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I had to fix her

“Mind your own business, Christian” Her voice was an equal er and sadness as her face frowned, al her memories to speak for themselves

Her response stung, but it didn’t shock ers, and she barely knew s aboutto open up If anything, I was happy her first instinct was to protect herself

Her as so tall and thick, and all I wanted to do was break through her icy demeanor

I wanted her to let me in If only for a second, I’d take it

“I’ it my business, Kinley, but I’ll settle for a smile instead”

She narrowed her eyes at me, and I took the opportunity to sit in the sa for I didn’t knohat

I did the only thing I could in a er than us

I spoke from the heart “You knoe all have sad stories,” I shared, catching uard I’d never opened up to anyone, but she wasn’t just anyone, and I knew that then “The first tiood people, I was seven” Outside of my parents and therapist, I’d never adrasped that I couldn’t do anything but pray for those bad things to go away, I was eight”

I felt her take a seat besideontoas vulnerable as I did then

“The first tih to lanced over at her, needing to look into her eyes

The concern for me ritten clear across her face She,

“Now the first tito take away my best friend, I was ten”

She jerked back “Julian?”

I nodded

“I had no idea”

“Yeah, nobody does”

“But he’s okay now, right?”

I shook my head “I don’t know if he’ll ever really be okay The shit he’s seen and been through is what nighto away It stays with you and becomes a part of you, and if you let it, it’ll consume you”

“I’ine how hard it was for you to see your best friend in pain So the ones we love theable to stop it No ht for the with the I can do?”

“Yeah You can do so for me”

“What’s that?”

I didn’t hold back, speaking with conviction, “You can tell me your sad story”