HEART ACHE <3 REDDIE

chap 26: mike the therapist

Eddie

"Eddie! You're soaked! You're gonna catch a cold!" My mom screeched when I walked through the door. I acted like she wasn't even there, hot tears rolling down my face.

"Eddie!" She yelled again. My head snapped in her direction and I just blinked. Trying to blink away tears.

"You go change and get into bed before you get sick!" she demanded.

"Yes mommy."

She couldn't even tell I had been crying. I dragged myself to my room, shut the door and crawled into bed. I couldn't change or even take off my shoes. I didn't have the power to.

Go call Richie. Call him and tell him you love him. Now. Now! NOW!

I hugged my pillow close to me and slapped a hand over my mouth to muffle my sobs. I heard a rapping at my door, making me jump.

"I'm okay, mommy!" I yelled.

"There's a nice boy out here who wants to talk to you! He says his names Mike!"

I sat right up and sniffled, wiping my tears away.

"Take your shoes off, here's some hand sanitizer." I heard her say and then a few moments later Mike was shutting my door behind him.

"Hey, why'd you leave?" He asked. I just stared up at him and shrugged.

Don't you fucking cry. Don't you care fucking cry.

"You left your party." I pointed out.

"Yeah, it's not much of a party without you and Richie there." He smiled softly and playfully bumped his shoulder into mine.

"Yeah sorry.."

"So what happened with Richie?"

"What do you mean? Nothing. Nothing!" I flushed red.

"Eddie, I remember what you said that night, about you and Richie. You leaving is clearly about him." He sounded like a tired dad. So I gave in.

"I told him I loved him."

"And?"

"And then I ran away and he found me and I told him I didn't mean it."

"Well did you mean it?" He asked calmly. I looked at him and felt my lip tremble as tears swelled back up into my eyes. I was scared to open my mouth. The fear that a sob would come out of it.

"He's with Jane."

"That's not what I asked." He lowered his voice.

I thought over it. I didn't want to say it. To really say it. It felt too real.

So I didn't say anything, I just started crying and that seemed to be enough. Started sobbing. He pulled me into a hug and I nuried my face into his chest.

"Eddie. I think you're scared, and I think Richie's scared, but I think you need to tell him you do love him." Mike said softly. I knew he was right.

Because I was so fucking scared.