“Karllll we need to sit down and talk to him...you keep saying he’s not ready, but are you sure it isn’t you who isn’t ready?”

I stayed silent knowing he was right

“What we're doing right now is honestly just pushing him away more...we need him and he definitely needs us…”

He’s right I don’t know what I’m thinking it’s just..

“I-it won’t go away…”

I try to keep my feelings at bay, because I was always the strong one of the two.

“What won’t go away baby..”

“The nightmare of his f-funeral...I know it’s not real but what if I couldn’t save him”

“Stop thinking like that love. He’s alive...and you helped in the process of making sure he stayed alive. Don’t let that nightmare stop you from being happy with one of the people you love”

He’s right I let the ‘guilt’ consume me. Let myself think he would be better off without us, but in reality we all need each other more than anything. I was just making it worse.

I hugged Rehan got up and walked to a destination I haven’t really been in 2 weeks...Lake’s room.

“W-where the hell are you going”

Rehan ran up behind me out of breath...jeez he’s out of shape

“I know you idiot you don’t have to say it” he slapped the back of my head. Oh shit I said that outloud. “Yeah and you said that outloud to now where are you going”

“Lakes room”

I opened the door since we were already in front of his room still talking to rehan

“It’s time to talk to hi-”

I stopped when I noticed Rehan had his eyes on something cheeks red and very much out of it. I turned to where he was looking and...damn. I very much wanted to see what was under that towel

Lake was standing in the middle of his room towel around waist. Body and hair dripping with water. Cheeks red and eyes wide looking directly at us…

“S-since when don’t w-we knock...I could have been naked”

“Yeah? Well I would have loved to see that sight” I smirked

Rehan elbowed me when lake grabbed his clothes and got a dress body as red as the color red...haha see what I did there? Too bad he had boxers under the towel…

“Pervert” lake whispered

Rehan smacked the back of my head again…. “Stop saying shit out loud

“Anyway...what”

Oh yeah forgot why we were here…

Lake's POV

I told them to come in and close the door while I sat on the bed. They both stood there awkwardly but before I could say get to the point rehan spoke up.

“I think It’s time to explain why we left…”

Oh shit--

“So-” karl started “for starters were so fucking sorry....I- it sucks that I wasn’t there for you when I should have been. And I hate that we caused part of your pain. Hopefully we can remove the pain we caused. Yes it was our choice to leave but in a way we did it for you.

I opened my mouth to speak but--

“And before you say anything let me finish...are parents weren’t really good parents? I mean they weren’t even a quarter as bad as walkers, but yeah. Rehan’s parents and my mom were friends for starters, and sometimes they talked to walkers without us knowing. One of those days he had come over to talk to all of us since we were together at the time...you said you were healing.

I nodded to show I was listening honestly dreading what my dad could have done

"Our parents told us to go upstairs but he said stay… he..h-he umm

Rehan started talking

“He started telling my parents about the abuse and everything he did to you...it was disgusting. He was ranting on about how he was tired of you and wanted to um k-kill you. We lost it when he started describing some of the things he did to you when we weren’t there to see it and started yelling at him to keep his hands off you...or we would call the cops.

I stopped breathing…

“He actually got scared...because he knew the house had audio cameras. He told us he would stop hurting you completely and leave your life if we left you alone...thinking about it now we were so stupid lake and I’m so fucking sorry…

I couldn’t breathe

“After our parents heard about the abuse they already wanted to call the cops and take you in...but when he kept talking they believed his lie too. Especially when he didn’t touch you for a week waiting for us to leave

yeah ...the best and most horrible week of my life

“So we left the lake...for you. We were all stupid enough to believe he would actually leave you alone. He hurt you so much didn't he

His voice cracked...they both were dropping tears. Yeah guilt’s a bitch, but I forgive them

“I..I forgive you”

They stared at me for a minute or two before opening the arms… I stared at their arms before walking towards them.

“Stay still” I whispered

I lifted my trembling hand and touched karls arm with my pinky finger...when nothing happened I did the same to rehan. Then I hugged them both like my life depended on it which it did when I didn’t have a panic attack from their touch.

...that’s everything

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Authors note: I wanted a short chapter at first but he may be longer since I don't know where I'm going with this ending .