Lost Innocence

Chapter Sixteen

POV Sophie 

"Christine, be sensible, if you stay with knowing knowing damn well you don't love him, it isn't going to end well. Have you guys had sex?" 
"Twice..." 
"Seriously?" 
"Will you relax!? What does it matter? I had sex with him before loving him but the love will come in time. Ad it's not like I don't love him at all, I do...it just needs to grow."
"What you think you have with Joe will never be like what you had with Paul."
"Why are you making this a big deal? I get it! I know that Joe and I will never have what Paul and I had. It didn't even last long."
"It was still love Christine, everyone could see the love between you two. You will always be around each other, and he will always there."
"Enough, Sophie, I don't need this right now." 
"I'm just telling you to be careful."
I cared about Christine so much, I didn't want her to do something that she would regret for the rest of her life. I decided to change the subject so we wouldn't end up arguing further. As we talked I couldn't concentrate. I felt for her. I knew she loved Paul. Everyone knew. I was scared that she might do something that will change everything. Christine sighed.
"Sophie, there is nothing I can do at this point." 
"Maybe you should have waited to see if this baby is actually Paul's." 
"I need a minute." Christine said as she threw on a sweater and walked out of her room. I sighed and laid down on the bed and went on my phone. I tried the best that I could to talk her out of this but she was stubborn and she was hurt. I thought things with her and Joe were just a phase but I was wrong because this had been going on for months now. I liked Joe but I know that Christine didn't love him the way she loved Paul. I texted Steven to make me feel better but I didn't get a reply and sighed. Now I was worried for two people. I got up and walked towards the window and sat by it looking up at the stars. I felt my eyes begin to water. Christine was my dearest friend and I didn't want to see thing ends badly for her. Not only was I worried about Christine but the change in Steven's behavior scared me. Whenever I texted him, he always texted me back, no matter what, but lately he sometimes won't reply. I didn't want to cry but I couldn't help it. I hugged my knees and let everything out. I was in so much pain and I didn't know how to handle it. 
"Steven please be safe." I whispered as I cried. I miss the way he used to be. The charming, and caring athlete and drummer that melted my heart. 

The next morning I had woken up before Christine. I ended up falling asleep before Christine got back to the room. I checked my phone to see if there was any messages from Steven but there wasn't. Why was I surprised by this? I shouldn't be. I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper to write a note for Christine. I wrote down that I would be back as soon as possible and that I was at Steven's house. I knocked on the door and Paul answered. 
"Hey, Soph." 
"Hey Paul." 
"Come in." 
"Is Steven here?" 
"In the room." I nodded and walked into their room when I saw Steven swallowing a pill. I grabbed the bottle. They were unprescribed pain killers. 
"Really?" I said holding the bottle in my hands nearly in tears. 
"You don't understand Sophie." 
"Then, explain! Now!" I said as I threw the bottle on the ground. 
"After I got shot I used these and they were prescribed at first but I still have unbearable amounts of pain and this is the only way to make the pain go away..." 
"How can you not tell me about this? This is illegal and this is exactly how addiction starts!" 
"I can't function without them Sophie!" 
"Said every addict ever..."
"You don't get it, you've never been shot in the chest and lived through it!" 
"Why didn't you go to a doctor?" 
"There was nothing they could do." Steven said starting to look down. I could tell he was ashamed and he was right. I have never lived through something like that. Who the hell was I to judge? But I couldn't let him fall into a downward spiral of drugs and overdoses. I was conflicted and looked down. I felt his eyes on me. I couldn't bring myself to look at him.
"Baby, please look at me." I could hear the pleading in his voice and it broke my heart. It took me a few seconds but I finally looked up at him, still unable to meet his eyes. I knew I would see the pain in them if I looked. I felt him place his hands on my cheeks. I closed my eyes as my eyes watered. 
"I'm so sorry baby." He whispered. 
My tears started to fall and then I felt him kiss me. My body responded to him in the way it always did and I kissed him back. I was in pain but there was no denying the immense love I had for him. I felt goosebumps as we kissed and then we stopped. 
"It's okay...we'll get through this." I said as I hugged him tightly. I felt him wrap his arms around my waist tightly. Neither one of us wanted to let go. We stayed embraced for a while. I didn't know what was going to happen next but I knew I was going to be there for him no matter what. I didn't know that this would only be the beginning of Steven's downward spiral. There would be troubled waters ahead for the both of us.