The Sidewalk Where It All Started (A BVB Love series book 2)

Chapter Seventeen I Need You Now

(Lily)

            Ashley was scared, I could see it in his eyes but I knew he was telling the truth. He had looked me in the eye when he told me; he can never look anyone in the eye when he’s lying. But ever since that day in the hospital, he’s been avoiding me. Once I walked onto the bus he’s been anywhere but near me and it’s killing me.

            Yawning I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear as I strummed my guitar. The guys had me sitting out the last couple shows just in case I passed out again. I’m not one to complain but after three days it’s boring. Still playing I looked at the small cracked picture frame I had sitting on the ground in front of me. It needed a new frame, the glass was cracked and bits were missing in one of the corners, but the picture was beautiful.

            The wood cabin was in its prime and stood proud behind the small family that was smiling. A thirteen year old red head girl smiled, her braces sparkling almost as much as her green eyes did that day. Behind her were her older and somewhat wiser sisters. They were twins and physically, they were identical, personality wise, one was the sun and the other was the moon. Long hair that was baby yellow flowed to their waist with matching cobalt blue eyes. They were taller than the thirteen year old but one was bent down to match her height as the other remained standing with her an arm wrapped around the two girls shoulders.

            They were laughing, they were always laughing actually. Once they started they had trouble stopping, and that always got the girls laughing until they were all lying on the ground holding their stomachs not bothering to wipe away the tears that they laughed out. The mother was the one who gifted her first two daughters with the blond hair, their father the proud ginger. Both of them had green eyes, the two blue eyes were a mystery but welcomed anyway.

            They weren’t too old but at the same time they weren’t crazy young, they were at just the right age to have three teenage daughters. The mother was a came off to look like a dainty young thing but that was only a trick and that was what had made the father interested. He had sleeves but under a suit no one would know of his beautifully down art. Like the twins they were like night and day, but somehow, they made it work and were blissfully in love. They were young lovers at heart and that part of them remained young forever as their bodies continued to naturally age.

            It had been a beautiful day and that was why they were standing in front of their summer cabin taking a picture. It had also been the last time that they would all go to the summer cabin together.

“This innocence is brilliant
Makes you wanna cry
This innocence is brilliance
Please don't go away
Cause I need you now
And I'll hold on to it
Don't you let it pass you by”

            Singing the words I stared at the picture trying to mesmerize the features of each and every detail. The dimples that the twin standing had as she smiled, the tiny gold flecks in the father’s eyes, the way that the mom’s eyes crinkled at the edges when she smiled and the small scar on the little girl’s chin that she got when slipping on the stairs one day and landing on my guitar. Every single last detail mattered.

            Starting the song again I leaned against the couch and closed my eyes. How could I move forward without feeling like I was forgetting my past? Not even Ashley could possibly understand what I went through, what I’m going through now. What could he know about love, and innocence?

            “Lily?” Startled I jumped causing my guitar to slip. The room was silent as Ashley stood in the doorway, his face slightly contorted with a slightly worried look.

            “Ash,” I stammered, instantly licking my dried and cracked lips wishing for a tall glass of water. "Is something wrong?” He bit his lip and shook his head before coming into the room to stand in front of me.