Better off Without You

Lily Blackwood stepped off the plane and took off her black sunglasses, seeing that she wouldn’t need them at all. Her dark grey eyes scanned the strangely empty airport as she pulled her mid back length chocolate brown hair into a tight ponytail. She walked beneath a giant sign that welcomed her to Toronto, Canada. It had been a pretty long flight from Winnipeg, but it was worth it.

“Late as usual,” Lily muttered to herself. She grabbed her bag and walked outside, smiling as the freezing cold air hit her face. She had missed Toronto’s warmer weather; Winnipeg had been too cold and windy for her likes.

“Lily?” A familiar voice asked. Lily turned and smiled when she saw her sister, Caitlyn.

“Cat!” Lily shrieked and hugged her sister tightly. Caitlyn hugged her back and giggled.

“Oh, I’ve missed you,” Caitlyn laughed.

“Me too. So where are you living now that our so called father moved to Alaska?” Lily asked as she followed Caitlyn to her ancient truck.

“I live with my boyfriend and his family. You will absolutely love them,” Caitlyn smiled. Lily threw her bag in the trunk and sat in the passenger seat. The truck roared to life, causing Lily to jump and Bella to laugh.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it,” Caitlyn promised. Caitlyn drove silently, her eyes fixated on the road. She turned sharply onto a hidden drive and pulled up to a three story, cream colored, Victorian style mansion.

“Wow, it’s beautiful,” Lily gushed. Caitlyn smirked and helped Lily get her bag out of the trunk.

“Wait until you see the people who live in it,” Caitlyn chuckled. Lily followed her sister up the porch steps and paused while Caitlyn unlocked the door.

“We’re home,” Caitlyn called out. A boy about Lily’s age came down the stairs and smiled warmly at Caitlyn.

“Brent,” Caitlyn breathed happily. Brent walked forward and embraced Caitlyn, placing a kiss on her lips.

“Caitlyn’s home!” A squeaky voice rang out. A short, slim girl, with an asymmetrical hair cut bounded into the room, a tall, slender male behind her. The girl ran straight for Caitlyn, while the man walked towards Lily.

“Lily right?” Lily almost melted. He was perfect in every way. His Southern accent accentuated every one of his words.

“Yes, and you are?” She asked, trying to keep her cool.

“Sebastian,” he smiled. The short girl danced up to him and quickly pecked Sebastian’s lips.

“I’m Anna,” she grinned. Lily smiled and turned to the two people descending the stairs. One was a woman, one was a man. The woman had long, curly, light blonde hair; the man had short, silky, brown hair.

“Hello Lily. I’m Robert, and this is my wife, Helen,” the man greeted her.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” she smiled.

“Where’s Emmett?” Helen frowned.

“Coming!” A booming voice shouted. A tall, muscular boy tramped downstairs. He had wavy, dark brown hair, perfect features and dark blue, almost black eyes.

“Emmett, this is Caitlyn’s sister, Lily,” Sebastian smiled and placed a cold hand on Lily’s shoulder. Lily yelped and shot away from Sebastian’s hand. Everyone was looking at her strangely now. Lily was panting, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

“Are you okay Lily?” Caitlyn asked.

“Um, I need a minute. Do you have a bathroom?” Lily asked politely.

“Let me show you,” Helen offered. Lily quickly followed Helen up the stairs, forgetting that she and Emmett hadn’t been formally introduced.

“Right in here,” Helen said. Lily quietly thanked her and rushed into the bathroom. She locked the door and stared at herself in the mirror. She removed her long sleeved shirt and hissed as the cold air hit her cuts and bruises. Her whole right arm was bruised, her chest and stomach were covered in cuts, her wrists were covered in cuts, and her left arm was almost black with bruises.

“Lily?” Lily recognized Anna’s voice, but chose to ignore it.

“Please come out. Is everything alright?” Anna asked.

“I’m fine.” Lily instantly regretted snapping at Anna.

“Are you hungry?” Anna asked. Lily’s stomach growled and she sighed. She pulled on her shirt and reluctantly unlocked the door.

“Okay,” Lily sighed and followed Anna downstairs. Anna sat her between Brent and herself. Emmett sat across from her, quietly staring at the table.

“Here you go Lily,” Helen smiled as she set a plate of chicken in front of Lily. Lily reached for the pepper, her sleeve lifted slightly and the cuts on her wrist were exposed to Emmett. He stared at her with wide eyes as Lily quickly fixed her sleeve.

“We enrolled you in Jarvis High School and gave you a room right next to Caitlyn,” Robert smiled sweetly.

“Oh, thank you very much,” Lily said kindly.

“So, Caitlyn told us that you used to model?” Helen asked.

“Yeah, but I quit,” Lily muttered.

“Why?” Brent asked curiously. Lily glanced nervously at Caitlyn who coughed uncomfortably.

“She decided to focus on school,” Caitlyn lied flawlessly.

“Yeah, school’s first,” Lily smiled. Helen smiled warmly and Lily shot Caitlyn a grateful look.

“I’m going to bed,” Lily smiled and stood gracefully from the table.

“Tired already?” Sebastian asked.

“Jet lag,” Lily lied. A chorus of good nights was heard as Lily ran up the stairs. She soon found her bedroom and locked the door behind her. She rummaged through her bag and found her razor blade. She sat on the edge of her bed and rolled up her sleeve. In one swift movement she slit her wrist and gasped. She fell to the floor and held in a scream. There was more blood than usual. She now realized that she had cut the major vein. There was a commotion downstairs, but Lily ignored it. Her vision became spotted as she heard people run up the stairs.

“Lily!” Someone screamed as they pounded on the door. Lily knew she was going to die, she welcomed it. She wanted death to take her.

Suddenly the door flew off its hinges and people rushed in. She was picked up into someone’s strong arms and lifted from the floor.

“Lily,” someone whispered in an enticing voice. Lily tried to open her eyes but found that she couldn’t.

“Stay with me Lily.” Lily now recognized the voice to be Emmett’s.

“Stop,” she managed to say. A door opened and Lily heard many people shouting orders and instructions.

“I’m not letting you die,” he promised.

“I want to die,” she said with much difficulty. Emmett’s arms tensed around her at her words. Someone set her on something hard and Emmett’s arms suddenly left her.

“Put in the needle,” Helen’s voice ordered. Something sharp pierced the skin in the crook of Lily’s elbow. She screamed and tried to buck away from the needle.

“Emmett, restrain her,” Helen snapped. Emmett’s hands gripped her shoulders and pushed her against the hard thing she was laying on.

“It will be over soon,” Emmett’s voice promised. Lily wished, no hoped, that he meant she was going to die. Suddenly Lily felt as if lead were filling her body, weighing her down. The last thing she felt before she drifted off was Emmett’s lips on her forehead.