Sunflower fields & The Bad Boy

Mr. Sullivan

~ CHAPTER 14 ~

The boys looked at me expectantly, Thomas resting his arm on the back of my chair.

I cleared my throat, "No reason." Dodging Elijah's accusing gaze.

Thankfully Ashton diverted the topic from me, and back onto Chief Detective Johnson. "Why is he back?"

"Thought we got rid of him for good." Blake added in distaste. My eyebrows rose, what did they mean got rid of him. But I didn't look up.

"Well, we should do it properly this time." Was Ashton's response. My eyes flickered between the boys, watching as Matthew pulled out a laptop from thin air.

My breath hitched at the thought of what they meant by 'properly.' Then I opened my fat mouth with-out filtering my words, "Why did you kill him."

Elijah was the one with the most reaction, his chair slid back as he stood from his seat and he leant across the table. His anger rolled of him in wave, for once he couldn't hide it. I flinched back from him slightly but held my ground.

"You really want to know?" He snarled. Before I had the chance to tell him an answer he'd began again, "He was smuggling drugs and money into my town." I reeled back not expecting his tone and dramatics. I stood up, my own chair skidding backwards.

"Well there is no need to act like a hero. At the end of the day, you murdered someone." I threw back at him. The rest of the boys stood as well in anticipation. The chairs making screeching sounds along the timber floors.

He laughed. He laughed at me, but it wasn't a cheery laugh like Ashton's. it was dark and held a sinister promise.

"Well I know what you did, Amelia."

All of a sudden I couldn't breathe. It was an accident. The boys had purposely gone out and done the damage. How could I have known. I felt my eyes well with unshed tears.

I stormed around the table flinging open the flyscreen door and let it slam after me. I almost ran in a random direction. I looked back towards the house to see the boys watching me from the porch, they must have followed me out. My tears were free falling now, to the point where I almost couldn't see through them. Would they tell Rosa and kick me out?

I'd have no where to go.

My legs led me to the river we had swam in only days before. The pier invited me to sit and I dangled my feet over its edge. My heart was thumping faster than a terrified rabbit. How could he have known when those records were sealed. I don't want to be tied to what happened, it was horrible. I pulled my phone from my pocket, pulling the sim card out and throwing it into the stream. Wiping away the remnants of my old life. I deserve a second chance at life without one mistake haunting me.

Day quickly became night. It wasn't till the last stream of orange left the evening sky did I head back to the house. Walking into the dining room, the boys, Rosa and Mia were sat about to start dinner.

I smiled apologetically at Rosa, picking up my plate and cutlery and returning them to their designated draws. I walked past the dinner table, straight to the bathroom. Taking in my bloodshot eyes and tired face, I splashed a little water before heading into my bedroom. I'd had enough for one day. I fell asleep quickly but now it was my own minds turn to haunt me.

I was back there. Driving the old Subaru, with Lyla in the passenger seat, I shouldn't have been driving but she couldn't. She stared numbly at the windscreen tears pouring like buckets down her cheeks and neck. I couldn't say anything; I didn't know what to say. I wanted to pull the car over, at least that would be what I would do if I ever had a second chance at this moment. I had drunk too many tonight to be behind a wheel even if I did have a licence. The speedometer rose and it wasn't long before I was doing triple the speed limit. I was scared and in a panic. I didn't know where to go, only that I needed to get away. Then I rounded the corner, going too fast for even a skilled driver. I saw him too late. Thirty-three-year-old, Michael Sullivan stepped out on the road at a blind corner. The world passed in a blur of slow motion. The hiss of the tyres over the smooth tarmac was lost in the panic as Lyla placed her hands on the dashboard. I slammed on the breaks. The squealing tyres brought the man's attention to us. He was a dear caught in my head lights. His body hit the hood of the car and I screamed. I almost heard every one of his bones and organs crush.

My own lungs contracted with such force that I was afraid they would fold into themselves. His head smashed up against the windshield. The cascading sound of crushing glass mixed with our screams. The shattered glass sprinkled around us so slowly that I watched each little shard of the thousand broken pieces of glass, glint like shiny diamonds. It was almost memorizing as it rained over me. Then came the blood. And the screams, the loud constant scream. It was happening all over again. I can't escape it. My screams loud and horrified.

It wasn't till I felt two hand grab my arms did my eyes fly open to meet sharp green ones and the scream died in my throat.