Beside You

Adeline blinked her eyes in confusion as she looked at the name flashing on the screen, “Corlynn?”

“Oh, Addy,” Mrs. Ramsay sighed. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”

“Is something wrong?” Addy asked. “Is everything okay?” Mrs. Ramsay, or Corlynn as she likes to be called by, barely called Addy. Addy had only gave Corlynn her number in case she couldn’t reach her son, Josh, since he was mostly likely with Addy -they were best-friends after all.

“Can you come over? We have something to discuss with you.”

“Alright, sure.” Addy murmured before saying ending the call. She had no idea what Corlynn wanted to discuss with her about. Were the Ramsay’s leaving? Was Miles and Corlynn getting a divorce? Was there something wrong with Josh? Addy just wasn’t sure. She was scared, she felt as if this conversation was going to turn for the worst. She couldn’t lose the Ramsay’s, the were like her second family.

Her hazel eyes narrowed when she saw Miles and Corlynn sitting on the porch swing with Josh sitting in between them. Their mutual friend, Matt Webb, was sitting on the porch steps watching her car pull up along side the curb. Letting her hand comb through her red locks, Addy, turned off her car and stepped out. Josh stood up as Addy walked through the narrow path towards the house.

“Is something wrong?” Addy’s voice came out soft and quiet.

Josh Ramsay, her best-friend, strolled off the porch and stood in front of her; His 6’2 frame was towering slightly over her 5’7. Addy noticed his skin was a sickly pale color, and his beautiful blue-green eyes were dull. Josh’s blue and black mixed hair, held no shine. Addy’s eyes searched his looking for some sort of emotion that could give her a hint as to what kind of situation this was. Josh was starting to scare her.

Josh’s lanky arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her to him, “I’m going to miss you.” His voice was barely audible, but she heard it. Turning her head to rest against his chest, her arms slowly wrapped around his waist.

“I’m not going anywhere, remember?” Addy mumbled into his chest, “I told the school no.”

Just before school ended their Junior year, Addy, had received an offer to attend a prestigious high school that would help her train her musical ability, and find a college that would help her grow to be the singer she was destined to be -but she didn’t want to leave Josh. She wanted to spend her Senior year with her friends, not making new ones. She just wasn’t sure if she wanted to be a singer anyways.

“It’s not you whose leaving.”

Addy pulled away, “What do you mean?”

Josh licked his bottom lip, showing his tongue for a moment, before pressing her against him again. “I need to go somewhere for a while.”

“Are you sick?” Addy asked.

Josh’s chuckle was lifeless, “I guess you could say that.”

Addy stepped back away from him, “What aren’t you telling me?” The redhead looked over his shoulder at the three people on the porch. Matt had his head in his hands, as Miles’ arm was resting on his wife’s shoulders as she leaned against him. Corlynn had a sorrowful look on her face.

“You know how I would disappear without any notice? Not come home for a few days?” Josh whispered softly, gaining Addy’s attention. “I’ve been doing something that I shouldn’t have, and to fix it, I have to leave for a while.”

“Where are you going?”

“Adeline,” Josh pressed his lips to her forehead, “Don’t get mad at me, okay?”

Her eyes held confusion, yet curiosity. “Why would I?”

“I have to go to rehab, Addy.”

Once the word “rehab” left his lips, Addy pushed him away and sprinted to her car. She tried to ignore Josh’s pleads for her, his voice shouting her name to come back. In the safety of her car, she let the tears free from her eyes as she drove away from his house. His actions not have only almost destroyed his life, but it had also almost destroyed hers.

Her life was never going to be the same again.