Song- Crash; Eden

"Secrets are just a way of protecting your heart"

"All I'm saying is Marlees been off the past couple months." I throw the baseball to Theo who catches it with ease.

"And I agree with you" Theo shakes his head, throwing the ball back "but it's Marlee, she's not going to tell us what's up."

"Why does she have to be so damn stubborn?" I mutter, motioning to the bat. Theo picks it up and I throw the ball. He hits it and it flies to the fence.

"I've been asking myself that for years." Theo huffs, grabbing another ball from the pile. I grip my bat between my fingers. He throws the ball towards me and I hit it. The ball goes flying over the fence. Theo let's put a low whistle.

"How are we supposed to help her then?" I ask, slipping my pitchers glove Marlee got me on.

"How about we kidnap her and lock her in a tower for 18 years and use her magically hair to stay young. Then a random guy climbs up the tower and helps her escape?" Theo suggest as I throw the ball and he hits it away.

"I'm pretty sure that's the plot to tangled."

"Oh yeah." He sighs, thinking for a minute. "If it was too bad she would come to us, right?"

"Right" I agree even if I don't fully believe it myself.

We toss the ball around for another hour before heading back to my house for dinner. When I get there, Marlee, Grayson and Connor are all already sitting at the table along with the parents and Ella in her high chair.

I sit next to Mar during dinner. I take notice of the increasing bags under her eyes, how when she smiles or laugh it's not real. I can always tell when she's faking it and she has been for a while.

Her voice holds a certain weight behind it. I can tell that whatever has been bothering her for months is taking a toll on her. But since I know her I also know better than anyone that if I push her to tell me she'll only push me away.

So as much as it sucks, I'm stuck next to her watching her suffer and not being able to protect her.

After dinner we all played monopoly and Theo got so competitive we had to stop the game early and switch to uno which was slightly less competitive. When I won a game, I was scared for my life due to the death glare he was sending me.

Charlotte had to go to work so Theo, Marlee and Grayson decided to just spend the night. She kisses all of our heads before leaving. Mom and dad put Ella to bed and head to their room soon after.

The 5 of us left play some more uno and then just dance on my old wii which Marlee and I dominated since we would spend hours a day playing in 5th grade. Theo pouted on the couch and then kicked us out of the living room so "he could wallow in self pity"

I've never met someone as dramatic as him.

Connor and Grayson went to Connors room to play some video games. Marlee and I headed up to my room. I dove onto my bed and yawned.

"I'm going to take a shower really quick." She tells me, grabbing some clothes out of a drawer in my dresser.

"Have fun" I tease as she walks to my door.

"Oh I will, I'm gonna throw a whole party in the shower." She retorts, leaving my room.

When she returns, I'm playing on my phone. My shirt was off and I was in some sweats. She was wearing a hoodie of mine that went to her mid thigh and no pants. Her hair was damp and curled up over her shoulders.

She crawls into bed next to me and says "I can't believe breaks already over."

"Me either, if only school could pass that fast."

"Hey Cam?" She asks as I flick off the lights.

"Yeah?"

"How are you doing? Since y'know everything?" Her voice was soft and full of concern. Even though the lights were off and I couldn't see her face, I knew the little crease between her brows was formed and her lips were curled in a small frown.

"Surprisingly good." I tell her, she looks up and places her head on my shoulder so she can see my face "at first I was upset, and then angry but then I realized how horrible the relationship was."

"I could've told you that." She snort, a small smile plays at her lips.

"Yeah, yeah." I wave her off "but now I'm good. I don't have to deal with her and her drama anymore."

"Well you finally figured it out." She playfully rolled her eyes before laying her head on my chest. "Goodnight Cam"

"Night Lee."

Addie and Asher were out of town with their parents and Connor and Grayson were in lunch detention for a weird prank they did so our lunch table felt oddly empty. Marlee sat next to me with Theo on the other side of her. Miles and Bri sat across from us.

Marlee ate her food without checking her sugar. I asked her if she did and she lied, saying she did before lunch. She looked pale, exhausted and drained.

I was about to make her check her sugar when she stood up and said she was going to grab some ranch for her carrots. Her phone sat on the table and buzzed. I usually don't snoop but I caught a glance at the message and couldn't look away.

It was from an unknown number with crude messages. Theo must've seen it too because when she got back he asked "what's this?"

"What's what?" She sat down at the table. He grabbed her phone and held it up. "Why were you looking at my phone?!" She snatched it from his hands.

"Who was that Marlee?" I ask sternly, she turns to me and huffs.

"No one, just a spam text." Her body was tense, her fingers were drumming against the table anxiously.

"Spam text don't know your name." Theo's eyes harden as he looks at his twin.

"Marlee, you need to tell them." Miles sighs and I turn to him with a questioning look.

"You, shut up." She says to Miles. "And you two, drop it." She tells Theo and I.

"You can tell us anything Mar." Bri says softly. Another text causes her phone to ding but she ignores it. My brain is fuzzy with frustration and anger. I tense up from head to toe.

"I'm not going to drop it!" I argue, shaking my head.

"Yes you are"

"Marlee, you have to tell them. It's been months." Miles tells her calmly. She subtly shakes her head but he doesn't listen. "I told you if you didn't tell them I would, so are you going to tell them?"

Marlee crosses her arms stubbornly and doesn't say a word.

Miles sighs and brushes back hair. "I'm sorry but I'm doing this for you" he says to Mar before turning to us. Bri looks just as confused as Theo and I. "It's Evan."

"Miles!" Marlee seethes but he keeps talking.

"He's been calling, texting and watching her for months. She hasn't been sleeping or taking care of herself at all." Miles explains with a guilty look on his face.

"Marlee." Bri whispers, reaching across the table and grabbing her hand. I'm frozen in anger, my hands are shaking and my brain is running a million miles per second.

"Why the hell didn't you tell us! God, you can't handle this all alone!" The words spill out of my mouth quicker than I can catch them. Theo looks down at the table, not being able to look away.

Her tear filled eyes quickly harden when I speak "I've been handling it fine myself."

"No you haven't! You're falling apart!" I shout, not meaning too.

"You don't know what you're talking about." She says lowly, shaking her head.

"I'm going to kill him." Theo finally speaks, looking up. His eyes were filled with hate but behind them guilt was eating him alive.

"No you're not. You're going to leave him alone and let me handle it." She demands tersely.

"No! I'm your brother and I'm supposed to protect you!" He yells, clenching his fist the mutters sorry to Bri who's shrunk down and wrapped in Miles. She hates yelling and we try to avoid it.

"This is why I didn't tell you guys." She scoffs and stands up quickly. She tries to take a step but then stops. Her eyes flutter shut and back open. Before I can stand up she crashes to the floor.

Panic sets in and I drop to the floor next to her, placing her head in my lap. Theo grabs onto her hand and Miles sits next to her. Bri runs to get some help quickly.

"Marlee, wake up." I tap her cheek and Theo shakes her.

"Come on Marlee." He has tears in his eyes and his voice cracks.

Miles reaches and feels under her nose. He looks up at us with wide eyes "she's not breathing."

I pace back and forth in the waiting room. Theo leans against the wall, watching every movement waiting for a doctor. Bri hugs Grayson and Connor tightly. Grayson has tear stains down his cheeks and just now stopped crying.

Miles sits on the other side of them, texting Asher and Addie about what happened. "They're getting on a plane back tonight." He informs us.

Marlees unconscious body replayed in my mind ever since we got here. Her breathing started back up when the paramedics arrived but they rushed her straight here. Theo and Grayson rode in the ambulance and I drove the rest of us breaking almost every driving law.

I'm so terrified, guilty and angry at the same time. I should've known something serious was going on. I should've pushed her harder. I should've made sure she was taking care of herself.

But I didn't and now she was unconscious in a hospital room with tons of doctors and nurses around her and I'm here not being able to do anything but hate myself for not helping her.

The waiting room doors burst open and Charlotte, mom and dad all walk in. Charlotte was still in her waitress uniform, dad hugged mom who's eyes were rimmed red.

"Where is she?" Charlotte asks immediately. Grayson and Theo stand up. Grayson rushes into his moms arms and hugs her tightly. Theo stands beside them.

"She's in the back right now, they won't tell us anything." Theo tells her, his foot tapping repeatedly. Charlotte let's go of Grayson and goes to the nurses station.

"I need to see Marlee Gardener." She demands. The nurse looks up with an impatient manor about her.

"She can't have any visitors right now."

"I need to see my daughter." She says sternly. The nurse goes to protest when a doctor in scrubs walks out. Ma wraps an arm around Charlotte when the doctor starts speaking.

"Ms.Gardener?" He ask and Charlotte takes a step forward. Grayson grabs Theo's hand and Theo takes it, all of us watching the doctor with our anxiety growing. "Your daughter had a extremely high blood sugar. Her organs were shutting down and it causes her to pass out."

"Oh my god." Theo whispers, running a hand down his jaw.

"We had to preform emergency surgery and she can't have any visitors currently but you can go back." He explains, holding a clipboard in his hand.

"Is she going to be okay?" Grayson squeaks out, more tears forming in his eyes.

"We can assure you she'll be just fine." The doctor smiles before leading Charlotte back to Marlees room.

After 24 hours in a hospital waiting room, no one being able to see Marlee besides Charlotte, I was going crazy. She still hadn't woken up which the doctors said was normal but she was supposed to wake up a few hours after the surgery.

Addie and Asher had shown up with a bunch of food for all of us. Mom and dad took shifts going home to Ella and eventually the brought her to the hospital. Connor and Bri were both asleep on 2 of the couches.

Grayson ate some fries, sharing them with Asher. Addie and Miles flipped through magazines. Mom and dad sat with Ella, trying to keep her occupied. I sat away from all of them, not able to stomach food or do anything besides wait for Marlee.

I hadn't said a word since we got here. Mom tried to get me to eat, Miles tried to get me to take a walk with him, Bri offered to get a magazine for me but I refused. I didn't deserve to do anything but wait.

It was all my fault.

The double doors open and Charlotte walks in with tears stained eyes. Ma hugged her and asked "how is she?"

"She's awake, kinda. She'll be groggy until tomorrow but Grayson and Theo can come see her." They both stand up and walk over.

Theo turns to me and says "I'll let you know the second you can see her."

I nod but a question runs through my mind.

Do I deserve to see her?

😘