“i’ve been so worried about you, (y/n)!” erick exclaimed once you finally picked up your phone. it felt foreign in your hand after nearly two weeks of digital isolation. the hard case was cool against your palm, the screen searing the side of your face. at the extended sound of your silence, his tone softened considerably. “you can always talk to me.”
“i’m so tired of talking,” you whispered. for the first time in weeks, you felt as though you were unable to shed a single tear, even if you wanted to. a bone-chilling numbness had engulfed your entire being, to the extent that you felt nothing. “i had five months, erick. five months. i could’ve just waited it out, you know? then i would’ve been eighteen and able to do whatever i wanted, but i started talking and now? now... things are different.”
“what do you mean?” he asked, confused. thick, black eyebrows furrowed above glassy green eyes. picking up on his expression, joel quirked a brow at the younger boy, who sat to his left on the couch.
he knew what you were referring to. erick was your best friend, the first person you turned to in order to vent about your home life. he knew about everything, knew about all of the emotional abuse you were forced to endure each day. despite this though, the way you chose to phrase your last sentence didn’t make very much sense in his mind.
“i’m a liar because her husband says i am.” sat atop your messy, unmade bed, you stared out the window. you had to brace yourself in order to continue with your explanation. there was a lot you didn’t care to get into, a lot of details you had tried your hardest to block from your memory, but even the bare minimum made you feel uneasy when spoken aloud. “she told me she didn’t care about my proof. and, um, she packed up my things for me and told me i was done. i wasn’t even allowed to go inside to get it.”
his heart dropped to his toes when he put the puzzle pieces together. without thinking, he reached for joel’s hand. it was a habit he had picked up during la banda—something that comforted him whenever he began to feel too anxious. the older boy said nothing, simply allowing his friend to intertwine their fingers.
“she kicked you out? where are you staying? are you okay? you can come—“ his words were rushed to the point they had almost become slurred, so much that you felt it was necessary to cut him off.
“i’m staying with my father right now; it’s the same drive time if you ever get a break and want to visit,” you did your best to joke, though you were unable to find the humor yourself. he sighed audibly, most likely at the reassurance that you weren’t homeless. “i’m okay. we talked in person once, my father was there. she told him she doesn’t care where i go, but that i can’t come home until i apologize for lying.”
“i know you’re not a liar.” he said simply, unable to find the words to express how he truly feels.
he wanted to be in your presence. he wanted to wrap his arms around you, to hold you until you feel his love. truthfully, he didn’t understand how you were feeling. but he could imagine. his heart had ached for you with each passing second you had been silent, but it completely shattered the moment you revealed why.
“yeah, you’re the only one.”
this piece wasn’t requested, idk i just felt like i needed to get that off of my chest? if anyone wants a tw or anything pls lmk, i’d be more than happy to place one at the beginning of the writing. and if you find yourself in a situation like mine, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. things have to get a lot worse before they can get better, but i’m here to help you through it. we can help each other.