The silence grew loud, but still, I stayed,
Knowing that together, we could find a way.
The air between Paxton and Amy had been tense for weeks, but today, it felt like a storm was imminent. Paxton sat at the kitchen table, staring at his phone, reading and rereading Joanne's last message. Her words had been short and formal, a sharp contrast to the warmth she used to show him. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Joanne was slipping away—and Amy's growing hostility toward her wasn't helping.
Amy entered the room, her expression sour. She dropped her bag on the counter with a loud thud, pulling Paxton out of his thoughts.
"You're sulking again," Amy said, her tone clipped. "Let me guess—Joanne?"
Paxton clenched his jaw. "What's your problem, Amy? You don't even know her, but you've decided she's the enemy."
Amy rolled her eyes, grabbing a soda from the fridge. "I don't need to 'know her.' It's obvious she's not good for you. Look at how miserable you've been since you started dating her."
"Maybe I'm miserable because my sister won't stop interfering in my life," Paxton shot back, his voice rising.
Amy's eyes narrowed. "I'm interfering because someone has to look out for you. Joanne doesn't care about you, Pax. She's just stringing you along."
"That's not true," Paxton said, standing up. His chair scraped loudly against the floor. "Joanne cares about me. She's just tired of dealing with your crap."
"My crap?" Amy repeated, her voice dripping with mock indignation. "I'm trying to protect you! She's pulling you away from your family, from me."
Paxton ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "Maybe I wouldn't feel pulled away if you weren't constantly making everything worse. You've been making snide comments, spreading rumors—what are you even trying to accomplish?"
Amy's face flushed with anger. "I'm trying to keep you from making the biggest mistake of your life. But if you're too blind to see it, then maybe you deserve what's coming."
Later that evening, Paxton invited Joanne over to talk. He was desperate to salvage what was left of their relationship, but the evening quickly went downhill. Amy hovered around the living room like a storm cloud, her cutting remarks slicing through the conversation.
"So, Joanne," Amy said, her tone saccharine sweet, "how does it feel to have everyone talking about you? Must be hard being the center of attention all the time."
Joanne stiffened, her smile faltering. "I try not to pay attention to rumors."
"Good for you," Amy said, her smile turning into a smirk. "Though I can't imagine it's easy when half the school thinks you're just using Paxton."
"Amy, stop," Paxton said sharply, glaring at her.
Amy shrugged, feigning innocence. "What? I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking."
Joanne stood up, her expression unreadable. "I think I should go."
"No," Paxton said, reaching for her hand. "Jo, please, don't let her—"
"It's fine," Joanne said, pulling her hand away gently. "I'll see you later."
She walked out without another word, leaving Paxton standing in the middle of the room, his frustration boiling over.
"What is wrong with you?" he snapped at Amy.
"What's wrong with me?" Amy shot back. "What's wrong with you? You're letting her ruin everything!"
"She's not ruining anything!" Paxton shouted. "You are!"
The argument left Paxton shaken. For the first time, he couldn't ignore the truth staring him in the face: Amy wasn't trying to protect him. She was trying to control him. Her constant hostility toward Joanne, the rumors, the manipulative comments—it wasn't about him at all. It was about her own insecurities.
He sat in his room that night, staring at the ceiling, the weight of his realization pressing down on him. He had always trusted Amy, leaned on her for support. But now, he saw the cracks in their relationship, the toxic patterns he had been blind to.
Paxton picked up his phone and texted Joanne:
I'm sorry. For everything. Please don't give up on us.
Emily had been observing the tension between Paxton and Amy with growing concern. As the youngest in the family, she often stayed in the background, unnoticed. But she wasn't blind. She saw the way Amy's sharp comments chipped away at Paxton's confidence, the way Joanne's absence left him lost.
Emily wanted to help, but she didn't know how to approach her brother. Paxton had always been fiercely independent, and Amy... Amy could be intimidating when she wanted to be.
One afternoon, Emily found Paxton in the living room, staring at his phone with a troubled expression. She hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to him.
"Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"
Paxton glanced at her, surprised. "Yeah. I'm fine."
Emily gave him a look that said she didn't believe him. "You don't look fine."
Paxton sighed, setting his phone down. "It's Amy. She's... I don't know. She's always been protective, but now it's like she's trying to sabotage everything."
Emily bit her lip. "I've noticed. She's been really mean to Joanne."
Paxton looked at her, startled. "You have?"
"Of course," Emily said. "It's hard not to notice. I don't think it's fair, the way she's treating Joanne. And honestly, I don't think it's fair to you either."
Paxton's shoulders slumped. "I don't know what to do, Em. She's my sister, but... she's making everything worse."
Emily hesitated before placing a hand on his arm. "Maybe you need to talk to her. Really talk to her. Tell her how you feel."
Paxton nodded slowly, her words sinking in. "Yeah. Maybe you're right."
The next day, Paxton confronted Amy in the kitchen. She was pouring herself a cup of coffee, her expression guarded as soon as she saw him.
"We need to talk," Paxton said, his tone serious.
Amy raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
"About Joanne. About everything," Paxton said, leaning against the counter. "You've been hostile, manipulative, and honestly, it's exhausting."
Amy set her coffee down with a clink. "So now I'm the villain? Great."
"I'm not saying you're a villain," Paxton said, trying to stay calm. "I'm saying you've been acting like one. Why, Amy? Why are you doing this?"
Amy's expression hardened. "Because I don't trust her. She's not good for you, Pax."
"No," Paxton said firmly. "You don't trust anyone who takes my attention away from you. This isn't about Joanne. This is about you."
Amy flinched as if he'd struck her. "That's not true."
"Yes, it is," Paxton said, his voice softening. "I love you, Amy. You're my sister, and I'll always care about you. But you need to let me live my own life. Joanne makes me happy, and I need you to respect that."
Amy looked away, her eyes glistening. "I just... I don't want to lose you."
"You're not going to lose me," Paxton said. "But if you keep pushing people away, you might lose yourself."
Amy didn't respond, but Paxton could see the cracks in her facade. For the first time, he felt like she was truly listening.
Emily watched the interaction from the hallway, her heart aching for both of them. She knew this wasn't an easy conversation, but she was proud of Paxton for standing his ground.
Later, she found Amy sitting alone in the backyard, staring at the sky. Emily hesitated before sitting next to her.
"You okay?" Emily asked gently.
Amy shrugged. "Not really."
Emily didn't press her, letting the silence settle between them. Finally, Amy spoke.
"Do you think I'm a bad person?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"No," Emily said firmly. "I think you're scared. And I think you're hurting. But that doesn't make you bad, Amy. It just makes you human."
Amy let out a shaky breath, and for the first time, she allowed herself to feel the weight of her actions. It wasn't an easy road ahead, but with Emily's quiet support and Paxton's honesty, she knew she could start to make things right.