"your words are my life rope"

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

"Ok, Charlie," I speak into my phone. My sister's giggles fill the silence, "I love you and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye!" she squeals into the phone as she hands it over to my dad and I hang up.

I look at my messages and my eyes catch Laney's contact.

I texted her a couple days ago about tutoring today, but she hasn't responded yet.

I'm not even going to lie when I say it has me worried. Not in a clingy way - more like she's the world's fastest responder and this isn't like her.

So I do what any rational yet caring person would do, and I decide to drive to her house.

Not because I want to see her and I miss her company.

No, definitely not.

I just need to keep my tutoring sessions up if I want to keep passing.

Yeah, that's it.

So I get into my car and drive the route I've become rather familiar with the last little while.

I park in her driveway and take the pack of sour patch kids I saved for her.

I knock on the door Aspen answers.

I don't even think she lives with them but she is always over, they all are. I swear the five of them are so inseparable, they have attachment issues.

"Sterling?" the blonde tilts her head and gives me a confused look.

I clear my throat, not used to interacting with Laney's friends without her, "Um, yeah. Hi."

She chuckles at my awkwardness and moves aside from the doorway, letting me in.

"Thanks,"

"Sure," she shoots me a small smile, "So, what are you doing here? Do you and Dell have a tutoring session?"

"If you guys do, Delly definitely forgot about it," Harper peeks her head from their couch to join the conversation.

"No actually," I now notice all four of them sprawled out in the living room, yet no Laney, "She wasn't answering her phone so I came to check on her."

The girls share some weird look I have trouble reading and I can't help but nervously dart my eyes around the room, avoiding their intimidating eye contact like a cat watching a laser.

Beth speaks up, "She's upstairs, first door on your left."

I nod my head in acknowledgement and appreciation and walk up the stairs.

I knock on her door and notice the sign hanging that reads 'Delaney's room' with little drawings of flowers dotted across it.

"Go away, Jemma" her seemingly frustrated voice almost startles me.

Over the fear of making her upset all I can think to say is, "It's not Jemma."

Silence is all I hear before the opens the door and she stares at me with a look of puzzlement.

"Sterling?"

"I would make a joke about your lovely eyesight, but I sense it may not be taken very well." My comment puts a small smile on my face and a fraction of my worry disappears.

"You weren't answering your phone," I shrug my shoulders, "I was worried and just wanted to check on you is all," I answer the obvious question invading her mind. "I can leave though, that's no problem." I can't help but add.

She subtly shakes her head and walks into her room, sitting on a chair in front of her desk. I take that as an invitation to follow and I take a seat on her neatly made bed.

God, she's perfect, isn't she?

Her eyes wander down to my hand and the rest on something I almost forgot I had.

"For you," I stretch out my hand, offering her neon green packaging.

"Sour patch kids?"

"Mhm,"

Laney opens the package, "Just the yellow and orange ones," she smiles.

"I had the rest of them last night and thought you'd enjoy these more than the garbage would."

She picks a yellow one up and puts it into her mouth, "Your conclusion was correct."

And then all of a sudden her faint smile and look of relief turns into one of concern and stress. She turns away from me and faces her desk, more specifically the piles of notes on it. "How long have you been working?" the question slips from my lips.

"Not long."

I don't believe that. "How long?"

"Maybe 5 hours,"

"Ok, you need to take a break."

She nods her head, but her focus is now back on writing something into her notebook, "I will in a bit."

"Are you even listening to me?"

She speaks a random answer, "Yeah, sounds good." Ok, clearly she is not.

I decide to test my theory, "Want to go make out?"

"Yup, give me a second."

"I know you're not listening to me," I spin her chair around so she's facing me.

Laney pries her eyes from her tabletop, "What? I was listening."

"You know how I know you weren't?"

"Hmm?"

"You just agreed to make out with me."

Her jaw practically unhinges and she hides her face in her palms, "Oh my god, I did not." She looks back up at me, this time with a more serious look, one up not used to. "I just..." she sighs and I fully notice how tired she looks, "I don't think I've studied enough. I need more time."

But somehow I can read her, and while he mouth is saying she wants to stay and study, I chose to listen to her eyes. Those beautiful fucking eyes that are pleading for someone to give her a break.

"Come on, let's go." I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder.

"Darling!" her laugh invades my senses.

There it is, there she is.

I walk down the stairs, holding onto her legs.

"I can't believe you managed to get her out of her room." Jemma says, indicating she's been trying for a while too.

"Aren't you guys going to do something?" Laney calls out to her friends.

Thankfully, it seems they're all on my side when they don't do anything but slightly chuckle at our current position. "Oh right, thanks, Sterling!" Harper adds.

"You guys! What if he was kidnapping me right now?"

Aspen just nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders, "Good. Now leave."

"Take a break, Dell. A much needed break." I think I hear Beth's voice as I walk out of their house.

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

I decide on taking Laney to one of my favourite places. Somewhere my mom took me when I was a kid; a small library down the street from my old home. The owner's wife passed away around 10 years ago and he kept it open in honour of her. It's beautiful yet hardly anyone knows about it so it's always empty.

We spend the car ride in silence with the occasional glance over at each other. I get out of the car and walk to the passenger side, taking her hand as she steps out

"Where are we?"

"You'll see," is all the information I give her as I lead her into the small building.

She takes in the peaceful scenery. Bookshelves filled in every corner and stacks of pillows and blankets scattered throughout the store.

"Wow," is all she manages as she goes around admiring every book her eyes land on.

I spread out a blanket across the floor and pull her hand down to meet me on the floor.

"This is incredible."

"I know," I say as I look into her eyes.

"How do you know about this place?"

"My mom, she used to take us here when I was younger," is all I manage to get out.

Her face fills with realization and sadness.

"I'm sorry," she says with the softest voice I've ever heard.

"4 years ago, she passed away 4 years ago," I voice.

Laney doesn't talk. Instead, she just listens and rests her hand on my own.

"A drunk driver. It was pretty sudden."

Worst fucking day of my life.

"Your tattoo?" She questions, putting the pieces together.

"She loved koi fish. I don't know why. But we would always go see them in this pond near our house."

She doesn't continue asking any more questions, even though I'm certain she has them. It's no doubt she can tell this is near impossible for me to talk about.

"Why do you study so much?"

"I don't know..." a sigh escapes her, "I just- I feel like I need to."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think I'm smart enough to rely on the average amount of study time. So I push myself and eventually, I get lost in the ever-consuming boredom and need for it."

I move closer to her and take her face in my hands, each one grasping onto the sides of her head, my thumbs caressing her cheeks.

"Laney, listen to me, and listen to me well when I say you are the smartest, most hardworking person I have ever met."

The corners of her lips tug upwards and her eyes fill with water.

"But you need to give yourself a break. You deserve one."

And the look on her face tells me she doesn't know what to say. My assumption is made certain when she stays silent as a tear rolls down her cheek, one I wipe away, and she hugs me.

Except this is so much more than a hug. I can feel her desperation and want to feel cared for and protected, almost from herself. Her embrace fills me with a sense of calm and craving, one I have never felt before. I breathe in her subtle vanilla scent and slowly stroke her hair.

Her words cling onto me as if she would never let go, "Thank you, darling."

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

I have school tomorrow and yet I am here writing in the middle of the night. I loved this chapter so much, so I hope you guys did too. I wanted to go more emotional and sincere with them to add some depth to my story.

(I'm rereading this to edit it before I post today and I freaking hate this chapter lol. I would try and rewrite it but I have no motivation and I want you guys to at least have something to read.. sorry about that.)

Question of the chapter: Favourite flavour of sour patch kids?

Ok, that's it.. Stay safe and healthy <3