Alex moves a strand of hair out of her face, looking in her eyes. She smiles shyly, looking down, biting her lip softly. He lifts her chin with his free hand, smiling.
"Don't look away from me, princess. I like watching all your different expressions and seeing your beautiful eyes." She blushes at his words, taking his hand in hers and laces their fingers.
"Sorry, I'm just not used to this.." She looks down at their hands then back up at him.
"I know princess.." He pulls her closer, kissing her temple. She smiles, laying her head on his shoulder.
Addie turns around and looks at them, "Daddy.. hungy."
"You're always hungry Addie." He chuckles as he plays with Amelia's hair. Addie looks at Amelia.
"Amy. Me hungyyyyy." She whines. Amelia looks at Alex then back at Addie.
"I'm sure we can find something to eat upstairs, but your dad has to cook." She responds, looking back at Alex. He nods, moving her off his lap and stands. Amelia stands and stretches as Addie walks over, lifting her arms. Amelia picks her up. Alex watches them for a minute, thinking to himself.
She's so perfect.. I just wish she could see it.. She's amazing with Addie and she doesn't have to be.. I wish.. I shouldn't wish that.. but damn if she was Addies mom... life would have been perfect.. even if neither of us wanted kids and we still had one.. life would have still been perfect.. she's so patient and understanding.. god if i wanted more kids.. and if she did... stop it alex. stop thinking like this. she's 17... but she's so.. damn it.. i want her. i want her to be mine. i don't want her with anyone else.. i want to be the one to shower her with affection and gifts and everything else in this world.. but maybe it's best if she dates someone her age.. i don't want to end up hurting her.. friends.. we should be friends..
Alex sighs as Amelia heads upstairs still holding Addie. He follows a short while after and finds the two of them in the kitchen, Addie sitting on the counter and Amelia looking through cabinets. He spots a box on the counter, looks at Amelia, then back at the box.
"Amelia..?" He questions, causing her to look at him as he points to the box. She looks at him, then the box and walks over to it. She looks at it, but sees no return address. She looks at Alex.
"I don't wanna open it.. W..what if it's from h..him?" Dhe frowns, looking at him. Alex grabs Addie off the counter and sends her to the living room, putting on cartoons for her, then comes back to the kitchen, grabbing the box, taking Amelia's hand and leads her over to the counter near the stove. He picks her up, setting her on the counter, then grabs a knife and opens the box. On top, is a folded piece of paper that he hands her. She unfolds it and reads it:
Dear Lia,
I miss you so much babygirl. I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to hurt you. It was never my intention, please believe that. I know your birthday is coming up, so I had Ben do some shopping. Everything in this box is from me. I included some of your favorite books by your favorite author, along with some new ones. Books included: Ryan's Bed, Bennett Mafia, The Boy I Grew Up With (Hmm. maybe it's about us?), Cole, and Crew all by Tijan. I also included the After series.
I included some different types of journals, because I know you like planning things and writing things down. You can use them to keep track of what books you've read or want to read. Keep track of your favorite TV shows, since I know you love watching Netflix. I also had him get you some pens for them.
And finally, I had him buy a necklace, symbolizing our love, which is eternal. It's two hearts intertwined into one, like ours. Two stones, a diamond for you and blue for me, symbolizing our birth months.
Ben may have been my best friend, but so were you. I never want you to forget that. I know I hurt you in more ways then one, and I'm so incredibly sorry.
Hurting you is my biggest regret in this life, Lia. I love you so damn much, that it hurts babygirl. I miss being able to see you all the time. Being able to just hold you while you sleep, and kiss you whenever I want. You were my life, the one good thing in my life as well. I know I fucked up, Lia. Please, just let me have one more chance to change. Please. I want to be with you.. and our son. I know we have a son. I know you named him Jake. I know that he looks just like you. I regret hurting you, because I know I could have hurt him.
Please, if you want to talk, come see me. I just want to see your beautiful face and eyes again. All I have is a picture of you from the last birthday we spent together. You and that beautiful pink hair. God I miss you so much babygirl. Please, just one more chance, is all I'm asking for.
I love you, Amelia Grace. Always and forever.
Always yours,
Dylan
Amelia finishes reading the letter and lets it fall to the floor, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She hops off the counter and goes to her room, locking the door and lets the tears fall. Alex picks up the letter off the floor, reading it, and frowns. He sets the letter on the counter, then goes to her room and tries to open the door, finding it locked and knocks lightly.
"Baby.. let me in.. please.." He pleads, hearing her choking out sobs from the other side of the door. Amelia goes into her bathroom, ignoring him, and shuts the bathroom door and sits on the floor, sobbing. Zach hears a voice in the hallway and opens his door, seeing Alex outside Amelia's room.
"What did you do to my sister?" He asks, defensively. Alex turns around, raising an eyebrow.
"Um, I didn't do shit. Maybe you should have checked that package in the kitchen a little more carefully, considering it's from Dylan. Now she's locked herself in her room and won't let me in. I'm not leaving." Alex remarks, knocking on the door again.
Zach goes back into his room and grabs the key to Amelia's room then comes back to the hallway. "Move." Alex moves and Zach unlocks the door.
"Thank you." Alex walks inside and knocks on the bathroom door.
"G..go a..away..." Amelia chokes out between sobs, banging her head against the door.
"Amelia.. please.. Let me in..." He says again, resting his forehead against the door. Zach stands in the doorway to her room. Amelia gets up quietly, turning on her shower, the opening her medicine cabinet. Alex looks at Zach, concerned.
Zach shrugs and goes back to his room. Alex sighs, leaving the room and goes to the living room and grabs Addie. He picks her up and brings her to Amelia's room and sets her on the bed.
Amelia grabs the razor blade, takes her clothes off and sits on the shower floor, blade between her fingers, thinking. Alex knocks on the door again.
"Please, baby... let me in... Let me help you.." He pleads, trying to door again. He finds it still locked and rests his forehead against it. "Amelia Grace... Please.. please let me help.. I'll do anything to help.."
"JUST. GO. AWAY!" She shouts above the water, holding the blade to her wrist, whispering to herself, "No one can help me... I'm always gonna have him coming after me.. I'm sorry..."
"Amelia.. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for you.. Addie is here for you too.. Please.. just let me in and we can talk.. You don't have to go through this alone.. You don't even have to look at the stuff in the box.. Just please, let me help.. I.. Amelia.. Please.." His voice cracks at the thought of her being alone. "You aren't alone baby.. please.. I'm here... Please princess.."
Amelia looks up, dropping the blade on the shower floor, standing up. She leaves the shower on and wraps up in a towel after stepping out and unlocking the door. Alex heard the lock click and opens the door, immediately wrapping her in his arms and holding her. She sobs into his shirt, holding onto him as he holds her.
"Please don't leave me..." She chokes out between sobs. "Please don't hate me... but please.. don't fall in love with me, because I can't stop him from going after you. I can't stop him from hurting me. He's always going to cause me pain and I can't put you through that. I think.. Alex.. we shouldn't be doing this. I'm 17... you're 20... I can get you put in jail.. I can't do that to you.. I can't take Addies father away from her. Please.. it's best if you just leave before either of us gets hurt..." She looks up at him, her heart slowly breaking.
He looks at her, tears forming in his eyes at her words, "If... is that what you want?" She nods, tears falling down her face.
"I... baby..." He says. She pulls away from him, dropping the towel and gets back in the shower, sitting on the floor. Alex feels a tear fall down his cheek as he closes the bathroom door, going over and picking up Addie and starts to leave Amelia's bedroom. Amelia sobs in the shower, as Alex walks past Zach's room. Zach opens his bedroom door and looks at him.
"Don't you dare leave. She needs you, she just doesn't know how to say it. Her entire freaking life, she has been told no one wants her, that she's unlovable, and worthless. Do not let her to continue to believe that. I have never seen her open up the way she does around you. I have seen her smile more on her birthday than I have since she moved in with us. Dylan broke her, mentally, physically, and emotionally. She's so afraid of being happy that she doesn't know how to be happy anymore without feeling guilty for putting his ass in jail. He's where he belongs and he's not getting out anytime soon. And even if he does, she still deserves happiness. I will not let you walk away from her, not now. Not ever. I will take Addie to the movie room and you go fix this with Amelia. You tell her you're not taking no for answer. You aren't leaving until she's okay and admits that this weekend has been the best of her life, because I know that to be true. My sister has come out of her room, put on actual clothes since you've been here. You can hate me, I don't care, but I am not letting you walk away from this. I can tell you two have feelings, and I will not let that stupid son of a bitch ruin her happiness anymore than he already has."
Alex looks at him, tears still in his eyes, and gives him Addie. Addie looks at Alex, "Amy otay?" She gives her dad a sad look.
Alex looks at her, "She will be baby. I promise." Addie nods.
"Otay daddy." she looks at Zach. "I Addie."
"I know, I'm Zach. And we are gonna go watch a movie while your daddy talks to Amy, ok?" Addie nods and Zach walks to the movie room. Alex goes back into Amelia's bedroom, shutting her door. He walks into her bathroom, gets in the shower, still clothed and holds her as she continues to cry. He sees the blade, looks at her, and holds her even tighter.
"Oh Amelia..." He strokes her hair. "Please tell me you didn't..." She shakes her head, unable to speak. He lets out a sigh of relief, shuts off the shower and continues sitting there, holding her as he grabs the towel and drapes it around her. "You're gonna be okay.. I promise. I will make sure you are."
She looks up at him, as a hiccup escapes her lips. He takes a good look at her, seeing the pain in her eyes, and closes his own, thinking.
God she's so beautiful even when she's in pain. Why.. why did she have to endure all this pain? Why is it the most beautiful souls are the ones who become the most broken? What did she ever do to deserve what she's been through? She deserves so much more than that. This world is truly fucked up. God, I wish she would just let me show how happy she can truly be and that I'll never hurt her the way he did. God I want to kill that stupid fucking prick. I want to show her that not all love is bad, that it can be a beautiful and amazing thing when it comes from the right person. I want to spend my every waking moment with this girl and show her what love really means. Show her that no matter how much we might fight, at the end of the day I would still love her and treat her with respect. I would.. I would marry this girl. She's perfect for me.. She has her ambitions and she's not afraid to go after what she wants. She's smart, funny, talented, good with Addie.. She's the perfect woman.. And she's been beaten, broken, trampled on.. by someone who obviously doesn't know what he had when he had it. How do I even tell her how she makes me feel? How do I even begin to describe all of this to her?
Alex opens his eyes and looks at her. She looks up at him, eyes all red and puffy and he speaks softly, "You still look beautiful to me, Amelia. You always do, and you always will. No matter what princess, I will always be here for you. And you alone."