Falling For You

-XXXVI-

And we continue the awaited cliff hanger. 

Was going to post a cool picture of a treehouse but I didn't like any of them. So instead we get to admire this pretty girl. 

Sorry in advance it's not the longest. 

**********

Harley

"What happened to her?" I ask hesitantly in a gentle whisper. 

He exhales with a somber expression. "She passed away, from leukaemia." A beat passes before he solemnly continues. "She was only three years old. Gracey was the older sister by seven minutes. We didn't realize what she had at first, only started really worrying when she would get seriously fatigued from doing simple things. Then she kept getting fevers, followed by weight loss; which she already had little of. So my parents brought her to the hospital. They left Laney and I at home with a babysitter and I can only recall feeling very worried. I will always remember that moment when they returned and didn't have Gracey with them."

"I'm so sorry," I say softly when he pauses to blink back a few stray tears. I can't imagine how painful losing a sibling would feel. 

"Laney and I had one full day with her before she passed away the next morning." His moist eyes glisten in the moonlight. "My parents didn't know what to do, so they buried themselves in more work and ignored the healthy children they still had." 

"I don't even know what to say." I admit shocked. I can't say I know how he feels, because I don't. And I'm sure hearing I'm sorry over and over gets quite repetitive. 

He lets out a bitter laugh, wearing a face of sad regret. "I wasn't much better than our parents. My first year of high school I did drugs, it silenced all the unwanted emotions. Dealers really know how to pick out the most depressed looking person in a crowd; their next victim. Sadly that day I was their victim. Stupid fourteen year old kid craving attention he wasn't getting from his parental figures. Before I knew it I was in too deep, even doing runs for them. I was high constantly, rarely home. Looking back on it now I'm absolutely disgusted with myself." 

Slowly absorbing this revelation I tentatively question. "How did you manage to leave?" He's obviously not high right now, and I don't recall ever seeing him like that before either. 

He shakes his head and scoffs, still fixated on the star filled sky. "The first step was realizing I fucked up. One rare day I was home Laney had asked me what the packages I was holding were. I told her they were just boring stuff. But Laney is a curious kid and when I finished my shower she was in my room, with a package torn open. She had dumped about half the bags powdery content on my carpet." He looks almost in pain as he retells his darker days. "She once again asked what it was, why I had it, and what I did with it. It was in that moment I realized I needed to get my shit together if there was any hope for Laney to live a good life. Unlike the shithole I almost got stuck in. I need to be a good roll model for her, anything I do she'll do too. So she has become my motivation to become a better, healthier person." 

He closes his eyes making his outward appearance look serene and calm. But I knew better than to assume that. Inside there is a stormy turmoil going on as all the unwanted moments come rushing back to him. Probably surfacing all the unpleasant banished memories again. "Leaving the gang was another challenge in its own, I have scars both internally and externally from those people. The guy we saw when we were paint balling, we used to do runs together."

"I have no clue how you managed lived through all that." We lapse into a silence as we're processing what was said in our minds. I never knew Cody had one sister, let alone used to have two. I guess it just proves you really can't judge a book by its cover. 

"Does Laney remember Gracey at all?" I feel so bad for Laney. No child deserves to lose their sibling at any age but especially so young. 

"Only a few things, but not really." His eyes find mine again, as they now hold a heavy sad cloud in them. 

When I check the time I realize how late it is. "I should probably head back now." 

"What time is it?" Cody checks his phone too. "Oh wow I didn't realize it was that late already." 

We lazily slide out of the chairs, most likely both thinking that falling asleep would've been way easier. Carefully descending the narrow stairs we make our way to the familiar black mustang. 

The roads are nice and quiet leaving a peaceful ride home for me. Gently rolling onto my lane way Cody parks the car. 

"Thank you, I had lots of fun tonight. I'm still blown away by your treehouse though." 

He grins. "Maybe the next date should just be at the treehouse then." 

"Maybe," I chuckle exiting the car. "Bye." 

"Good night," his soft but low voice calls. 

I hear the rumble of his engine pulling onto the road again. I try to enter my house as quietly as possible. We've definitely broken my dad's curfew. 

Tip toeing up the stairs I cringe when the wooden steps decide to creak ever so loudly. It's like they're trying to get me busted. Evil pieces of wood. 

Somehow I safely make it into my room without getting caught. Quickly using my en-suite to wash up I slip on some comfier clothes before zombie walking to my bed. I however, almost shriek and jump five feet into the air when I find a person in my said piece of furniture. 

Shoving Ally's snoozing body to the far side of the bed I crawl in the now warm spot and pull the covers over me. 

Of course now that I'm in bed and ready to sleep, sleep isn't ready for me. My brain is active and running non stop. 

My thoughts drift to Cody. Even though he made some bad decisions I still think Laney is really lucky to have him. He's a lot stronger than he gives himself credit for.