Loving Lakyn | ✓

[69] Always You

L O V I N G
L A K Y N

L A K Y N ' S P O V

ALL FOUR OF us—that being Hale, Eden, Lila, and myself—sat on the old sofa in Eden's living room. Lila was tapping her foot relentlessly against the ground, so I pressed my warm hand to her knee as I pressed down slightly, holding her thin leg in place, stopping an anxious tick I noticed she has whenever she's stressed.

"What time is it?" She absentmindedly asked me.

Without looking away from my phone, I finished texting my mom back, then saying: "Four fifteen."

Rubbing my hands over my face, I yawned. Just over two hours ago, Sam Rivers was pronounced dead. I called the medics but they didn't arrive fast enough. I fucking knew something was wrong when she answered the phone, hearing all these words which made no sense.

She was comforting him—or trying to, at least. She's good at that. I'm fucking pathetic and when I heard her telling him how perfect he is and that he's good enough. But I'm not like that anymore. She's good and I knew that she was trying to talk him down from something that he'd never come back from.

The thing with Lila Hayes is that she is a perfectionist and with that, she has control over everything from how many thoughts enter her pretty little head before she goes to sleep to the way she structures her Chemistry notes to how pointed she does that sexy winged eyeliner that she's started wearing.

So, when she can't seem to gain control over something, she gets really overwhelmed. She was pacing, her breathing was heavy, her hand was clinging to mine so fucking tightly, I could feel her losing control.

I don't like Sam by any means, he's always felt something toward Lila and I knew that, I used to fucking hate him for it, but now I don't blame him. She's just. . .fuck, she's her. There is no one in this fucked up, shitty world, like her.

But to find out that he was manipulating her with suicide in order to get her to come back to him. . .fuck, it makes me so mad. She already had a shitty night and now on top of that, she had to talk her best friends' brother away from killing himself meanwhile trying to get her best friend away from her abusive ex-boyfriend who now is dead too.

We're fucking teenagers and we deal with so much shit. We graduated less than twenty-four hours ago and this is meant to be our last summer break. Two months to get a break before everyone leaves me behind and things turn to shit again, and as the clock struck twelve, I got a call not long after from Lila crying, then I had to take photographs of the girl I love but with bruises all over her body.

I knew I shouldn't have left her alone at the party but I was Hale's ride and seeing her arrive with Sam fucked me off. If I stayed, I could have saved her. I know that she said it isn't my fault. I shouldn't have to save her. But I do. I want to.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as sheriff Rivers entered the room. He found his son hanging from the ceiling and was told that his daughter had been away for the last two months because she was involved in an abusive relationship, and still, he continues to work.

I guess he's trying to distract himself.

"I've got some officers dragging the lake." he stood before us, adjusting his army green jacket. "Boston's body has already shifted from where you said that he had originally sunk." Eden offered Hale a look of worry. "But we did find something. . ."

Shit.

Lila's forehead creased with confusion. "What did you find?" she asked softly.

Sheriff Rivers shifted uncomfortably. "Well, legally, I should not be telling any of you, but I am sure that it will be all over the news within a matter of hours."