Shots Fired

Chapter 18

We pulled up in front of my house, the yellow police tape was still up surrounding it. I hesitated before I dragged myself out of the car and inside. I still had the key, I couldn't part with it, it's the only thing I have left of the house. The door creaked open and I slowly stepped inside, Sam following close behind. I could literally hear my heart break as i saw the stained red carpets. I walked upstairs going towards my bedroom. I haven't been to my room since that night, not even when I tried to come back last time. Everything was scattered across the floor from when I packed up what I could to go to Austin's. I sat on my bed and stared at the wall which was covered in pictures. I shot up and walked to the wall with tears of anger and sadness rushing down my face. I ripped the pictures off the wall. All because of this one cold hearted person I lost everything. My parents are gone and now my brother. The police never found who murdered my parents and soon it turned into a cold case and was forgotten about, but I will never forget it is permanently sketched into my brain replaying the images over and over again. The police might have given up but I haven't, I want the person who ruined everything to pay for what he did. The pictures fell to the ground and I hit the wall several times leaving bruises on my hands. Sam rushed over to me trying to get me to stop. "Sophia, look at me!" Sam demanded as he turned my body around. "He's a monster, he needs to pay for what he did! He can't get away with this!" I screamed. "He's a monster." I repeated until my words turned into a whisper. I pushed Sam away from me before he could say anything and I walked straight to Austin's room. "Sophia wait." I didn't stop. I pulled open the closet doors in Austin's room pulling out a bag. Sam stood in the door way as he watched me shove all of Austin's things into the bag. I walked past Sam straight into my parents room with the bag by my side. Everything was the way I last saw it, I shoved what was left of my moms jewelry into the bag. The watch me and austin gave my dad for Father's Day five years ago that he wore everyday since then sat on the dresser untouched. I picked up the watch and collapsed to the floor. Things weren't supposed to end up this way. I was supposed to get my high school diploma, go to college so I could be a photographer, my dad was supposed to walk me down the isle. Things were supposed to be better. I looked up at Sam to see him speechless as he witnessed the side that I was terrified of. I've been holding on to long, I wasn't going to let this take over me but I did the exact opposite and let it eat me alive. "I want to move on, but I can't when all I feel is pain." I messed with watch, tracing my finger along the design. Sam sat down next to me and held me in his arms letting me cry into his shirt. The silence was comforting when I was in his arms. I broke down and I let him see the worst side of me. The thing that scares me the most is getting close to him. I never opened up to people and let them see me the way he did, I never opened up because they all leave me and it's less pain for when they do. But something about him makes me want to spill my heart out to him and that terrifies me. "Come on, I'm taking you to my place. You need to sleep, I haven't seen you sleep that much in days nor have you eaten anything." Sam said as he lifted me out of his lap. I stood up looking at the bag before I walked away with only the watch in hand. We walked out of the house, taking another glance before I shut the door locking it behind me. "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to see me like that." I said as I got into the car. "You're only human, you will break down no matter how many times you say you're fine. You may get the people to believe you but you can't lie to yourself." "How." I said under my breath. "How what?" Sam asked. "How do you know exactly what to say?" "Because, I had a brother too."