Two Sinners Make a Right {+18}

20. Under suspicion

Nearly halfway there! Enjoy this extra long chapter ;)

This chapter has been edited but, please, let me know if I've missed anything.

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Saturday, I find myself back in the sanctuary of my bedroom, though it doesn't feel much like a sanctuary anymore. The walls are familiar, covered in photos of happier times. When my father won custody of me at the age of fourteen, I remember him giving me this room and I thought it was the most beautiful place in the world. For weeks, I asked him to sleep in a chair next to my bed to help me feel safe and he did it without complaint.

I wish I had someone here now, someone to keep me safe. But, my father is on the other side of the country and I'm all alone. Ashley doesn't know the full extent of what I went through. Only our father knows every gritty detail. He's the reason the cops investigated the King's household. We both had to testify in court and that's when the judge sent them both to prison.

We came here to be safe but Alex found me and this time, there's no escape. My bed that once gave me comfort, now feels too soft, too suffocating, like it's trying to swallow me whole.

I've already taken my anxiety pills, the small white capsules that are supposed to make everything easier, dulling the sharp edges of my thoughts. But instead of relief, all I feel is numbing emptiness, a void where my fear and panic used to be. The events of last night still haunt me, replaying in my mind like a broken record.

I keep seeing Callum's face, battered and bloody, his eyes wide with terror. The sound of Ryker's voice, cold and cruel, echoing in my ears. It's all too much, the pills are the only thing keeping me from spiralling completely.

I'm sitting on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor, when there's a knock on the door. Before I can answer, Ashley pokes her head in, her bright smile faltering the moment she sees me.

"Hey, Bri," She says softly, stepping inside and closing the door. "You okay? You've been in here all day?"

"I'm fine," I reply, my voice flat and unconvincing. I don't look at her, afraid that if I do, she'll see the cracks in my facade.

Ashley hesitates, her concern evident in the way she lingers by the door, twisting her blonde hair around her finger. "You sure? You don't look fine. You've been super quiet since last night. Did something happen?"

"Just tired, Ash. It's nothing."

She frowns, not buying it for a second. I can see the worry in her eyes, the way she's trying to figure out what's wrong. Normally, she'd make some joke or try and tease me out of whatever mood I'm in, but today she just stands there, uncertain, like she knows something bigger is going on.

"Brielle," she says, her voice softer now, more serious. "You can talk to me, you know? If something is going on..."

I finally look up at her fully, and the concern on her face nearly breaks me. She's too young to have to worry about me. Our Father should be here, instead of travelling away from home and putting the role all on her.

"I appreciate it, Ash," I say, trying to sound stronger than I feel. "But I'm really okay. Just... dealing with some stuff. I'll be fine."

Ashley doesn't look convinced, but she nods slowly, clearly unsure of what to do. "Okay, if you say so... But if you need anything, just tell me, alright?"

"Yeah, I will," I promise, though we both know it's a lie.

She lingers for a moment longer before finally retreating, closing the door behind her. The room falls back into silence, and I exhale, my shoulders sagging with the weight of everything I'm carrying.