My Brother's Best Friend 

Chapter 46: One Last Time

Legs pulled up to my chest, arms wrapped securely around them. That's how I've spent the last week since my uncle's death. At first I'd cried, cried all day, the whole day. I couldn't go to school without crying my eyes out during class, so now I'm here.

I sit at the foot of the bed everyday, staring at the wall, wondering how life is suppose to go on without him?

Wondering what the purpose of life is without him.

I've even contemplated just never speaking to anyone again in my life. I've contemplated shutting people out, so that no one can feel my pain, but I haven't done it. I haven't done it because of him.

Jared comes by every day immediately after school. He'll sit next to me on the floor and hold me as I silently cry in his chest, whispering set things to me.

He's the only reason I haven't given up on everything. Because I love him and he loves me and I know how much it's going to hurt him if I do that. I know how much it's going to affect the people around me no matter how much I want to do it, but I just can't bring myself to leave this room. Every time I do try to leave I just end of crying my eyes out because there's things everywhere that remind me of him.

I see him sitting at the kitchen table every morning reading his newspaper. I see him sitting in the stands of my volleyball games. I see him smiling at me from a distance.

I see him everywhere.

The funeral's tomorrow. Half my sophomore class knew him, which means that they're going to be there, plus my teachers... and Jared.

And I have to give a speech.

Part of me wants to do it, yet the other part of me doesn't because I know as soon as I stand in front of that podium I'm going to cry... and I'm not going to stop. But the other part of me keeps telling myself that my uncle needs to be remembered for all the things he's done. A person like that just doesn't deserve to be forgotten.

And he never will be.

Today was a Friday. Tomorrow was Saturday, the funeral. And the next day was Sunday... his birthday.

My only wish was that he could have been here with me, so I could've told him how much I loved him and saw him smile one last time, but time never really considers us in its decisions. It just rips everything that we hold dear out of our reach.

Time cheats us out of everything we deserve.

Time isn't fair... but then again what is fair?

"Mallie," I heard his voice say.

For a moment I thought I was hearing things, but then I heard his voice and for the first time in days I looked up away from the wall. My eyes widened, before I tried to back up a little only to be stopped by the bed.

My uncle was squatting in front on me as I stared at him in utter shock.

"Uncle-Steven?" I whispered.

He smiled back as I continued to stare at him, putting my hand over my mouth, before his expression turned serious.

"You can't do this," he whispered, "you can't shut them out. Don't make your life about me.You're sixteen Mallie, you have a whole life ahead of you." he looked deep into my eyes. "There's no sense in grieving about me... I'm sorry, but not matter how much you grieve... I can't come back."

I felt my expression changing into one of pain as I looked at him.

"How can you say that?" I asked. "You know you'd do the same thing."

He nodded his head. "I would, but you have to understand. You, Ryan, and your Aunt were all I ever had. Mallie, you have Jared, and Ryan has Sidney. And as much as I don't want my little girl to grow up, you said it yourself. He makes you happy, and if you're happy, them I'm happy."

I could feel tears threatening to spill. "But I don't want to forget about you,"

He smiled. "You don't have to forget," he whispered, "just be happy... you deserve that much."

I let a tear slip out my eyes as he smiled upon me and I looked at him wanting to hug him so badly but knowing that if I tried, he'd go away, before I could say anything else.

"Just remember," he grinned and I couldn't help but let a small smile spread across my face, "I'll always be with you," he pointed towards my heart, "in here."

I looked up at him, before he stood up, smiling down at me and walking away... into the light.

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Phew, sorry I took so long to update guys I was focusing a bit more on my other book, but no worries! I've put my other book on hold because I am devoting myself to making the end of this book absolutely perfect, that way hopefully you guys'll love it!

There's either going to be one more chapter and a prologue or two more chapters and a prologue I haven't decided yet. I'll let you know in my next update, which hopefully will be soon!

Thanks so much for your continued support guys I can't express how much it means to me!

~Katy :)