Quarrel with friends & Emily's Escape

Emily stood in Carlton's arms, feeling his body relax. Her heart was beating anxiously, but despite all the complicated feelings, she felt that right now, right here, she had made the right move. She couldn't continue in her relationship with Carlton if she couldn't protect Bobby, if she hadn't said what she had said. But standing next to him now, she couldn't ignore the growing sense of relief. He wasn't perfect, and neither was she, but this was the moment when they could understand each other.

There was silence all around as Carlton and Emily stood there, in the center of the room. Then there was laughter and applause. Emily glanced at her friends but didn't pay attention to them, even though they were all clearly enjoying the moment. She even noticed Ryan yelling "Yay!" and clapping his hands, but she didn't care. All she wanted was Carlton - not his image, not his "condition" as a big brother, but Carlton as a person she could talk to, understand, and support.

"Emily..." Carlton suddenly said, his voice was quiet, but there was some weak, but sincere emotion in it.

She pulled away from his shoulder and looked at him. In his eyes she saw a mixture of gratitude and weariness, and in his expression a mixture of relief and fear. He looked at her as if she were someone who might understand how hard it was for him. And despite the tension of the situation, she felt everything around her become more real and meaningful.

"Do you really want me to talk to Bobby again?" he asked, a tentative smile playing on his lips, as if he was afraid he might screw this up, but at the same time, he wanted to.

Emily sighed, hugging him again. She knew their relationship might not be the same as before, but she felt like this was a step in the right direction. A step toward Bobby and Carlton realizing how much they meant to each other, and learning to trust and care for each other again. Because in the end, that was what mattered most.

"Yes," she whispered, "I think you need to talk. Not for me. For yourself.

Carlton nodded silently, his gaze focused and somewhat intense. He didn't say a word, but there was determination in his eyes. Without another word, he turned and walked toward Bobby's room, his footsteps echoing in the quiet of the house. Emily watched him go, her heart clenching with worry. She prayed that Carlton would be able to control himself and not let his anger overwhelm him again.

Emily took a step back, leaning against the wall. She couldn't help but think about how much this situation was bothering her. On one hand, she knew Carlton was wrong to leave his brother like this, but on the other hand, she knew they each had their own reasons for doing what they were doing.

"Please don't quarrel," she whispered to herself.

She suddenly felt how hard her breathing became. She didn't have the strength for new quarrels, she wanted only one thing - for everything to go back to how it was before, for Carlton and Bobby to return to normal relations, for everything to be resolved.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps, and Emily looked up. Carlton was back, but his face was different than before. He looked tired, but somehow... relieved.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, a little nervous.

Carlton paused in the doorway, but he couldn't hide the small smile that appeared on his face. He sighed heavily, as if he were throwing off a burden he had been carrying for too long.

"I talked to him," Carlton said, his voice calm but with a hint of weariness. "But he..." Carlton trailed off, exhaling heavily and looking down at the floor.

Emily froze in place, her heart clenched with anxiety. She stood in the doorway, her whole body tensely listening to Carlton's every word, as if their future fate depended on it.

"What did you tell him?" she asked, feeling her voice shake with emotion.

Carlton shook his head, his eyes clouded over. He looked tired, like a man who had been through a hard battle and now didn't know what to do next.

"I tried to explain that... that I understood," he said with an effort, his face twisted in a reflection of the tension within him. "I didn't expect it to be so complicated. I thought he'd understand. But he just... wouldn't listen. He told me he didn't want my pity. He didn't even respond to my apologies, in fact. He just crawled under the covers with a book and a flashlight and stopped listening to me, engrossed in the chronicles of Captain Blood."

Emily stood next to him, her heart aching. She felt everything inside her tightening up-she was worried about Bobby, about Carlton, about their relationship, which was crumbling before their eyes. She couldn't understand why everything was so complicated, why they couldn't just talk and understand each other.

"He won't be able to forgive you that quickly, Carlton," she said, her voice soft but firm. "He can't just forget everything he feels. You have to understand that Bobby is not just a boy. He feels things more deeply than you think."

Carlton sighed heavily and rubbed his hands over his face, as if trying to shake off the weight of this conversation. Emily didn't know what to say to him. All she could do was watch him struggle and pray that he would finally understand that his brother needed him not only as a sibling, but as a friend.

"I just don't understand why he doesn't trust me so much," Carlton continued, his eyes searching hers for support. "I always thought we'd be okay. But now I see that everything went wrong, and I can't bring him back.

"He doesn't want you to feel sorry for him," Emily said, stepping closer and placing her hand on his shoulder. "He wants you to understand him. Not as a brother who's always there, but as a person who's not afraid to show his weaknesses and pain. And you can be there for him. But for that, you have to be willing to listen. And not try to solve everything with one phrase or some simple explanation.