It all started with a game

Chapter 23

I closed my eyes, trying to remember who my father really was. By the time I opened my eyes, he was gone.

I collapse to the ground, muffling my sobs. It's over. It's over. For now. We've moved a hundred times and yet he still managed to find us. He always found us. I forced myself to stop crying. I wouldn't keep crying, not because of him. He doesn't get to control me anymore.

My phone went off in my pocket again, probably a text from Ryder. I'd assumed they were all from Ryder, but I hadn't gotten the chance to answer.

"Beatrice!" Ryder called out my name, finally spotting me. He sprinted over, taking my face in his hands. "Are you okay?"?

I nodded, my voice barely audible. "I want to go home."

Ryder scanned my features, trying to figure out what was wrong. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "I just want to go home. Please, just take me home." I needed to see Klaus and Sonny. I needed to see them.

Ryder's eyes were frantic but he kept the rest of his face calm, for my sake. "Yeah, come on, I'll take you home."

He helped me stand, holding out his hand for me to take. I stared at it, crossing my arms over my body as I walked right past him and towards the car. I didn't speak the entire ride home, not until we were standing at my door way.

"Beatrice, are you sure you're okay?" Ryder asked again.

"I'm fine." I unlocked my door. What was the point of a lock if he could still get in anyway?

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

Yes. "No, it's fine. I'm just gonna hang out with Klaus and Sonny for a bit."

Ryder nodded, his eyes drooping. "Call me if you need anything, okay?" He leaned in, trying to kiss me goodnight like he always did.

I turned away before his lips could meet mine, wrapping my arms tightly around me, before walking inside and closing the door in Ryder's face. "Klaus!" I shouted. "Sonny!"

I desperately wandered through the house. "I really need to talk. Where are you?" I walked through the house, every light turned off. I squeezed my body tighter, trying to calm the shaking. "Guys, please!" They couldn't already be asleep, could they? It was late but the two of them always stay up late on Friday nights. I tried both of their rooms, each one vacant. "Klaus! Sonny!"

I made my way into the kitchen, still nothing. I pulled out my phone to call them, all my unread messages from the last hour popping up, mostly from Ryder asking where I was and one from Klaus.

Klaus: Sonny is staying with friends tonight so I went over to Mark's place. You're still staying the night with Ryder, right?

They're not home. They're not home. Neither of them are home. I screamed, the final straw snapping as I chucked my phone at the wall as hard as I possibly could, the screen shattering as I crumpled to the floor. I would not cry. I would not. But I didn't want to be home alone. I didn't want to be here.

After a good long time of staring vacantly at the floor, I crawled over to my phone, the screen so broken it was nearly impossible to use. It took me about a hundred tries to pull up Ryder's number and call him. He answered instantly. "Hello?"

"Are you home?"

"I'm at Mateo's house."

Great. "Oh, okay. I'm sorry I bothered you." I went to hang up.

"No wait!" Ryder frantically tried to stop me, knowing that I was about to hang up. "No ones home. It's just me. Mateo and his mom went to visit his grandpa a few minutes ago. He's in the hospital."