𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 ― l. patterson ✓

FOURTEEN: she's so gone

"Wait," Alex cut in. "We wanted to talk to you."

Her eyebrows knit in confusion. "About what?"

Reggie gave her a sad smile. "I think you know."

And the thing was, she did. It was the topic she had been avoiding since about a week ago when it had happened. The boys had witnessed Emilia completely blow up on her parents and had left without saying anything. However, she did promise Luke she would talk about it later, and she guesses now is the best time to do so.

Emilia laced her fingers together in front of her and sat on the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry."

Luke sat up next to her. "About what?"

"For having to see that," she answered quietly. "I didn't know they were going to be there. And I definitely didn't know I was going to explode like that."

Alex shook his head. "You don't have to apologize, Em."

"Yeah, you really don't," Reggie agreed. "Trust me, I know what it's like to have your parents neglect you. Mine used to do it all the time. But the way you fought back . . . that was so brave."

"If you don't mind us asking, what exactly happened between you and them?" Luke asked cautiously.

Emilia sighed. She had hoped that they wouldn't bring it up because talking about her parents was always hard. The only ones she really told her feelings about them were Apollo, Julie, and Flynn. However, Emilia trusted the three boys. Even after everything they had been through with the school dance, they had managed to bring her back in to their crazy friendship (and one more than a friendship, of course.)

"Apollo and I were thirteen," Emilia began. "Our parents told us they were going on a business trip for the first time. We were both worried about being home alone, but they reassured us everything would be fine. They left the day after that and gave us plenty of money for anything we needed. Both of them called and texted us every day to make sure we were doing okay. But, as time went on . . . I guess they started to see us as a burden. The business trips became more frequent and the calls became nonexistent. And now . . ." Emilia scoffed bitterly. "They only care about us keeping our grades up. Apollo and I always wondered what we did wrong, but now I've realized it's not us. It's them. Forgetting about their own children and only caring about work is their fault. And now they just showed up, wanting to take us away? No. I wouldn't allow that."

The room went silent. Emilia looked down to her hands and avoided eye contact with the boys at all costs. There she had gone again, completely speaking her mind without even letting the words filter through her brain. Suddenly, she felt Luke stand up next to her. She glanced up to see him holding out a hand to her. Emilia gripped it and allowed him to pull her up.

"What?" Emilia questioned softly.

Luke didn't respond. Instead, he tugged her forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. Not long after, Reggie and Alex joined as well. Emilia relaxed into it and wound her arms around Luke. She rested her cheek against his chest and let out a breath of content. This was her band, her family. Finally, after a couple of long moments, they all pulled away from each other.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Lia," Luke admitted. "But look at you know. You're one of the strongest people I've ever met."