she could see it as lying and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

After all of this, he knew she couldn't handle if one more person lied to her.

"Don't keep it in." He advised her. Bottling all of those emotions away would do nothing but harm her more until the day it explodes.

Wally gently rubbed her back in soothing circles, never letting her go an inch. It pained him to hear her cry, and to go through all of this pain. He didn't know every detail, but he was able to piece together most of the details.

She had a tough childhood, her sister and he assumed their father left when she was younger. There must have been a huge argument or something for that to happen. No one just walks out on their family for no reason. Artemis had abandonment issues, and because of that was afraid to let anyone in, or at least completely. It was simple psychology.

Wally knew this didn't mean he had her all figured out. He just has a better understanding of his friend whom he wants to help. Maybe she doesn't want to keep everyone out, she did let him come along, and he was literally and figuratively her shoulder to cry on. Surely that must mean something.

Or was he just fantasizing things again?

This wouldn't be the first time too. His relationship with Linda ended rather disastrously because he couldn't see the signs. He was just so caught up in his feelings for her that he couldn't see what was right in front of him. He was worried that it was happening again with Artemis, that he would get too absorbed in his feelings for her that it would distract him from helping her.

That didn't stop him from kissing her forehead gently. When she gripped his shirt tighter it made his heart clench. He desperately wanted to tell her his feelings, but now wasn't the time.

Artemis pulled away from him a few minutes later. Her eyes were red and she was sniffling, scrunching her nose slightly. "Thank you." She told him genuinely. She wiped away her excess tears with the back of her hand.

"Sorry I just unloaded myself on you." Wally shook his head. "There's no reason to apologize, I'm here for you." They were friends, it was part of the description. Just friends.