Love's Facade { MINI SERIES }

Interrogations (Carson's POV)

I was sitting in a dimly lit room, my hands shackled together, my heart racing a mile a minute. Two police officers were standing in front of me, their eyes boring into mine as they asked me questions that I didn't have the answers to. I felt like I was in a dream, a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from. Every time I tried to speak, my words came out mangled and confused. I didn't know what was happening, or how I had gotten here. All I knew was that my life was falling apart, and I didn't know how to stop it.

"Carson," one of the officers said, his voice stern. "We need you to tell us what happened on the night of August 15th."

I tried to think back, to remember what had happened on that night. But all I could see was a blur of colors and sounds, a jumbled mess of memories that made no sense. "I don't know," I said, my voice shaking. "I don't remember."

The other officer leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Come on, Carson," he said, his voice low. "Don't play games with us. We know you were there."

I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead as I tried to think of a way out of this. But the more I tried, the deeper I sank into the quicksand of my own guilt and fear. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

The officers exchanged a look, then nodded to each other. "Fine," one of them said, standing up. "We'll be in touch."

The officers exchanged a look, and I could tell they didn't believe me. They continued to ask me questions, but I had no answers for them. I felt hopeless and lost, like I was drowning in a sea of my own guilt and fear. After what felt like hours, they finally let me go. As I walked out of the police station, I couldn't help but feel like my life was over. I didn't know what had happened to Kaitlyn, and I didn't know if I would ever find out. All I knew was that I had to live with the guilt for the rest of my life.

————— ୨୧ —————

A few days felt like it was turning into months. I didn't leave my house, didn't answer my phone, didn't speak to anyone. Not even to my mother, who was concerned about me. I was alone with my thoughts, my guilt, and my fear. I was trapped in a prison of my own making, drowning in a sea of regret and self-loathing. I didn't know how to escape, or if I even wanted to. 

The truth was I was felt responsible for the shit I said to her. It was weighing on my chest like a massive burden. I even tried calling her on the phone but no leads, all it led to was fucking voicemail. I even spoke to her friends, and they heard nothing from her as well. But then, one day, everything changed. Alden, my best friend since childhood, showed up at my doorstep, his eyes full of concern. "Carson," he said, his voice soft. "We need to talk."

I tried to shut the door, but he didn't let me. He was aggressive this time, refusing to let me slam the door on his face. "I said we need to fucking talk. I've been fucking texting you like crazy and even at school you avoid everyone. The only thing I could think of is show up to your house so you might as well let me in since I came all this way for you."

I sighed, realizing I couldn't avoid this conversation any longer. "Fine, come on in."

Alden followed me to the living room, where we sat down awkwardly on the couch. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for me to speak. So, I did. "What's going on?"

He shook his head. "It's about Kaitlyn, man. She's been missing for a few days now."

My heart sank. "Missing? What do you mean?"

Alden hesitated before speaking. "I don't know, man. She just... disappeared. She left without a word. Her parents just reported her missing yesterday because it's been a few days now, and everyone's been looking for her. And then I heard you two had a fight..."

I winced. "Yeah, about that..." I trailed off, not sure how to explain myself.

Alden didn't give me a chance to speak. "I knew you had fucking something to do with this the moment I heard she didn't come to school. I remember she called my phone, and her voice made it sound urgent. Dude, what the fuck did you say to her? She's my friend too, you know. I can't believe you would do something that idiotic like that to her."

I hung my head, feeling guilty and ashamed. "I don't know. I was just mad and said something stupid."

Alden rolled his eyes. "You always say stupid shit when you're mad. That doesn't excuse it. You need to apologize."

"I've been trying to apologize, but she won't answer my calls or texts. There's nothing I could do, and she was acting weird that night too."

Alden sighed. "I'll talk to her parents, see if they have any leads. I noticed her weird pattern too, but I didn't think of anything of it until now. But dude, if anything happens to her, I don't know how you're going to live with yourself."

I nodded, feeling sick. "I know. I fucked up."

We sat in silence for a few minutes before Alden stood up. "I gotta go. I'll keep you posted if I hear anything. If not, you know the police will."

"Thanks but I already saw them not too long ago," I said, grateful for his support.

As he walked out the door, I couldn't help but feel like the weight on my chest had gotten even heavier. Kaitlyn was missing, and it was all my fault.