My Brother's Best Friend [Unedited]

18- Charles

I woke up before Lyss. She was still asleep with her head on my chest. I didn't move at first because she looked so peaceful, but I knew I had to get up to train. I carefully slid out from beside her and made sure she was comfortable before changing into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and heading out for my training session. I am meeting with Arthur for today's session. I also wanted to meet up with him because I knew that what had happened to Lyss has been difficult on him. As I was waiting for Arthur to come out to the car I sent Lyss a text just so she knew where I was when she got up. Once the message was sent Arthur finally came downstairs to go to training.

"Arthur, how are you doing?" I asked, looking at him with slight concern. I knew he was being strong for me, Wes and even Lyss. However, I didn't want him to have to be strong. I'm his big brother and I want him to talk to me since I know that seeing his best friend in a difficult situation and not knowing what to do was difficult for him. He looked at me and quickly replied "I'm okay. Why do you ask?" I know that he isn't letting himself show or tell me how he truly is. I pulled into the parking lot for our training. Luckily no one was here in the parking lot. I turned to look at him, "Arthur, you don't have to be strong for me. It's okay to show how you're truly feeling. Remember I'm your big brother and I'm always here for you. You can cry on my shoulder, vent to me or even just sit with me and not talk about anything. I just want to know how you're truly doing because this is difficult for me and I know you've been friends with Lyss for years." After I finished talking he looked into my eyes and I saw tears forming in his. I knew that he wasn't truly okay. I just needed to get him to a point where he'd show it. He's so used to being strong and hiding his emotions, but I don't want him to do that with me or feel like he had to. I instantly felt guilty because I knew that he felt like he had to hide his emotions and be strong since Lyss is my girlfriend now.

I pulled him into my arms and gave him a tight hug. He sobbed while I hugged him tightly. I continued to comfort him until his cries quieted down. Once he was calmer I pulled away from the hug. "Arthur, talk to me what's going on inside your head?" He took a deep breath before responding in a quiet and shaky voice. "Charles, it was so scary. The last time I saw her in the hospital like that was when I had received the call that she was in the hospital after what Matt had done to her. Lyss' family isn't in her life anymore so it's just been me, Mick, Seb, Lewis, Max, and Kelly looking after her. I was the first one there since I'm her emergency contact and I had to tell the rest of them what had happened. I had to be strong because Lyss woke up and started to panic. She hyperventilated and they had to sedate her so she can rest and heal. However, this was disturbed when Matt came to the hospital pissed off and screaming at the hospital staff to let him see her and that he was his girlfriend and father of the unborn child. Matt saw me and got more pissed off. I had to lie and say that you were in the hospital so that he believed that I was there, but Lyss wasn't. When he kept asking to see her even after the staff had told him that she wasn't there he asked for proof. However, she was under hospital protection and on the list she was listed as a Jane Doe, only had an approved list of visitors with pictures and names, and police protection outside of her room. You, Max, Mick and Kelly were all away at a race so I didn't want to worry any of you with Lyss being in the hospital and having to take care of an infant so I decided to go through that time alone. With Lyss in the hospital for diabetes and lupus seeing and hearing Lyss like that in the hospital made the trauma come up again and I'm dealing with it how I used to deal with it, which was alone and caring for Wes."

Once Arthur finished with his story I was so shocked. I never knew that Arthur was going through any of this. He always seemed so happy any time I talked to him. I didn't know what to do now other than to give him another hug. Now the reason why Arthur is so protective of her, why they're so close, and why he is always worried about her even when she's with me was clicking into place and making much more sense. After hearing this from Arthur I could tell he just needed time to relax and unwind. I texted Andrea that I would go for a run later, but right now Arthur needed me. Once I sent that text I drove around for a couple minutes until I found a private and quiet beach where we can sit on the beach by the ocean and talk.