I Never Thought There'd Be You
3
“Uh, well…” I panicked.
What do I tell him?
“Well, you know….” I started. “Uh, my sister Lori! I’m worried about her.”
He nodded. “What’s wrong with your sister?”
“She’s um…” I said, scratching the sleeve of my jacket.
He kept looking at me, wanting to know.
“She’s being abused by her boyfriend.” I said, still scratching the sleeve of my jacket and looking at the carpet. I looked at him, he looked so worried.
“Oh my god, Amy, you need to tell someone. You need to tell the police. An abusive relationship? You need to help your sister, Amy.”
“But Josh-“
“No buts, Amy. You can’t let her suffer like this. You need to help her.”
I looked at the floor again. “You don’t get it, Josh.”
“What don’t I get?” He said, confused.
“She took a big enough risk telling me…” I lied. “If I call the police, her boyfriend will kill her…. And me probably for telling.”
Josh sighed. I did too. We sat in silence for about two minutes.
“I don’t know what to do, Josh. I’m scared.”
Wow, did you really pull off another lie to him?
“I am too, Amy. But I have one question for you.”
“What?”
“Why did you lie to me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Ben’s hitting you, isn’t he? Let me see your arm.”
I stood up quickly. He did the same and gently touched my arm.
“Amy… please. I want to help you.”
“Do you know how much danger I just put myself in for you finding all of that out?!” I said.
Josh took his hand off my arm and stood back. “Amy, listen. I’m not going to tell Ben you told me. He said he’d kill you if you told anyone? Wow. “
I kept looking at the floor.
“Why did you lie to me, Amy? You can tell me everything. I’m your best friend, right?”
“Yeah…” I said weakly.
“You’re afraid of Ben, aren’t you?”
I nodded.
“Listen…” He said, walking towards me and pulling me into a hug. “I’m not going to tell anyone, no one at all. I just want to help you through this.”
What do I tell him?
“Well, you know….” I started. “Uh, my sister Lori! I’m worried about her.”
He nodded. “What’s wrong with your sister?”
“She’s um…” I said, scratching the sleeve of my jacket.
He kept looking at me, wanting to know.
“She’s being abused by her boyfriend.” I said, still scratching the sleeve of my jacket and looking at the carpet. I looked at him, he looked so worried.
“Oh my god, Amy, you need to tell someone. You need to tell the police. An abusive relationship? You need to help your sister, Amy.”
“But Josh-“
“No buts, Amy. You can’t let her suffer like this. You need to help her.”
I looked at the floor again. “You don’t get it, Josh.”
“What don’t I get?” He said, confused.
“She took a big enough risk telling me…” I lied. “If I call the police, her boyfriend will kill her…. And me probably for telling.”
Josh sighed. I did too. We sat in silence for about two minutes.
“I don’t know what to do, Josh. I’m scared.”
Wow, did you really pull off another lie to him?
“I am too, Amy. But I have one question for you.”
“What?”
“Why did you lie to me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Ben’s hitting you, isn’t he? Let me see your arm.”
I stood up quickly. He did the same and gently touched my arm.
“Amy… please. I want to help you.”
“Do you know how much danger I just put myself in for you finding all of that out?!” I said.
Josh took his hand off my arm and stood back. “Amy, listen. I’m not going to tell Ben you told me. He said he’d kill you if you told anyone? Wow. “
I kept looking at the floor.
“Why did you lie to me, Amy? You can tell me everything. I’m your best friend, right?”
“Yeah…” I said weakly.
“You’re afraid of Ben, aren’t you?”
I nodded.
“Listen…” He said, walking towards me and pulling me into a hug. “I’m not going to tell anyone, no one at all. I just want to help you through this.”
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