The Sound of Silence 2 // H.S.

29

"For fuck's sake, Lucy! You could've told me! I would've taken you with me! You could've stayed with Uncle James or Aunt Ruth!"

"I felt like I deserved it...like I failed...like I was..."

"Guilty even though you did nothing wrong." I finished her thought, watching her nod slowly. "Our parents took everything out on us."

I remind myself that they, too, are broken. I can't blame them and I refuse to stop blaming myself for everything. It's time that I set myself free from the past. My future is bright with green eyes staring back at me.

I held onto the desk. My clammy skin, abdominal pain, and dizziness must be from stress. My personal life and career has me under a lot of pressure right now.

"You look ill, maybe you should sit down?" Lucy suggests.

"No, tell me what you conspired with Jeff about."

When she started to speak it was as if I was in a tunnel. Her words echoed off the walls, repeating back at me and taunting me. Jeff followed and watched me. He took pictures and videos of me changing and having sex throughout the years. He watched the interactions between Harry and I. He befriended him and became his manager. His pursuit had switched to Harry and he knew could still destroy me that way. He grew obsessed with my boyfriend like he had actual dominion over him.

Lucy knew this was happening. She was a conspirator. She gave him permission.

My sister is a fucking sociopath.

My breaths were getting shallow, my vision spotty.

"And Jude?"

"Jude was suspicious. Gemma was onto him, but he was just drilling people for the truth. He left me."

Tears slip from my eyes. There was one shred of light on this. Jude had my back after all. My boys always did. We hardly spoke anymore, but our bond would always be there.

"And the twins?"

"He's trying to get full custody." Lucy sobs. "I didn't mean for this all to happen. I just wanted you to get knocked off your pedestal! You don't deserve this life!"

"I do, though." I stood as tall as my 5'2" frame would allow. "I worked my ass off to get where I am. I left school because I deserved better. I left home because I deserved to feel safe and loved. What I don't deserve is my bitter older sister trying to destroy everything I've built, ON MY OWN! You sit there and cry. I know you're not sorry, you're just sad you got caught." I clutched my stomach.

She never said sorry. Not once.

"I've never spoken ill of you. I've loved you my whole life. I looked up to you because you were the perfect one. I was punished enough already and for you to loathe me after all this time...it's fucking heartbreaking!" I wipe the sweat from my brow. The pain gets worse and I hutch over, feeling something ooze down my legs.

"Nikki! You're bleeding!" Lucy gasps.

I reach down, feeling the blood on my fingers. This wasn't normal. It was heavy and clotting.

"Family isn't always blood." I say with strong conviction.

That was the last thing I remember before everything went black.

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There was so much muffled noise that never seemed to end. The only thing that was clear to me as the sun on a winter day was Harry's desperate voice to never leave him and to listen to his voice. I wanted to hold him and tell him I was here somewhere in the dark.