In This Life (Sequel to 'In Another Life')

28

TW// SAME AS LAST CHAPTER, THIS CONTAINS ABUSE, SU*CIDE, AND DEATH. IF THAT IS TRIGGERING FOR YOU, DO NOT READ THIS. Here's the rest of Denise's story. Enjoy

Only Amber did tell ... and the story spread like wildfire throughout our school. Even the teachers got wind of it, calling Denise into the counselor's office. Denise denied all of it, but they still called her parents, even when she begged them not too. "" She was scared to go home, wasn't she? "Colby asked quietly, still watching me intently with his blue gaze. I nodded, and bit my lower lip. "Yeah. She was terrified because she knew that her mom and dad didn't believe her, and would just say that she was lying and trying to hurt her father's friend. Sure enough, when she got home, her mom was livid. With no words at all, she marched Denise up to her room. She asked her did she know what she had done. She told her he might just kill them all this time. She wanted to know why Denise had to keep causing problems. Why did she have to be so disobedient, causing her father to discipline them all? Basically telling her that it was all her fault. She locked her in her room until her father got home and that's when the real trouble started. She heard her father's deep booming yells, the cracking sound of flesh against flesh as he slapped her mother, then his thundering footsteps as he climbed the stairs. She said she cowered in her bed, knees drawn up to her chest, just waiting for him to show up. "Now I was at another hard part of the story. I knew it wasn't my story to tell and I probably shouldn't But I needed Colby to know why Denise hated Amber and why she probably would never trust her. She had her reasons and they were valid. "Denise was out of school for a week after that day. Her father told the school that she was sick, but really she just had too many bruises that couldn't be covered up. By the end of that week, her little sister found their mom in a bathtub full of red water, blood pooling on the floor where her arm hung over the side. Their father became distracted and enraged, but ignored the two of them. The Department of Family and Children services came and go the two girls. They were placed with their grandma, and never saw their father again. He died two years later. So, yea. " I finished the story, but I felt empty now. I hated this story with a passion and I never wanted to think of my friend that way. So helpless and young, forced to deal with things that no one should. "Wow" Colby replied, shaking his head. "That's so .... just wow." I nodded. "Please don't tell anyone Colby. I just wanted you to know why she hates her. I shouldn't have, now that I think about it. I just did exactly what Amber did. I betrayed her trust. Oh my God, "I choked out, realizing what I had actually done. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I swear this stays in the vault. I'll never tell a soul. Not even Sam. I promise." He crossed an X over his chest, then held up two fingers together. I nodded, holding my hand out for him to help me up. Once he did, I settled into his side. "I can't lose her. I don't know what I was thinking. You're too easy to talk too sometimes," I complained. He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound echoing from his chest to my ear. "You know that I won't say anything. I would have never guessed that something that traumatic had happened to her though. She just...so strong." I nodded against his chest, and smiled a little thinking of my best friend. "She really is. She hides it very well, but it still comes back to haunt her sometimes. It's her business and if she doesn't want to talk about it, I'm not going to push her. I know that she's tried very hard to put it behind her." I sighed heavily, both physically and emotionally tired at this point. "So yeah, that's what Amber did. She told another girl, that she thought was her friend. Turns out, not so much. The kids were hateful, and harsh, bullies like they've always been to someone different. Amber tried to explain to Denise what happened, but she didn't want to hear it. It didn't matter because she had trusted Amber with something vital and she had betrayed her. I don't know if Denise will ever forgive her. It's already been like over 10 years." Colby tightened his arm around me, and kissed the top of my head. I closed my eyes, and just lay against him, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. It eventually lulled me to sleep. When I woke, I was in my bed. I rolled over and grabbed my phone, scrolling Instagram until I could fully wake up. On a whim, I decided to check out my long dead fanpage again. I smiled, scrolling through the photos and edits that I had posted, declaring my everlasting love for Colby Brock. The girl who had posted these would never believe the life that she was going live, the things that she would go through, only to end up living her fantasy world. I looked up when someone knocked on my door lightly. "Come in," I answered. Kenzie poked her head in, and grinned, before opening the door all the way, and walking inside. "Hey sleepyhead. We were wondering when you were going to wake up." I laughed, as she came to sit at the foot of the bed. "How long was I out?" I asked. "About 4 hours. You were dead to the world too. Like snoring so loudly, the neighbors could hear," she replied, a mischievous glint in her eyes. I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, I don't snore."