There’s no way she was just crying because of how much she loves Mike. She looked as if her heart had been punched out of her chest.”
At that moment, we hear a gut-wrenching sob come from upstairs. My friend and I turn and look at each other. Oh shit. What’s happening? The sobs continue, and they’re absolutely heartbreaking. What should we do? Respect her privacy, or go and see if we can make a difference?
Finally, I can’t stand to hear her in pain anymore, and I head towards the stairs to figure out what’s wrong. Looking at my friend, I ask, “Coming?”
5
Reese
As we approach Amelia’s room, her sobs become even louder. Her cries are pitiful, and they make my chest feel tight with their pain. What do we do? Ryan looks at me, his entire body on alert. We don’t want to admit it, but both of us are attracted to this gorgeous woman. Yes, she’s our friend Mike’s daughter, but she’s all grown up now. Those luscious curves have taken center stage, and neither Ryan nor I have been able to ignore them.
But right now, Amelia’s emotional state is more important. Taking a second to try and figure out what to say, I knock on Amelia’s door. Her sobs stop abruptly, and then I hear a small voice hiccup as it asks, “Who’s there?”
“Hey sweetheart, it’s Ryan and Reese. We just wanted to check on you because we could hear you crying from downstairs.”
There’s a silence and then Amelia whispers.
“Really? Did my dad hear it too?”
I clear my throat.
“No, he ran out to grab some things from the store. We’re the only ones in the house. Amelia, we just want to make sure you’re okay. Do you want to talk about whatever’s going on? I promise that we’re great listeners and we swear not to tell anyone, not even your dad.”
When she doesn’t answer, I add, “No judgment. I swear.”
While waiting for her to decide, I think more about this beautiful girl. She means a lot to me, and it’s not just because she’s my best friend’s daughter. I genuinely want to make sure that she’s okay because she’s sensitive and kind, and I want to protect her from whatever’s causing her pain right now.
Finally, there’s a soft shuffling sound, and Amelia opens the door. Her face is tear-streaked but utterly beautiful.
“No judgment, right?” Watching us nod our heads in agreement, she sniffles a bit and holds the door open wider. “Come in, Reese and Ryan. My bedroom’s a mess, I know, but make yourselves comfortable.”
As we stepped in, I look around. It’s not that her bedroom is a mess; it’s merely the bedroom of a little girl. Her bed has a frilly pink coverlet on it, and there are stuffed animals littered all over the place. A large dollhouse sits in one corner, and there are posters of unicorns and flowers on the walls.
“I haven’t had a chance to redecorate since I was five,” Amelia says ruefully.
We turn to stare at her.
“It’s no problem,” Ryan growls. “It doesn’t bother us. If anything, it’s endearing. We’ve known you since you were a little girl, sweetheart. This is totally fine.”
She sniffles a bit and sits on her bed. Meanwhile, I balance myself on a spindly desk chair while Ryan seats his massive form on a small padded footstool next to the bed. Deciding to speak first, I ask, “So what’s wrong, sweetheart? Is everything okay? Do you want to tell us why you’re crying?”
Shaking her head back and forth, she whispers, “You’ll think it’s stupid.”
Ryan leans forward and strokes her hand. The contrast of his big, bronzed fist with her small pale fingers is arousing in the dim light coming from her bedside lamp.
“No we won’t, baby girl. No judgment, remember? Just think of us as a living, breathing diary that can actually talk back.”
Amelia giggles a bit at his words, causing Ryan to sit back and say, “There it is. That beautiful smile that we love to see. Really, sweetheart, there’s no pressure. You can just tell us whatever you’re comfortable with sharing.”
Squaring her shoulders, Amelia takes a deep breath and looks out the window with tears in her eyes once more.
“Well, you know how I’ve been dating Roger Money?”
I squint.
“Oh yeah. Roger.”
I don’t add what Ryan and I think of him. Sure, Roger’s a big man on campus at their high school, but that’s the thing: it’s high school. There are many years of life after graduation, and