Sealed Lips ✔️

Chapter 26

Bethany:

"Briley, how can you say that?" I ask her. What did she do?

"I'm the reason for her suicide Beth," she says and looks lifeless in the eyes. I hug her tightly and tell her that it's okay.

I whisper to her, "If you also got a suicide letter from her, it's fake. Jake and I both got one."

"What? Bethany Andrews, you come inside with me right now. I'm beyond disappointed that you didn't even have the dignity to tell me about this," my mom says very angrily. She pulls me inside by the arm and Briley follows.

"What's going on?" Briley says with a shaky voice.

"I had to find out from the PIs that you were being stalked, threatened, and hurt by some psycho man. I felt so helpless Bethany. I could've lost you too. And now you tell your sister that you got a suicide note?" she says loudly with tears in her eyes. We shut the front door and we walk to the kitchen.

"Are the both of you involved with Lily's death?" she asks looking very stressed out.

"No Mom. Jake and I got the exact same suicide note from Lily. The only difference was our names. It's another setup from Fice," I assure her.

"Fice? Is that the name of that psycho maniac?" she asks.

"Yes, mom. And you really can't be mad that I didn't tell you. Jake and I wanted to, so badly. We couldn't because Fice kept bullying us from telling you. It was impossible. Trust me, Mom, if I could do anything to stop this madness, I would," I say and she gives me a small smile.

I understand how she must feel. She wants to protect her children because they're all that she has left. I am truly sorry for not telling her.

"Briley, so you also got a suicide note? How did you get it? Did Roger give it to you? Because you know it could be fake," Mom says tensely and Briley interrupts her.

"Just stop! Stop making up these theories. I did NOT get a letter from Lily or a suicide note or anything. Roger told me about Lily's suicide one day. Obviously I had a lot of time to think about it. It haunted me. I kept rethinking about things that I could've done to push her over the limit."

"B, it's not your fault," I say nicely.

"Yes, it is. You don't know what I did Beth."

"Then tell me. Since you've been keeping so many secrets from me anyway," I say too harshly. My emotions are killing me at the moment.

"When was I supposed to tell you? That time Roger kicked me to the ground and pinned me in the corner of the room? That time Roger wanted to undress me and when I wouldn't let him he shocked me? Or I know, that time when he fucking kissed me while handcuffing my hands to the bed?" she says furiously. She's not even crying which tells me that she is still keeping all of this inside of her.

It's truly heartbreaking, the terrors she endured. When we were younger, we could feel each other's pain. If she got hurt, I would cry, even without knowing the cause.

I had similar moments over the past two years, but I thought it was only my longing for her. I believed it was simply because I missed her. Clearly, there's more to it."

"I'm sorry," I say softly. I can't stop these guilty tears. I keep feeling like it's my fault that she was held captive all these years.

She hugs me and says, "I shouldn't have kept these things from you. I just didn't want you to be disappointed in me Beth."

"You can't disappoint me, I have also made many mistakes. Nothing you say can make me love you any less," I say whilst hugging her still.

"I love you too. Well then, I think I have some explaining to do."

"I will make us some coffee," Mom says.

"Thanks Mom," we say together.

"So you remember how Max and I used to be close friends?" she says to me.

"Yes I do," I state.

"You remember how Lily and Max used to date two years ago?" she asks.

"Yes."

"So, um, this um, one um," she stutters.

"It's okay Briley, I won't judge," I say and Mom puts the coffee cups in front of us.

Briley:

"He pulled me into the storage room at school one day and he said that he needed to tell me something about Lily and that he needed help with their relationship. He told me to come closer because he wanted to whisper something. He then pulled me closer to him by putting his hands on my waist. He pulled me against him and I couldn't resist. Maybe I did like him back then, I don't know," I say.

"I knew it," Beth says and giggles.

"And so, we kissed. It got quite intense, but then I realized that Lily would literally kill me if she found out that he cheated on her with me. I told him that I had to go and he followed me. I walked into a classroom because I had left my bag in there. As I stepped into the room, Max grabbed my hand from behind and then we both saw the same scene in front of us as I stopped dead in my tracks."

Flashback:

"What the fuck," Max breathed behind me.

"What are you doing here? I'm having a private conversation with Mr. Crawford," Lily said all innocent.

She got off of the desk and Mr. Crawford awkwardly shifted away from her. They. Just. Freaking. Kissed.

"You're cheating on Max, with HIM," I shout.

"Keep your voice down, Andrews, or you will pay," Lily said with a bitchy smile.

"We're done," Max said to Lily and he then turned to me and said, "Briley over here just kissed me in the storage room and it was better than anything you could ever offer me, teacher kisser."

My heart nearly failed at that moment.

"That's when Max and I's friendship also went to pieces. Lily always blamed me for their breakup even though she made out with a damn teacher. She always said that Max was all she had. She was heartbroken. She made herself a promise to never stay with the same guy longer than a day. That's how you all got to know her as that type of girl. Marco told Roger that Jake put Lily in her place at school one day and I was happy. I thought that Lily would be able to be free again, but maybe that's the last thing she needed before she completely broke down."

I start crying so much and my mom and Bethany take me into a hug.

"Whatever you say, whatever you think, you did not kill Lily in any way. She was the one kissing a teacher. She pushed herself over the limit Briley," Beth assures me.

"Maybe, but I shouldn't have kissed Max," I say to my mom and Beth.

"Briley, you can't keep that against yourself forever. You have to let it go. Everyone makes mistakes, just ask me, no one is perfect. Maybe you should talk to Max at school. He probably feels worse," Beth says and she's right.

"Did you tell the principal about Mr. Crow?" my mom asks and I laugh a little. I also call him a Crow.

"No. I didn't know that it was illegal. Also, I thought I was just as guilty so I didn't say anything. Beth, I'm sorry that I let you down."

"No, you didn't. I understand why you didn't tell me, it's fine," she answers me.

My phone pings and I take it out of my bag.

"Briley, that reminds me, we need to get your phone working so that I can call you when I have to talk to you or pick you up or anything," Mom says and she frowns. "You don't have a number yet so how did you get a message? Or is it a game notification or that um instant picture..." Mom asks but I interrupt her.

"Yeah, maybe it's Instagram," I say. "No wait, I don't have an account yet."

"Just check please," Beth begs.

I read the text message aloud, "You'll never escape the game, signed Roger."