"If you let me, when it gets heavy, know I'll never let you be alone"

"It's very kind of you boys to join us," Ken spoke as he began the drive toward the cemetery.

"What, I don't get any thanks?" Alyssa asked from the passenger seat. Usually, she was stuck in the back, but due to not knowing Ozzie or Ethan in the way that Lia did, she took the front seat.

"You come with us every year, Lyss," Lia spoke from the middle back seat.

"So?" Alyssa asked, smiling to show she was joking.

"It's really no trouble at all, sir." Ethan cut in from Lia's right. "Ophelia's our friend and we care about her."

Alyssa and Ozzie both snapped their heads to the boy, who looked at them in confusion. Lia's cheeks began to burn, her pale skin turning pink.

"They're good friends." She spoke up.

Ethan's fingers brushed Lia's thigh, and despite her wearing leggings her skin still managed to burn under his touch. Her skin tingled at the touch, her stomach filling with butterflies.

It was crazy the control Ethan had over her. She was basically melting as she sat here, her skin hot. As she sat between him and Ozzie, she realized just how much damage he could cause to her. He could say or do anything, and she wouldn't care. She'd still be under his control, no matter how crazy the demand was.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the cemetery, which Ken parked outside of the gates. "I figure we could walk in, as it's nice outside for October."

Nobody argued, and instead, they just piled out of the car. They began the walk on the pathway between gravestones, Lia taking in the beauty of the graveyard.

It was crazy, she'd been through this graveyard so many times. Yet as she stood behind Ozzie and Alyssa and next to Ethan, it felt as if it were the first time all over again. Her stomach turned, her eyes watered, and her knees felt weak and shaky.

If you were to ask her if she was okay, she'd say yes. She'd say she didn't even know her mother, that this was strictly to be there to support her dad. She'd lie and say people die every day, that it's nothing new. That she didn't deserve to mourn, as she didn't know her the way her father did. She didn't know her the way Ethan knew his mother, as his mother's death was more recent. She would think she didn't deserve to be sad and feel the feelings she truly felt all because her mother died when she was so young.

Of course, that wasn't true. But that was how Lia saw it. She saw it as if there are people hurting worse than her, such as her dad, then it was not her place to grieve.

It was most definitely a toxic trait of hers, and she hadn't even realized it.

Ken took a turn, the others following behind. Lia began drumming her fingertips along her thigh, and as soon as the boy next to her took notice of this, he immediately laced their fingers together.

Lia glanced at Ethan, who just sent her a kind smile. She smiled in return, grabbing his hand tighter.

"Well, here she is." Ken stopped in front of a grave. The headstone was slightly bigger than the ones next to it, shiny and glossy as if it were completely new. "I come here about once a month, bring some flowers and keep up with the maintenance on it."

"She'd love it, Kenny," Alyssa said. She'd heard this multiple times before, but she always encouraged it as it was Ken's way of coping.

Ken, who had been holding roses - his late wife's favorite - turned to his daughter. She stood between Ozzie and Ethan, leaning in a little bit closer to Ethan for support. "Would you like to?" He offered the flowers out to Lia.

She began to say no but saw the look in her father's eyes. Ethan squeezed her hand in encouragement, and she nodded shyly as she took the flowers from her dad. It felt awkward, as she was never the one to do this. She always let her father do it, as she felt it wasn't her place.

Maybe it was the talk she had with Ethan the night before or the fact that something just felt different. She didn't know, but she didn't bother thinking about it. She focused on the fact that this was her first time ever doing this, at least ever since she was younger.

She gently knelt on the grass in front of the headstone, leaning her butt on the heels of her feet. Her shaky hands brought the bouquet to the little stand her father had set in front of the headstone, removing the old stems before putting the new ones in.

Ken knelt down next to Lia, resting a hand on her shoulder. "She'd be proud of you, you know."

Lia didn't say anything, as tears had already started forming in her eyes. She felt heartbreak in her chest, a feeling that usually numbed itself out. Maybe it was because of the fact she was doing all of this instead of her father, or maybe it was her finally coming to terms that she'd never had a mother. 

She didn't have someone to talk to about her first period, or even her first crush. Maybe if she had a mother, she wouldn't have dealt with the heartbreak she got from dating Isaiah. Maybe she would even have been able to help with her crush on Ethan.

All of the things that come from having a relationship with her mother, Lia never got.

"Miss you Mrs. Murphy. It was a nice three days of knowing you," Alyssa then said, earning a look from Ozzie.

"Three days?"

"I met her three days before she-" She stopped, motioning her head to the side.

Ozzie just nodded in response, turning his attention back to the scene in front of him.

"You almost done or do you need some more time?" Ken asked, running his fingers through Lia's hair.

"Can I stay a little bit longer please?" Lia asked, not looking anywhere except for the grave in front of her.

It was usual for Ken to come, say a thing or two and leave. He came so often, that he just preferred to say more whenever he was here by himself. When he came with Lia, she usually didn't have much to say and so this really caught him off guard that she wanted more time.

"We'll go wait in the car," Ken said as he stood up straight, dusting his pant legs off.

"Wait," She said as she turned back to the group. Her eyes were glossy, causing the light blue color to shine brighter in the light. "Can Ethan stay?" She looked straight at the boy as she asked the question.

His heart melted. His knees felt weak and all he wanted to do was fall to the ground and pull her into his arms. He hadn't expected her to ask him to stay, and so when everyone looked at him waiting for an answer he just dropped his knees in response.

"We'll be at the car," Ken repeated as he leaned down, leaving a kiss on Lia's head. She shut her eyes at the motion, a stray tear falling down her cheek.

The other three walked away, leaving the two in silence. Her eyes opened to meet Ethan's dark ones, tears falling down her cheeks.

"You've seen me cry way too much." She sniffled, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Ophelia," He whispered, scooting closer to her.

"No, you have I'm sorry I made you stay." She shook her head, "I just- I'm realizing the hatred I've held in for my mother for doing what she did, and you're the only one I've really opened up to about it."

Ethan positioned himself right next to her, ignoring his nerves and wrapping his arms around her. She began to cry, and he just let her. She needed this, or she was never going to truly heal from what happened.

Tears began to pinch at his eyes, feeling what she was feeling. He missed his mother, although he knew he was a monster who let his dad do what he did.

When Lia found out, she'd no longer ask him to stay with her. She'd want nothing to do with him if anything.

He could feel her tears staining his shirt, but he just pulled her closer. His fingers tangled through her hair, soothing her gently as she let out all of the emotions she'd been holding in for who knows how long.

They sat like that for a while, the other three waiting patiently by the car. Lia stopped crying after a little bit, staring at her reflection in the headstone. She could only see the outline of her and Ethan and the way her reflection melted in with his.

"Are you ready to go?" Ethan softly asked, causing Lia to lean up from his chest.

"Yeah, they've been waiting long enough." She responded.

Ethan pulled himself off of the ground, holding his hand out for Lia to take. She gladly took it, following his actions. She gave one last glance at the beautiful headstone before walking away. Ethan followed, his hand positioned on the small of her back as they made their way back to the car.

"Thank you for trusting me to come with you." Ethan broke the silence.

"What do you mean?" Lia asked, sending small glances his way.

"You could have chosen anyone at all to come with you; Amanda, Cleo-" He stopped, "And I know you trusted Ozzie as well but it makes me feel good knowing you trust me that much."

"I still trust the others, I just didn't want them here the way I wanted you guys," Lia told him honestly.

Ethan began to say something but didn't due to them being in earshot of the others.

"You doing okay, bubs?" Ken asked, greeting his daughter with a hug. "You can tell me if you wanna visit more often, you know?"

"I'm okay, Dad. Promise." She held out a pinkie, the older man taking it quickly. He kissed his hand, his daughter mirroring the action.

"Well, let's get going. We have a reservation," Ken told the group as he grabbed the door handle. Everyone began to gather in the car, but Ken stopped Ethan before he could get very far.

The boy looked at him nervously, his cheeks heating up at the stern look from Ken. "Thank you, Ethan. It's hard for Lia to open up the way she did."

"No need to thank me, Ken." Ethan sent a polite smile to the older man. "I'd do it anytime."

"Good. She-" He stopped, making sure the others were out of earshot. He realized they weren't paying any attention, the girls laughing at something Ozzie had said. "She thinks I don't know her and know when she's in pain, but I do. It's nice to know she trusts you with the things she does."

"I'm honored, sir." Ethan nervously spoke, his hands shaking lightly at the look on his face.

"That being said, don't hurt her. Her mother has caused more than enough pain in her life without even knowing, and I know she tries to act like that breakup with that boy didn't bother her any but I know my daughter. And I don't want to see her hurt again." His words came out quiet, although Ethan could feel the sharpness in his tone.

"I would never think of hurting her, sir," Ethan told the man truthfully.

Ken just nodded, patting him twice on the shoulder before getting into the car. Ethan followed, letting out a sharp breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Ethan knew her father loved her, and it broke his heart to even think about what could possibly happen with Quinn on the loose. He hadn't heard from her since she cornered him in his dorm room, and that made him nervous.

Because he still refused to join them in their revenge plot, meant that whenever they decided to start their attacks that Lia was fair game. But Ethan knew his family, and he knew that even if they told him that Lia was off limits and they weren't going to touch her, they would if it came to Lia getting in the way of their plan.

And considering how selfless Lia was, he knew for a fact that it would happen.

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2046 words.

Had a lil bit of emotional chapter for y'all! 

Have a good day <3

* This chapter is not edited *