Shots Fired

Chapter 17

"Sophia." Sam said. I let go of his hand and walked out of the room. Once I left the room I ran. I ran out of the building and just kept running. "Sophia!" I heard Sam yell but I didn't turn around. I stopped at a gas station not far from the hospital. I paced back and forth, I wanted to scream. Everyone I love is gone, I have no family left, all I had left was him. I shouldn't have left everything the way I did. We only had each other. I leaned against the side of the building slowly falling to the ground. "I'm done." I said as I looked over to Sam who was sitting down next to me. "He was the only family I had left. I... I left him in the worst way possible. I should've stayed, I should've known." I stared at the cars that drove by. "How did you leave things, I'm sorry for asking but how did you guys leave each other?" I stared into Sam's questing eyes. "After a week when...the accident happened Austin came home from college for the holidays and he saw my parents...dead and after all the police reports and the interrogating news reporters he let me stay with him. He said we needed to stay with each other because all we have left is us, but after a week he became an alcoholic and wouldn't go to school. After he got kicked out of college he became someone I couldn't even recognize. When I left he said...he told me that our parents death was my fault...that I could've done something so this wouldn't happen and you know what I believe him. After the fight he told me to get out...he told me that I fucked everything up that everything that's bad has happened is my fault. Then I just left. I knew I should've stayed but I refused to, I kept telling myself that he did this to himself that none of this is my fault. I never got to say goodbye I just left." My voice shook as I spoke. "Look at me." Sam said as he positioned himself so he could face me. Sam tilted my head with his hands so I could see him. "This didn't happen because of you, you couldn't have done anything about it. From what you tell me your parents knew that something was about to happen and told you to hide. They wanted you to be safe, they wanted to know that nothing would happen to you because like every parent says they literally took their own life to make sure you were safe. You were strong to keep living your life even though you wanted to give up, Austin gave up he ended up like almost everyone would have. But that was his decision to live that way, you tried to help him but he didn't want anyone there for him. And with his...death you couldn't have done anything about it, don't blame any of this on yourself. Austin loved you, you were his sister and his only family. I know you guys ended things badly but you both know that you loved each other and even though the way that it ended wasn't the best then at least you know you didn't hate him and he didn't hate you." Sam said as if he rehearsed that a hundred times in front of a mirror. I stood up and waited for Sam to do the same. "I'm going back." I said. I stared into Sam's dark green eyes, and then at this moment once I stared into his sultry eyes I knew that I love him. "What?" Sam asked. "Thank you." I said. Sam wrapped his arm around me making my stomach tie in knots. We walked in silence until we got inside. "Hello." I said choking on my words. "Hello what can I do for you?" "I'm Austin Parks sister, I wanted to know how he committed...suicide." I stuttered. The receptionist went through a file cabinet until she came across his. "The reports say that he hung himself." The person said so easily like it was nothing. "Who found him?" I asked. "Hmm, it says that someone named Thomas Baker found him in the living room hanging from the ceiling fan, he was supposedly the friend." Thomas was one of Austin's best friends every since I could remember. "Okay." I said before I walked away. "I want to go home." I said to Sam. "Okay I'll take you, it's not a problem." "No, I want to go to my home." Sam stared at me before he answered "What's the address I'll take you there." Sam said as we got into his car.