Crashing Love [COMPLETE/PUBLISHED]

Chapter 3: Life After Death

Late that same night, I snuck out of her bed and I made my way downstairs to see the rest of her family waiting there. It wasn't just her aunt and uncle anymore, it was her grandparents and my parents. My parents are considered family to her, and I suppose me as well, but she will always be more to me. Once I make it down the stairs, they all stop and look at me. They want to know how she is coping with the situation because Daniel has gone off the radar. They are family and family sticks together.

"She's asleep," I say walking past them into the kitchen. I grab a glass from the cabinet and I fill it with water and attempt to go back upstairs, but...

"Elijah," Dad says stopping me. I turn to face him, being careful not to spill the glass of water.

"What do you want me to tell you, Dad? That my best friend cried herself to sleep. That my best friend almost tore apart her room and she would have it I hadn't stopped her. That my best friend is broken and this time I can't fix her," I say. My hand starts to shake as I hold back the tears that I have been fighting since earlier today. Dad grabs the glass from my hands before I drop it and I let the tears fall. I can't help my best friend. This isn't something I can just put a bandaid on and make everything better. She lost one of the most important people in her life and I just have to be by her side every step of the way. To me, that's not enough.

"You are doing the best you can," Dad says into my ear because he pulled me into a hug. Once Dad calms me down after a lot of tears were shed, I walk over to the rest of the family and they all give me hugs. I don't understand why they want to comfort me when they are the one who lost someone close to them. For me, it just hurts to see my best friend like this. Within a couple of hours, her family completely fell apart. How am I supposed to stand back and watch that?

The next couple of days passed on and Willow finally mustered up the courage to come out of her room and see the rest of her family. Her dad, on the other hand, hadn't. He still locks himself away hoping that we will forget about him. He doesn't realize that Willow was already hurting from the loss of her mother, but him not being by her side it makes it so much worse. Mom and Dad are trying to coax me home at night because nothing is going to happen when they are asleep, but I can't. I can't leave Willow alone to cry herself asleep every night. I don't want her to wake up from her nightmares alone. I am going to be there every step of the way until she doesn't want it anymore.

Today is going to be the hardest day out of any of them. Today is the day that they are saying goodbye forever. Today is the funeral.