Life Is A Nightmare

Chapter Fifteen: He Isn't Safe

(Gavin)

"I'm not imagining it. Someone is following me." I end the silence only to be welcomed by another wave.

He's worried, concerned, for me. He was only trying to give me advice the first time we met and thought it might help because of Kalien's need to explain too much about my family up front and make it a subject to be avoided. Unbeknownst to him his attempt to help, to get my mind off of my brother and my tarnished relationship with my dad I thought would improve, only led to me to see Cole as someone I have something in common with.

Of course that something in common involves family inside a high-security institution they will never leave."None of this started happening until I went to visit him." I say, struggling to get the image, of the person watching me, out of my head

I know I wasn't imagining anything. I'm not losing my mind like my dad wanting to believe in something but too scared to do anything about it. The core difference is I have proof that Jenna saw the person I was chasing after before I lost him. I have something to go on to prove Jayden is innocent if the person who was stalking him is now stalking me but no one will believe me.

My dad isn't willing to hear me out when he has this dark secret holding him back. He's too scared to dig into the truth because of what Jayden knows about what exactly took place in that house. Something happened and maybe that's what led my dad back to Jared right after Jayden's trial. He wanted to be told Jayden was nothing like his father but with that one visit turned into being pulled back into the past he isn't able to shed himself of.

"I believe you." Cole finally says.

"Why?" Somehow the reassurance I wanted minutes ago is up in the air with his reply. I know I wouldn't believe myself. I never believed anything my dad said until he decided it was better to move on and forget about it.

The eyes, haunting and terrifying, flash in my head reminding me this is serious. I'm being followed and I can't let it go like my dad wants. I can't tell my father either who thought it was a bad idea like Kalien did to go visit Jayden in the beginning. No one is on my side and maybe the person who is standing in the shadows knows that. He knows no one will believe me because no one believed Jayden and look at where he is. He's serving time for something he didn't do.

"I told you about my older cousin, my mom's nephew, and how he went to the same institution as your brother but I didn't tell you is he isn't there anymore."

"What do you mean isn't there anymore?" I ask.

"I shouldn't be talking about this with the settlement and everything but I think maybe it might help." Settlement? What is he talking about? What could happen there to force them to pay money out to one of the families?

"They found him too evil to be sent to prison. Too young to be let out either but thankfully they built a place to house all those who should never step foot around people they can hurt and manipulate. I heard they only accept the worst of the worst and your brother falls into that category." my grandma told me more than once.

"....they said he killed himself but my mom doesn't think so. She found it hard to press them for information when they wanted his death under their supervision kept secret. They paid us off, in other words, to keep it quiet."

"What does this have.." I start to ask before I realize how inconsiderate I sound. His cousin did something horrible to end up there but he's still dead and it only makes it worse if he died under uncertain circumstances. "I'm sorry."

"I really didn't know him but he sent letters. My mom went to visit twice a month since visiting every week can be difficult with her working but he sounded like he was better she said. He felt sorry for what he did or maybe he was a good actor. It's hard telling but the last few times my mom did see him he was going on and on about his fears. He didn't feel safe there. He was scared of something or someone."

"When did he die?" I pry curious to understand what this might have to do with Jayden.

"About a year and a half after your brother arrived," he replies.

"Do you think.." I don't want to finish the thought. I'm already trying to wrap my mind around Jayden is innocent but if he did something while he's been in there I don't think I want to prove he's innocent.

"Have you had time to look at the menu or do you need more time?" a waitress asks and I forgot where we were.

"Um, I think we're going to leave." Cole says, "Sorry, we just had something unexpected come up."

"Well I hope everything is fine," she says trying to hide the annoyance of us leaving without even ordering one thing.

"Let's go." he doesn't hesitate in a hurry to leave and suddenly I am too.

As we walk to the door I'm struck with the fear someone may have overheard us but by the lack of eyes staring at our departure, I come to the conclusion everyone was too involved with their own conversation. "I don't think he did it," he says as we walk out the door. "I just think- I don't know how to put it than my cousin's letters were a jumble of words. He wasn't thinking clearly but he did mention your brother."

I watch him pull out a folded up letter tattered and old I notice as he unfolds it while we walk further away from everyone. "Here." he hands me the letter and I want to tell him I don't want to read it. Say I'm done looking into stuff that's only leading me down a dangerous path of knowing too much but that wouldn't solve anything would it? I would be just like my dad whose too scared of the unknown.

With the letter in my hands, I read it over thinking to myself this can't have anything to do with Jayden but there it is. Crossed out is Jayden's name. There's no mistaking it despite how hard Cole's cousin tried to cross the name out.

Is the real person responsible for Vivian's death working at the institution?