Page 35 of #Lovestrong

Declan

On the way to the lake, Lena quietly plays on her phone, twisted sideways as best she can with her bare feet in my lap. I keep one hand on the wheel, but with the other, I lightly trail my fingers up and down the top of her foot. Pulling into a parking spot and cutting the engine, Jackson pulls in right next to us.

As we get out of the car, Lena holds a finger up to me and answers her phone. Jackson and Candice stand next to me and we chat quietly, waiting for Lena to get done. Every time I glance at her, her face gets more scrunched up and she's pacing in a small line in the grass.

"What . . . what do you mean she—"

Her raised voice makes my hair stand on end and when she looks up at me, tears spill down her face and I know something is seriously wrong. Her eyes do that distant thing she hasn't done lately. I walk over to her quickly, Jackson and Candice hot on my heels.

"No, ma'am, I understand. When she's ready, will you tell her to call me?" Her voice breaks on every other word and I can tell she's trying not to lose it on the phone.

I glance at Jackson and Candice, who both stare at her with concerned eyes.

Lena hangs up the phone and fidgets with it, biting her lip and bouncing her heel. When she finally looks at me, tears stream silently down her face.

"Baby?"

"My best friend back home tried to kill herself this morning."

Before I can even reach a hand out, Candice has Lena wrapped in a hug so tight I'm worried she won't be able to breathe. As they sink to the ground and Lena cries, Candice rocks her back and forth, whispering in her ear.

There's a small trail of tears running down Candice's face too, and honestly, I'm glad someone else is willing to support Lena when she's not okay. I know she loves me and appreciates me being here, but I also know I'm not enough. She needs a bigger support system than just me.

I've never seen Candice be so . . . motherly, though.

I stay in my spot, not wanting to get in the way. Lena will get up and come to me when she's ready for my comfort. Jackson clasps my shoulder and when I look at him, his face is tight as he stares at the girls.

"Candice's sister committed suicide two years ago. Right after we started dating."

Holy shit. I knew Candice had a sister who died, but no one ever mentioned suicide. "I thought the paper said she died in an accident?"

Jackson scoffs. "Yeah. Her parents were more concerned with tarnishing the family name. Accident was just better than saying she hung herself in her dorm room. Let's go find somewhere to sit down. Don't worry, Candice got her two younger sisters through April's death. If anyone can help Lena deal with a suicide attempt, it's her."

We walk down to the lakeside and sit in the hammocks, but I never take my eyes off her.

She's going to be okay. She's made a lot of progress over the last two months, and she's going to get through this too.

I believe that. I have to.