Ache -Lyric's Story-

Chapter 2 (Tyson)

**Tyson**

I picked up looking over the thread of texts I'd received from Reed over the last few months. For some reason he still thinks we're friends when I have done everything possible to keep away from him and his bullshit. How could he act like none of this is his fault?

March 25,2020
Reed: It's been weeks. When are you going to get over this and be my bro again?
Reed: I can see you've read my message. Why not just call me so we can hash this out?
March 31,2020
Reed: You're being childish. Just answer the phone.
April 6, 2020
Reed: She's gonna be on campus soon. Do me a solid and stay away from her cause she's still angry at you.

Reading this one always pisses me off. She shouldn't be angry with me about what happened. I just wanted his fucking blessing but he refused, treating me like I wasn't good enough for his precious baby sister Lyric. Having to see her on campus limping back and forth between classes makes my heart hurt. I just want to help her but she hates me so I keep my distance.

July 3, 2020
Reed: Mom is wondering if she should expect you for the cook out tomorrow. It's tradition.
Reed: This is stupid. Just come over and talk to me. I feel bad enough as it is watching Ly writhe in pain at night knowing it's my fault.

I look at the message trying to find out if this is some sort of bait. He wasn't the type of man to do that but right now I don't exactly trust him. My palms itched as I picked up the device to respond to him after nearly 3 months of silence. If she's inviting me back he must've told her about what happened. At least someone else knows this wasn't all me.

Me: I will be there. Tell Mom I'm sorry for waiting to rsvp. I know she hates last minute drop ins.

His response came back almost instantaneously

Reed: She said she understands. Be here at 3 to help with the food and don't forget to bring dessert to share with everyone. Danni will be here too.
Reed: Nice to hear from you even if I had to offer food for it to happen. j/k j/k. I look forward to catching up.

Too much. I put my phone down focusing on the computer in front of me where I had Lyric's instagram pulled up. This is how I have to love her for now. Watching her live her life without me. 'Tell me you'll love me forever, Lyric.' I remember those words so clearly paired to the ones she'd responded with as she cupped my face in her hands "I will always love you, Ty. Always." What happened to that promise?

Reed. Just thinking about him made me want to scream. That was the worst night of my life and my so-called best friend was at the root of it all. I just wanted to tell her how I felt and he forbade me from doing so. Telling me that whatever I felt would pass and to share it would just cause Lyric to deviate from their plan. Some plan that was. She didn't even want to go into medicine but Reed would never know that. He didn't spend time listening to her as she perfected the word flow in her poems or listen to the silly plot points of her stories that she'd been secretly writing. There were times I would listen to the same paragraph six times while she worked on wording and pacing and I would give anything to be sitting at the foot of her bed doing that again while waiting for Reed to get home from his internship.

"If it was stupid you would tell me, right? You wouldn't let me put anything out there that would get me laughed at would you?" Her eyes locked with mine and that's when I knew. I knew in that moment I was a lost cause. The cliche, the trope that everyone laughed at. I was in love with my best friend's little sister. "Earth to Ty, come in Ty. Whatcha smiling about?" I couldn't tell her, not yet anyway. I wanted to do it right but doing it right just turned everything to a nightmare.

I read the caption over and over again as I grasped what I was seeing. "Pray for me, the experimental surgery for my leg has been scheduled. No promises but if all goes to plan I won't be in pain anymore. Maybe I will finally get rid of this monstrosity." The picture was of her leg, KAFO front and center. I knew she hated that thing reading over the posts from the last couple months but she needs it to walk around.