Behind The Echoes

Chapter Seventeen

Bang

Bang

Bang

I wake up probably a second later than Scott did. The banging on the door wakes us up. Scott swings the blanket off of him and sadly me too, I grab it back and get comfortable again.

Scott opens the door and my body tenses up once I see who it is. I get the blanket off of me and walk up to him and slap Ryan across the face.

"I saw the pictures. I know you're my brother, I know everything!" I yell.

His expression changed while his hand is on the side of his face where I had slapped him.

"You think you know everything."

I put my hands on my hips waiting for his statement.

"Well, first of al-"

Before he can finish I slap him again. I have no idea why.

Ryan looks at me with a look that you can read 'Are you done yet?' But I just shake my head slowly.

"I am not your brother, Bethany. Your mother just took care of me because my mom died, she committed suicide too, my dad disappeared, I was the only child and I had no one, your mom, Jessica, found me. She took care of me, she fed me, she loved me like I was hers."

"Where was I during all of this?" I ask.

He looks down to his feet.

I look at Scott to see him confused as well as me. Scott takes my hand and squeezes it tight. I lean my back closer to him, he wraps his arms around my stomach and I fidget with his hands.

"Ryan, what are you not telling me?" I ask.

"Bethany" He trails off, "I don't know, but I found something." He digs in his pocket feeling all around for something until he finds it and pulls it out slowly. He hands me a piece of paper that is folded.

I look at it to see it all crumbled up, "What is this?"

He looks at the paper and motions his eyes to it signaling me to read it.

I open it up to find small black words that read "He made me do it, he made me do it, he made me do it, he made me do it...."

Scott looks down at the paper and reads it as well with the same scared mixed with confusion look. I look at Ryan, he's looking at me with sorrowful eyes.

"The cops gave me it saying it was from your mom, they said that there was another note ordering who ever read it to give it to me and no one else. But, I don't know why."

Why would she give this to Ryan? What does "He made me do it" mean?

"Wait, you said she ordered them to give this note to you, but the cops found finger prints proving it wasn't a suicide."

Scott looks at me confused, "What are you trying to say, Flower?"

I look at Ryan who is also waiting for me to explain, "You know when you're going to commit suicide, it's a plan, but you don't know when you're going to be murdered, but from what you said Ryan, it looks like she knew someone was going to kill her." I explain.

Ryan clears his throat, "But why wouldn't she tell anyone to prevent it happening?"

He made me do it

"Because someone told her not to." I realize.

Scott sighs, "That's what the note means."

I nod my head slowly.

Someone forced her not to tell anyone, but why? Why is someone angry with my mother? And who?

My breathing begins to quicken faster and my heart begins to beat faster. I do not understand why anyone would harm her.

"Why would the man make it look like a suicide? Why wouldn't he want to show off his "masterpiece" ? Most murderers at least show that it was a murder but for some reason this one made it look like a suicide, but why?" Scott asks.

"I agree with Scott." Ryan says.

I nod my head

All this information we just proved to ourselves makes me more and more angry.

Scott notices my expression and rubs my arm going up and down.

"Well, I should go, but I'll see you guys later." Ryan says while giving us a quick smile and letting himself out.

Scott looks at me, "You okay?"

Yes I'm perfectly fine, I just woke up and I found out so much information about my mother's death. I'm okay.

Instead of saying my true thoughts and feelings, I nod my head yes in response.

He takes a step forward and kisses my forehead, "I told you no to lie to me."

Before I could say anything my body feels to be lifted up in Scott's arms, he puts me on the couch with me still in his arms.

"We'll figure this out..together. You're never alone."

Then why do I feel alone?