Page 38 of Bound by Affliction
Jumping up, I move to Leah whose face just lost every bit of color, turning it white as a ghost. Her body leans intome.
“Breathe, baby.” It still takes her a few moments before she sucks in breaths, coming back to me slowly. Fuckinghell.
Sitting on the floor, I pull Leah into my body and sit her in my lap and wrap her arms around me. I knew this would behard.
“Want you to come withme.”
She gives a slight hiccup and moves back to look at me. “I can’t. My parents are here. My therapist. And I’ll have to start school up sometime. My life ishere.”
“You could make a life up in Sumner. Bristyl’s there so it’s not that far of areach.”
Tears well in her eyes. “I can’t.Sorry.”
Part of me is proud that she feels like she can stay here without me, while the other wants her to come withme.
“Just think aboutit.”
“When do you have to go?” She shifts on my lap, but I can feel her pulling away from me, not physically, but emotionally and that fuckingkills.
“A week or two, but I want ya to think about comin’ withme.”
She makes a move to get up and when I clutch her closer to me she fights to get out of my arms. She rises, putting distance between us.Fuck.
Wrapping her arms around her body, she walks through the apartment deep inthought.
Standing up I make my way to her, stop her, and lift her chin with my finger. “Baby, I want you to come withme.”
“Don’t you get it? I can’t. No matter if I want to or not. I have to stay here. I trust Anne. I need to stay withAnne.”
Fuck. Taking her away from the one person she trusts outside of me to talk about what’s going on in her head isn’t a good idea. My heart clenches while my gut twists. She tears her head out of my grasp and moves to the bathroom, closing the door behindher.
I can already feel the miles she’s putting between us, and it fucking pisses meoff.
* * *
To sayshe’s distanced herself from me is an understatement. For the past four days, that’s all she’s done. No smiles. No laughter. No quick comebacks that she was giving before, and I fear she’s taken huge steps back and it’s all myfault.
Maybe I should have done this differently or fuck if I know. Christ, why does this have to be sodifficult?
“Wanna go for aride?”
“Not right now.” Her monotone voice comes at me. Fuck, I hate thatvoice.
“Leah, I said I wanted you to come with me. I don’t want to leave youhere.”
“But you’re going to,” she snaps back with venom so different than before. “May as well go now. I wanted you to leave sooner, but you wouldn’t so you’re doing me a favor.” Her eyes are cold as stone, but I don’t buy it. “That way I can get on with my life and not have you babysitting me every moment of theday.”
“Baby, I know you’reangry…”
She cuts me off, “What’s there to be angry about? You have a life in Sumner. I have one here. I knew you were leaving, just not when. It’s almost been a week since you told me, so you’d better getgoin’.”
“I’m not leaving you likethis.”
She stands, fire burning through her. “Yeah, you are and that’s fine. I’m a big girl, and it’s time that I get my life together. On. My.Own.”
Moving over to her, she darts away to the other side of the room. “Baby, come withme.”
She throws her arms out. “Don’t you get it? Ican’t!”
