Closer

Chapter Three.

Maybe I was expecting too much and maybe I was a tad bit overthinking that things would be much better after all these years.

But, it's no different than my first day of school after my parents died. It's like a flashback of my worst nightmare. Everyone looking at me like a lunatic, Riley Woods definitely still saw me as a crazy kid and worst of all, everyone still said something behind my back.

Afterall, our reputation was flushed down the drain after that once upon a December. So, there is nothing new had happened in this town.

I'm tired of going to the court room, explaining myself as to why I didn't go to my grandparents house that night or didn't call the police at all. Well to support and explained my statement, I had no idea why and that will forever be fresh in my memories like a fresh cut grass in the morning. I had no clue on the first form of the rules of emergency! I can still see hint of the man's face but I haven't been able to recollect what's in my head for a while now. It's been years now. Too many thing have gone through my minds and I just can't stay focused for too long because of my anxiety problem.

The worst part is that I can still remember my mom's helpless voice with my dad dead body next to her. I can feel the chills I had from that night every time I even thought of them.

I thought rainbows comes after rain but to me, hurricane comes after my snowy rain. I still can't comprehend how peoples' mind works. How emotional needs we can get to support our statement. I don't know. I know that my grandparents and my parents were never in good terms before. Business upon business, there are many few things that my father didn't agreed to my grandpa. The investigations took a while to conclude that my parents were murdered. But no further investigation has been put out to the public. And the case was closed.

But, I am no where near close to give up justice for my parents.

I was hurt enough for them to call me a monster from what I didn't do and that wound is still fresh when the same stone hit me on the same spot. I learnt how to cope with the rumours at a young age and now I am able to adapt on the lies and gossips everywhere spreading around me like a second skin.

~sigh~

"Are you okay, sir?" My driver slash my bodyguard Tim asks as we drive down the same gate. There's still so many people I haven't met in this town. This isn't gonna be easy as I thought it would be.

"Just take me home." I mumbles. I don't know why I've decided to do this again. Why did I come back here? Why didn't I just stay? If it wasn't for my childhood home rebuild with my new design, i wouldn't be here. That's number one reasons. But, are they more?

"Did you talk to Mr Westbay about this?" He ask my grandpa and I know that was what most people in my company's concerned.

"Why would I?" I replied staring out the windows as I tuck my hand into a fist. I can still hear what my grandfather said to me before I left for boarding school,

"From this day on, we don't have anything in common. Go on and I wished to never see you again in my life."

I could never agreed to my grandparents to get rid off the whole area because I know deep down inside I know they means something to me. We never wished to be on this side of the country from the start because of the lack of resources we need for our business. But my father will lose his property from his rival and that's all I know about it. And I'm not losing my parents property to someone, not ever again.

" Mr Martin has been trying to reach you earlier today. He said that he would like to prepare you a welcome party up in the hills." Tim filled me in with informations while I was gone—busy doing the bare minimum things at school.

Martin Gibbons, the only friend I had for all these years of problem I'm facing alone. His father is a lawyer who helped me built my empire from day one. I had to make decisions on my own ever since I was 12. I struggled all the hardships without a slight helped from my grandparents. And I'd be nothing without them.

Since the case of the murder spread like wildfire across the country, the Westbay lost many of his partnership within the next year. Which almost caused 5% of the profit in the company to crumbled like a lego hills crushed by tree. Many people told my grandparent to cut off the agreement with my parents company. And that he did. Breaking the knot between us and I started to do things on my own.

I was used to be getting ready for my school on my own, eating food that our family chef cooked for me on my own. Completely Isolating myself from the world. And that's when Martin's father Jack Gibbons came and putting me in a boarding school with his son I never heard about him before while he took care of everything for me.

All those years, I have never said or speak until its necessary. Martin is the one who helped me and understand me without having to tell him anything about it.

"Couldn't hurt getting into a party, right?" I smug some laughter and look out the window.

I could see our house standing in its glorious self behind the tall trees. I am a big boy now and I can't live in fear of losing myself from many predators out there lurking for my fall anymore. I need to do this for myself and only myself. I grew my father's empire stronger than it ever stood and I am taking everything what's ours from this moment on.

The car came to a halt and I took my backpack and went out to see my new home.

Since my family was taken away from me by this cruel monster, i don't need a family home to begin my life. So, i took down the house and built it with something that suits me. Free and spacious, built with a state of the art security system, escape room for myself, a completely bulletproof steel and glass structure that only the person I trust could be in here. It took 5 years to built this house and now I can live here for the rest of my life.

"Sir, everything is ready in here. Would you like to see what's inside?" I looked at my driver smiling at me.

I nod my head and step inside my one and only home. Everything feels new and that's something I'd like to work with.

My phone starts to ring as I made my way to the kitchen.

"Finally! Hey, man. Where the hell are you?" Martin yelled as I chuckled.

"I'm home." I replied.

"Yes you are! I'm throwing a party just for you. Better be here at 7, tonight. There's a lot of chicks in this town!" He said and I can't help but smile at that. All this time, Martin tried to put thoughts in my head that I could never think about. One of them was girls. There's only one person I wished to see again, but that would be a tough act to follow considering she might have completely forgot about me.

My mind and my heart is fixated on only one thing. To find the murderer and bring justice to my family. So far I have not yet met the person I wanna find but, i think he is closer than ever.

"A'right, man. I gotta settle in here first and I'll be there without fail." I mumbles and continues to hang up the phone.

I looked at the family portrait that I hang up in the middle of the living room and whispered, "I'm home, guys!" I smiled as I went up to my room.

I am fucking home.