(3893 words)
Ryders pov:
I wasn't sure how many days had passed, but it felt like weeks. Every day felt long and empty. I could barely sleep. I couldn't even stomach my grandmother's cooking, and I love her food, everybody does.
Even school felt wrong. Teachers continued to give me sympathetic looks during class. I even tried paying attention to get her off my mind by taking notes like she did. I thought maybe when she came back she could catch up using my notes but it only reminded me of her. The way her writing was sometimes neat while other times she had to make it messy just to keep up with the teacher. Every time I thought about her I had to swallow this giant lump in my throat to keep myself from crying.
Word had spread like wildfire that Bella was officially reported missing. Most people stayed away from me not wanting to cause me to blow up. The truth was I felt like screaming. I felt like crying my heart out. God, I sound like a girl but I didn't care. I need her to be here, I need her to be safe, it's like doing anything without her felt pointless.
My grandma had tried to get me to talk about her, anything to do with her. I just couldn't, unless it was about her case. I didn't want to talk about her because every single time that stupid lump would form in my throat. I had broken down already in her arms before. I was able to pick myself up and keep living but the next time I did break down I don't think i would be able to get back up.
——
My Uncle, Detective Miller, and Detective Brown along with two police officers and the principal walk into the cafeteria.
The whole cafeteria had quieted down to low whispers as everyone watched what was going on, "Why are they here?" Bobby asked. I shrugged and stood up from the table to get a better look confused.
"Are you Molly Rose Bennett?" Detective Miller asked.
"Yes,"
"Can you please come with us?-"
"I'm a miner,"
"Your parents will be meeting us at the station," Detective Miller continued, "Along with your family lawyer,"
At this point, the whole cafeteria has gone completely quiet.
"What makes you think I'll go with you?" She snottily implied.
"It's either you comply and come with us willingly, or we drag you out of here in cuffs," Detective Brown stated holding up a pair of silver cuffs having enough of the girl already. I honestly didn't blame him she is a bitch.
"Do you know who my father is?" She asked as she stood up glaring at the Detectives. Detective Brown rolled his eyes at that comment but didn't seem at all bothered, "I can have you fired for this,"
"Little girl," my uncle said, "I'd like to see you try," they began leading her out of the cafeteria causing the whole place to erupt.
"Holy shit," Bobby exclaimed.
The principal had stopped anyone from leaving the cafeteria. She gave a short speech on some nonsense which I doubt anyone listened, seeing as I didn't. Plus everyone was to busy chatting about what had just occurred. I was just shocked and confused.
Why did they come in and take Molly away? Was she connected to Bella's kidnapped? I knew she was a bully, she always had been. Yet for her to go this far even seemed a little far-fetched. The girl worried more about her looks than anything else. That and she doesn't seem like she has the brains to do anything.
But I guess looks could be deceiving.
----
I glared at her through the one-way mirror of the interrogation room. Every fiber of my being was heating up in rage. My back was tense, arms crossed over my chest glaring daggers at the unsuspected teenager as if knives would shoot out of my eyes and kill her right on the spot. Man, I wish.
"Hello?" the girl spoke, "I've been here for hours," she sat in the middle of a white-painted room with a metal door that led in and out of the small box. She was sitting at a metal table facing the one-way mirror.
"Like I give a shit," I hissed under my breath. My uncle shot me a look, "Don't," I said running my hand threw my hair, "That fucking bitch has been after Bella for as long as I can remember. She even tried to break us up, so excuse me if I find her presence unwelcoming,"
My uncle sighed, "Just don't break anything," he opened the door, "I mean it," he said giving me a look and I nodded.
I watched through the glass as my uncle entered the room, and took a seat right across from her. If she noticed my uncle at all she didn't indicate that she had. She looked at each of her nails without a single care in the world.
"Miss. Bennett, do you know why you're here?" my uncle asked her.
"No," she sassed continuing to look at her nails. I gritted my teeth in anger at the obvious disrespect she had towards my uncle.
"You're here because we found you slipping something into Bella Russo's locker," he stated. He pulled out an iPad and played a video from the surveillance cameras at the school. It shows her walking down the hall, taking things out of her bag, and slipping them between the cracks in the locker. I had watched it earlier, it made me actually question why on earth the lockers even fucking had cracks in them to begin with.
She looked away from her nails and to the IPad, "That's not me," she stated looking at my uncle.
"That's not you? Really?" he asked, "You're going to play that card?" he pulled up a picture and showed it to her, "You posted this picture the same day this was recorded,"
He showed her the picture and then pulled up a picture of her in the video. The pictures were side by side showing that it was in fact her wearing the same outfit, "You're wearing the same outfit," my uncle pointed out.
"Okay and...."
I grew angrier,
"And we want to know what you know," my uncle said.
She scoffed, "I don't know anything,"
"Come on Miss. Bennett, we already have proof that you were the one who did it,"
"No, all you have is a video with someone you believe is me, slipping something in whosever locker that is," she told him smugly as if she won, "I think I'm done talking now,"
---
My uncle came back in looking annoyed.
"She won't talk, which isn't the problem we already have enough to charge her-"
"But we don't have any information on who gave it to her," I explained.
"We can find another way-" my uncle tried to reason with me.
"We don't have the time, Bella doesn't have the time we don't have anything if she doesn't talk," I said angrily. That's when it occurred to me. Molly had always wanted my attention. Maybe I could use that against her.
"Let me have a go with her," I said.
My uncle shook his head, "No, absolutely not"
"Come on,"
"There's no way I'm allowing the two of you to be alone in a room together," he stated.
"It's not like I'm going to kill her," I said my uncle gave me a look, "Yet," I mumbled, "Listen she's been up my ass since the beginning of high school, the only one that could make her crack is me. We don't even have to be alone, you could come in,"
My uncle looked hesitant, "What could we lose?" I said trying to persuade him.
My uncle thought about it for a few seconds before sighing, "What's your plan?" he asked.
"We're both not going to like it," I said, already feeling disgusted with myself.
—-
I followed my uncle into the room, she looked up from the table and smiled at me.
"Ryder baby, what are you doing here?" she asked.
Don't punch her, don't punch her, don't punch her.
"I came to get you out of here," I said walking over to her. My uncle closed the door and walked into the corner so that he could see her every move. I sat in the seat across from her.
Let's see how good of an actor I am.
I reached across the table and grabbed her hands. She smiled down at our conjoined hands.
My hands itch.
Her bright pink fake nails hurt my eyes.
I want to throw up.
"That doesn't matter, I can get you out of here, but before I can, I need you to tell me what you know," I said.
Her smile faded, "You're playing me," she said trying to take her hands out of mine. I tightened my hold on her hands and stood up kneeling in front of her, "No boo,"
I'm definitely going to throw up.
"I was only with Bella to make you jealous," I said telling her what she wanted to hear. My stomach clenched at the disgusting words, leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
She smiled at me, "Really?" she asked, blinking repeatedly.
The fucks wrong with her face?
"Yeah," fuck no, "I want you not her," I'm so having Bobby slap me.
She stared at me for a few seconds, as if she was trying to see if I was telling her the truth. She smiled and let out this squeaky giggle "I knew you were trying to make me jealous," she squealed.
My ears!!!!
I held back a wince I wanted so badly to let out, "Yeah, boo, but you need to tell the Detective any information you know. They won't let you leave unless you give them something," I explained.
She stared at me for a couple of seconds before nodding, she turned to my uncle, "A man came up to me with an envelope and asked that I put it in her locker,"
"You didn't ask him why?" my uncle asked her but she shook her head, "I didn't care to know,"
"Can you give me a description?"
She nodded and my uncle slid some papers across the table along with a pen.
"I need you to sign these papers," she didn't question him about what the papers even were, she just began printing her full name across each of them.
Once the last paper was signed, Detective Brown came into the room, "Molly Rose Bennett you are under arrest for being an accomplice to the kidnapping of Bella Russo,"
My uncle continued to read her rights as she glared hatefully at me. My uncle began leading her to the door when I stopped him.
"For your information," I said with a glare, "I would never, choose you over Bella. I would never like a skank like you,"
Tears filled her eyes but I didn't care. The only thing I saw was a desperate selfish bitch that harmed my Bella. There was no forgiveness or generosity from me. Not even sympathy. There was just simply pure hatred, and rage towards this girl.
"Get this bitch out of my site," I barked.
"If you think I'll cooperate now you're sadly mistaken," she glared tears falling down her face.
My uncle chuckled, "You signed the papers sweetheart you have no choice-"
"What do you think you are doing with my client?" a bald man wearing a blue suit rushed over to us slightly out of breath.
"Your late-"
"You weren't allowed to speak with my client without my presence, she is a miner,"
"Too late she already signed the papers,"
The lawyer rushed away red-faced and mumbling about making some calls.
My uncle escorted her out of the room and closed the door behind them. I was completely encased in rage. I couldn't hold it back anymore, I wanted to throw something, no I needed to throw something. Just as I grabbed a chair ready to throw it against the wall as hard as I could, the door opened.
"Ryder," I quickly placed down the chair and turned around to Detective Miller. I gave her a sheepish look before it was completely wiped off my face. She was giving me a soft expression, one that had my stomach dropping, and all the anger I had vanished in seconds.
"The boys are in the conference room," she said gently.
I frowned at her, "What's going on?" I asked confused.
"There's something that needs to be discussed," she explained shortly.
I nodded and followed her into the conference room. When I got there, Michael, Ace, Brian, Bobby, and Amelia were sitting in the chairs. I stepped in and she closed the doors behind her.
Michael had shot up the minute he saw me, "You didn't think to fucking call me?!" he asked angrily.
I glared at him, "I was fucking preoccupied, you-"
"Boys enough," Detective Miller cut me off. Michael glared at me as I took a seat next to Brian. "Bro, what's going on?" he asked as she placed a box on the table.
I shrugged, "I don't know,"
"Thank you everyone for coming. The reason why I called everyone here today, is because there is something that needs to be given out to each of you," she explained.
She took a deep breath and let it out, "The other day when we had played the 911 call, Bella had left a message-" my stomach dropped, and my heart began to race. I didn't like where this was going, "-that she had letters for each of you in case something like this happened,"
I shook my head, "It's only been a couple of days," I said my voice coming out vulnerable.
She gave me a soft reassuring smile, "I know, but I believe under these circumstances, it would be best to give them out," she opened the box and took out a stack of envelopes.
She handed each of us one. Each envelope looked thick and bulky. As she handed me my own, I hesitated to take it from her. I felt like this was just a confirmation that Bella wasn't going to come back, and that's something that I never wanted to face. My hand shook as I took it from her.
Everyone else had opened their letters yet I didn't even have the energy to open mine. I was overwhelmed with nerves. I wasn't ready to accept that she wasn't coming back, yet this is what it felt like. Like I was giving up, that she was gone.
In the back of my head, a little voice told me she would have wanted me to read it. I knew that for a fact. Why else did she write me in the first place? I slowly opened the envelope my hands shaking as I took out multiple pieces of paper. Her neat hand writing was displayed against the pages.
Dear Ryder,
I didn't think about writing everyone letters until I saw him at the grocery store. It brought back everything that had happened to me, and this newfound fear began building inside of me ever since. I knew then that it was only a matter of time before I was taken again.
There was so much I wanted to say to everyone, to you. So while you were sleeping or in the shower I would quickly write everyone letters. I thought that if maybe I didn't make it out this time, everyone would have a piece of me with them. It also means that If you are reading this, then I was sadly right. I was kidnapped again, taken by the same monsters that had held me for most of my life.
I know you well enough to know that you're beating yourself up because I was taken. That you're mad at yourself for not being there for me when I needed you the most. I need you to know not to blame yourself please. Don't do that to yourself, don't let it consume you. I know that you have promised time and time again that you would protect me, that no one would hurt me, and that I would never be taken again. But this was out of even your control.
When your uncle found me only a couple of years ago. I didn't think about the future because I knew I was going to be taken again, and I knew I wasn't going to be found. I didn't want to hope or dream. What would be the point if I was going to be stuck in a room for the rest of my life?
When you came into my life everything changed. I wanted a future, I wanted to hope, I wanted to dream. For the first time in my life, I felt light and happy. The weight of everything that happened to me vanished. The fear of being taken, of seeing him again, and the stress of having to continuously look over my shoulder. All of it was gone.
I can't thank you enough for what you have done for me. Because of you Ryder I have felt less fear. Because of you, I have wanted a future. Because of you, I was planning and having hope. I was dreaming.
You have made me feel the safest I have ever felt in my life. Yes, I had your uncle Leo but I've only ever felt completely safe in your presence. I didn't feel like I had to constantly look over my shoulder, that I had to be on guard.
So thank you. Really thank you. You have helped me so much and I'm so sorry that I never told you. I never told you how much I appreciate you. You have helped me both physically and mentally. With making sure I'm always eating, holding me when I have nightmares, to calming me down when I'm too panicked.
I never thought I would feel safe with a man after what had happened to me, but you changed that. You changed me, Ryder. You motivate me to be the best me I can be. You make me -
I jumped and looked up as a loud bang resonated throughout the room. Bobby had pushed his chair back making it slam into the wall. He stood shaking his head. He pointed at the letters on the table, "T-This is bullshit," he stuttered his eyes rimmed red and filled with unshed tears.
"B-Bobby," Amelia said standing up and grabbing onto his arm, trying to comfort him. The dried tear stains against her cheeks showed that she was crying before Bobby started his outburst. I watched as she rubbed the back of his head.
"No, you're giving up," he accused Detective Miller, "Why are you giving up?!" He yelled. his sadness turning to anger. He began pacing back and forth between Amelia and the wall.
"Why is everyone giving up?" the tears finally began to fall down his face, "She's still alive, why the fuck would you give us these?"
"And you," Bobby said looking at me, pointing his finger at me.
"Me?" I asked confused. What did his meltdown have to do with me?
"Why aren't you sad, I haven't seen you lash out once, I haven't seen you cry once," he accused, his eyes staring at me like I wasn't affected at all by this. Anger, sadness, regret, and more flashed through his eyes "What you happy she's gone? Happy that you don't have to deal with her anymore?" he began to get in my face causing Ace and Brian to jump in. They held him back, trying to keep us from having a physical fight.
"Bobby shut up bro," Ace said putting his body between the two of us.
"Bobby please," Amelia tried to reason with him but it was like he was too far gone to reason with.
"No, why aren't you saying anything? She is your girlfriend. Why the fuck am I the only one breaking?" Bobby yelled.
"Breaking?! Do you think you're the only one? I've been breaking every single fucking minute she isn't with me but I can't break down, I can't," my eyes began to blur, "I won't be able to get back up once I fucking let everything out,"
I rubbed furiously at my eyes, my fathers words echoing through my head, I'm not fucking weak, "What? Show I'm fucking weak, cry myself to sleep every night like I want to, no," I shook my head, "I won't fucking break down, she's not dead she's still alive, she's just missing,"
"And don't yell at her," I seethed, remembering those times she was there for Bella, "She is doing what she thinks is fucking right,"
My anger from earlier began to bubble back up again, I shot out of my chair, "You think I wanna fucking get up every morning without her, you think I wanna move on with my fucking life like she wants me to?"
"Ryder-" Brian tried to calm me but I was on a roll, I couldn't stop my mouth from talking.
"Living a life without her is useless, there's no fucking point anymore. But giving up isn't what she wants from me." I ran my hand angrily through my hair. the trears that built up in my eyes finally fell.
"It hurts. It hurts to breathe," I hissed out my hand rubbing at my chest, "It hurts to even function let alone think about a life without her in it. God, I feel like I'm going through withdrawal,"
"She..." tears began falling down my face faster, "She is all I have when everything gets too much," my voice spoke dying out, as tears cascaded down my face. I didn't bother to wipe them away as I felt like everything was closing in on me. Silent sobs escaping me.
"What is going on?" my uncle asked as he entered the room. I turned away, and wiped my cheeks. I didn't want my uncle seeing me like this let alone everyone else. Shoving down everything I felt, except that empty feeling in my chest. Something that will remain with me until Bella was safe in my arms.
"Nothing," I cleared my throat as it came out scratchy, weak, "Nothing, just a disagreement," I said my voice strong, turning back to my uncle. His eyes softened once he looked at me. I knew he saw but he didn't comment on it.
"We had Molly talk to a sketch artist to get what the man gave her to put in Bella's locker,"
My uncle put a picture of the sketch on the table and I froze,
Brian looked at me and I looked at him, "His name is-"
"Edward," Michael stated, causing everyone to look at him. He was completely shocked by the drawn-out photo. Everyone was.
"Michael, you know this man?" Detective Miller asked.
"Yeah but that's impossible I mean...He taught us everything...He-"
"He owns the gym Bella went to," I glared at the photo, red-hot rage filling me to the brim. My anger wasn't directed at Molly no what Molly did was a small cut but Edward was like a stab wound to an already healing whole. All the anger I felt was directed at the prick that had gained Bella's trust.
Everyone better pray that I don't get to him first. Cause I don't think I'll be able to hold back from murdering that prick.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! Only two chapters left!!!
Till next time my beautiful readers!!!❤️