Faded Memories

Chapter 27

I rang the school once, twice, three times. No answer. It was as if they had purposefully switched off their phones, knowing that I was desperate to contact them and laughing behind their screens at my attempts. 

My heart was pounding as Noah sped through the streets, Leo's school not being too far away from our own. If Ryan had taken him, I would murder him with my bare hands. He cannot bring another family into this, a completely innocent family who have no place in our business.

This is my fight. I would not let people that I had barely known a few months be harmed.

The anger in my blood began to boil, my head feeling as though it was about to explode from all of the horrible thoughts that were racing around. Noah pulled into the school and I was out of the car before he had even finished moving, my mind subconsciously leading me to the front door of the school despite having few memories of it.

Being a school for mainly children, the front entrance opened immediately into an office instead of a hallway like the school I had just come from. Safety first, I suppose, but in this instance I needed to find Leo. He was my priority, not some receptionist that was currently asking me for proof that I was meant to be the one picking him up today and not his family. Which I never even thought about, and I definitely couldn't prove it.

Luckily though, Carter came rushing through the door a few seconds later, looking as if he had just ran a marathon.

"What is it? What's happened? Where's Leo?" He pleaded, rushing over to me and looking between myself and the receptionist. As if understanding, Carter immediately turned to the receptionist. "Liz, I need to see my brother - if that's okay. Immediately, it's important."

I watched as this so-called Liz rushed off down the corridor, leaving the three of us pacing in the reception area. Neither Noah or myself had told Carter the reason that we needed to see Leo so desperately, to check that he was here and not in the hands of Ryan, because why worry somebody even more before you know that it's confirmed? My eyes began welling with tears as Liz took longer than I felt like she needed to be, but I would not let the tears fall. Carter did not need to know that I was this worried.

"Please, Amelia. Tell me what's happened. If it's about Ryan I deserve to know, Leo is my brother after all." He pressed, turning to me as Liz was still not back. I remained silent for a few moments, pondering whether it was worth telling him now or whether it would be better for Liz to break it to him. That wouldn't be fair though, not on Carter or Liz. I toyed with the idea for a few moments before taking a seat on the armchair in the waiting area, deciding I couldn't face him stood up.

"I think that Ryan has taken-"

"Excuse the dirt on his clothes, we didn't realise how muddy the fields were until a few moments after they all ran onto them! Have a good weekend, Leo! See you Monday!" Liz beamed, before tapping Leo on the back as he headed towards us. I felt like crying with relief. He was here. He was fine. He looked fine.

I barely even let Carter realise that Leo had come into the room before I had my arms wrapped around his little body and squeezed him so tight, as part of me thought that I had officially lost him - like I almost did with Jamie all them years ago. I was not doing that to him, so even as Leo told me he couldn't breathe I still held on, not feeling as though this moment was real enough for me yet.

"Why have you picked me up early?" Leo questioned Carter as we headed out to the car, a tear escaping my eye as I realised that I had completely given into Ryan. I guarantee he was watching my every move, watching me as I completely crumbled under the pressure and showed him just how much Leo means to me. I may have just compromised him even more than before.