Mixed Messages ~ {d.w}

➵Twenty Eight

"Oh, I see. Alright then."

The silence was killing me. "I'll be gone in the morning. Thanks for letting me stay," I say, able to speak clearly. I was calming down and that was good. The only thing I really wanted was for Damian to hug me and tell me everything would be alright. But that wouldn't help me, or anyone for that fact. "Say something...." I quietly beg.

"What do you want me to say?" Damian asks.

I wish he hadn't heard that but he did. There was no turning back now. "Never mind." Why do I always avoid things? I just want to scream and shout at him. Tell him how much he means to me, how much he's changed my life, how much I want to be with him... "Look-" I was about to say something but a ding caught my attention. Without a second thought, I reached over to my computer to see what the commotion was about.

"What was that?" Damian scoots closer to me, getting a clear view of the screen. It didn't matter what he saw now, he wouldn't tell anyone about it. I'm sure of it. Damian's not that kind of person.

"It's a video message," I wonder who would send me something like that. I open the file, preparing to hear the worst. The screen loads up a black screen. I guess it was just audio or something. A person begins speaking.

"Echo, Echo, Echo," they start, "we never thought you'd betray us like this." I recognized that person's voice. It was one of the ringleaders from Cyber. They continue, "while I knew this was coming, I never expected you to desert us like this. For that damn boy wonder," he curses. I couldn't see their face but I knew they were probably scowling and giving me the middle finger.

"I...." I wanted to stick up for myself but it was pointless. I felt a hand clasp mine, holding it tight in a comforting way. It was Damian, of course. I couldn't say no to him so I just let him hold my hand.

They continue: "If you don't return to us, you shall burn with them. Alice Mirez-Todd, don't think for a second we'll go easy on you. We have everything on you. We'll release it all if you don't return. It's all in a drive. If you wish to return to us, come to the location provided. Bring all your desired possessions. Time is running out." The screen cuts out, closing the audio file. They're threatening me... I...

"Everything will be alright, Echo," Damian tries to reassure me, resting a hand on my shoulder while another draws circles on my knuckles. It was relaxing, but only to a certain extent. It wouldn't last.

"No," I shake my head, "nothing will ever be alright...." I stare at the floor, feeling my hands trembling. There was silence again before Damian spoke.

"Alice Mirez-Todd.... Is that your real name?" I knew he'd ask that.

I sigh in defeat, "yeah," I turn to look at him, a tiny smirk on my face, "you finally figured it out. Congrats." The smile doesn't last long, however. I could see and hear the gears turning his head with the last name. Todd. "I know what you're thinking," my eyes return to the ground, "yeah. That Todd. I didn't want to say anything but... I guess I have no choice. Jason's my half-brother on my dad's side," I admit. It felt good to finally say it. It slips off my tongue easily. I felt like a huge weight was being lighted my chest.

"I never would have thought Jason's father would commit adultery..."

"They didn't," I sigh. "When Jason's mom died, Shiela, Willis remarried Catherine, my mom. They had me, duh. But really, they threw me out soon. I was still a kid when dad went to jail and when mom died and when Jason left me-" I felt a collision of tears fall from my eyes.