Secrets

Chapter 4

Tuning onto my street, I pause at the sight before me and just stare for a while.

Blue and red lights flash on top of three different police cruisers, which are parked right outside my house.

A crowd of neighbors have circled around the black and white vehicles, their voices carrying to me with questions of what's happened and how scared most are.

Blinking away my shock, I notice Noah standing just outside the front door talking to two policemen, and to my greater surprise, Ryan stands just a few feet away chatting on his cell phone.

"Both of my brothers...on the same porch?" I wonder, fear twisting my stomach into a knot. "Did Noah come home early and freak out because I was gone? Is this whole mess because of me?!"

Taking in a deep breath, I pray to God that I'll live to see tomorrow, and force myself to walk step after shaking step forward until I reach the crowd, then push around everyone until I'm at the porch steps.

"Whoa there, you'll need to step back, Sir." A tall, pale officer with a large black mustache says, turning from Noah to frown down at me with tired brown eyes. "Residents only."

"Sir?" I whisper, then remember that I'd put Noah's sunglasses back on after I left the park.

That combined with Noah's hoodie...

"And Lance said I wasn't convincing!"

Pulling the glasses off with one hand, I jerk the hood from my head and offer the officer a small smile.

"Um, I sorta live here-"

"Rose!"

Before I can blink Ryan's pulled me into his arms and lifted me off my feet.

Twirling us around in a circle, my younger elder brother reluctantly sets me down and then meets my eyes with a smile.

"Thank God! We thought somethin' bad happened to you!" He gasps.

"Bad? Like wh-"

"Where were you?!" Noah shouts, pulling me to him for a moment -as he abandons the police officers to join Ryan and I- then pushes me back to do a frantic onceover. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you at all? Or-"

"Noah, I'm fine!" I interrupt, dropping my eyes to the ground as I will myself to blurt out the truth and face the music. "I...I sorta...snuck out after you left. I'm sorry! But," lifting my eyes to my brothers, I choke out a laugh and wave toward the police. "-isn't this a bit much?! I mean, it's not like I was gone for that long right? You didn't have to call the cops!"

"You...snuck out?" Noah whispers, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Grabbing my shoulder, Ryan turns me to face him, and his light blue eyes bore into mine.

"Rose, I need you to tell me the truth." He says slowly. "Did you honestly sneak out?"

"Y-yeah." I whisper, terrified.

It's not like Ryan to be serious.

He's always been the fun one. The one who's laid-back and laughs a lot.

"If he's acting like this...then I'm totally dead!"

"When did you leave?"

"Right after Noah."

"Where did you go?"

"The park."

"Did anyone talk to you at all while you were gone? Did you run into anyone?"