hey! so I decided to rewrite this chapter bc I didn't like how it was before! enjoy :)
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"Colby, when we get home we gotta go fast okay, I don't want to be in LA any second longer than I need to, I need to be with my sister."
"Got it," Colby replied as he tapped on his phone, "the Uber's on its way."
Within a few minutes the Uber pulled up and we hopped in.
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down, I had so much anxiety and I could barely breathe.
All I could think about was my dad, I know he has something to do with this.
Which is why I need to help them be safe.
They need to be far away from him.
I never even want Cora to have a doubt in her mind that she's not safe, because every day growing up, I wondered if I was safe from him.
And I never was.
***
You need help packing or anything?" Colby asked.
I shook my head before practically running up the stairs and to my room.
I got into my room and dragged my suitcase from out of my closet.
As fast as I could, I grabbed a few pairs of shorts and a few shirts. I threw other various necessities in there and zipped it closed.
I ran downstairs with my suitcase and waited for Colby.
After a few minutes, he still wasn't downstairs.
"Colby what the fuck hurry up!" I hollered up the stairs.
I heard him running down the stairs and he tripped over the last one.
I laughed as I hurried him out of the door to the Uber that was waiting for us
***
As we we're waiting to board the plane, I started to drown in my own thoughts.
What's going to happen when we get there?
How long will we be here?
Will this happen again?
What's going to happen once we leave?
Will my mom and Cora be safe?
Do I tell Colby?
Colby. He's honestly the sweetest thing and I can not thank him enough for coming with me.
I mean, never would I have been able to do this by myself.
Even if I don't want him to come with me, I couldn't do this alone.
But I'm still afraid.
Afraid of what's going to happen when everyone I know finds out about him.
Once he finds out about me.
"Hey Riley, our seats are 4b and 4c." Colby says to me.
"Okay, I call the window seat!"
He playfully rolled his eyes.
I need something to distract me from reality.
"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to JetBlue airlines. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 49B to Florida. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time. Thank you." I hear the flight attendant say before looking at Colby.
"You ready?" He asks me.
I nod.
"Let's do it."
Here we go.
***
After a 5 hour flight, we finally landed in Florida.
I stretched my legs out as Colt walked up next to me.
"Do we have to get a hotel? Or...?" Colby asked because he was about to order an Uber but we don't even know where we're going yet.
"Uh, ya, I uh- I know a hotel that we can stay at." I replied as I massaged my temples. I was starting to get a headache.
Colby nodded.
"It's the Marriott." I added.
He looked at me.
"Isn't that expensive?" He asked.
"Eh, it's-" I thought for a second,"it's fine, just order the Uber."
"Okay, what's the address?" He asked.
I told him the address and he ordered the Uber. We sat down in the benches outside of the airport and waited.
It was really early in the morning so there less people than usual at the airport. We were the only ones outside.
"Riley," Colby broke the silence.
"Hm." I replied and looked at him.
"I have a few questions, like, how long are we staying here? How much is the hotel? How-" I cut him off.
"Colby, I'm not sure how long we're staying here, a week at the most though, and don't worry about the hotel, because I'm paying for it."
"A-are you sure?" He asked.
"That I'm gonna pay for the hotel? Yes."
"Okay." He replied and went back to scrolling on his phone.
"How much longer until the Uber gets here?" I asked.
"45 minutes."
I groaned.
"Okay, I have to go the bathroom." I said as I stood up. "Watch my stuff."
"No, I'm gonna let someone come and steal it." Colby said then made a dumb face at the end."
I playfully rolled my eyes at him as I turned back around and walked inside and to the bathroom.
I looked at myself in the mirror and took a few deep breaths.
I didn't have to go to the bathroom, I just had to mentally prepare myself for these couple next days.
I stared at myself in there mirror.
Riley, you are alright.
You'll do fine.
Everything will go smoothly.
You will be alright.
I took a couple more breaths before I walked back outside and sat down on the bench next to Colby.
"The Uber will be here like any minute." Colby said as I sat down.
I nodded in response.
And as Colby said, the Uber pulled up a few minutes later.
We got into the Uber and he started driving.
Colby and him made casual conversation as I stared out of the window the whole time.
Then Colby placed his hand in my arm.
I turned my head to look at him.
"Can I ask you something?"
I nodded.
"What's the family emergency about?"
I thought about it for a second, thinking about what I could say.
"My sister uh- she fell of the monkey bars and broke her leg."
He looked confused.
"We flew all the way to Florida just for a broken leg?" He asked.
I'm not 100% sure if he meant it like that, but it really hurt me.
I backed up in my seat a little.
His face softened.
"No, Riley, I didn't mean it like that." He tried to say, but I stopped him.
"No, I get it, a broken leg isn't something to fly across the country for. Well, for you it isn't, to me it is. If you know anything about me, any fucking thing, you would know how much my sister means to me." I was starting to get angry. "And maybe if you even cared to learn anything about me, you would know that I would do anything for my sister. Colby, you don't know anything about me, I don't even know why you came with me, I don't even want you here. I wanted Sam, because he knows about me, he knows my life and who I am as a person. So, sorry you flew all the way out here just to be disappointed by me."
His face went blank.
The car went silent again.
A wave of anxiety washed over me as I pulled my knees up to my chest and stared out of the car window for the rest of the ride.
I know I shouldn't have snapped at Colby, but I did.
A few minutes passed, then I heard,"here."
I looked up and we were outside the hotel.
"Thanks for the ride." Colby said bluntly as we both got out of the car.
I slammed the car door and grabbed my suitcase from the trunk. I started to walk into the hotel, leaving Colby behind when he ran up to me and grabbed my arm.
"What the hell Riley." He threw his hands up in frustration.
I just stared at the ground.
"Sorry I'm not Sam. Sorry I don't know you like he does. Sorry you don't have the sam connection with me as you do with Sam. I don't know if you're just blind to this, but I am trying to build a relationship with you like that! I wanted to come out here with you Riley. I wanted to be there for you! And I guess ow as just expecting something a little worse than a broken leg. But I didn't mean for what I said to be rude at all! Honestly, you've been acting so different lately."
I looked up at him.
"I'm sorry." I mumbled.
He looked at me with soft eyes.
"Riley, it's fine," he came close to me and pulled me into a hug,"I know you're just worried about your sister and anxious and-"
I cut him off.
"Colby, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'm just, as you said, worried and anxious and," I started to tear up,"I don't even know."
He rubbed my back as I cried a little.
"It's okay." He mumbled as I released from the hug.
I slightly smiled at him and wiped my single tear.
I lied.
I lied to him.
Well, I slightly lied.
I was very worried and very anxious.
First of all, my sister got hit with a fucking car.
And they didn't just want to hit her, they wanted to kill her.
My dad is a terrible man, who owes a lot of people a lot of things.
A while ago, he made a bet of some sort, no one really knows what happened.
But it resulted in the mystery man hunting down my family.
But since my dad doesn't give a shit about us, he doesn't try to protect us, or even try to fix what he did.
He'd rather let us literally die.
So yeah, I guess you could say I'm a little worried for my sister.
Also, the whole hotel ordeal.
Let me explain.
My dad permanently owns a room at this hotel.
That's why I chose here, and why Colby doesn't have to pay.
This room has a lot of history and brings back a lot of memories.
Back before my parents divorced, no one knew that he owned this room.
Until I found out one day because I was snooping in his things.
I found out that when he went on "work trips" he actually went to this room and had sex with prostitutes.
And that's not it.
After the divorce, they had joint custody over me.
So for 4 years, on the weekends I had to stay with my dad and his new family. His wife was a slut that he accidentally got pregnant. She also had 2 kids, a girl that was my age, and a boy that was a year or two older than me.
I either went to his house, which was my old house, or to this fucking hotel room.
He never found out that I knew what he did in this room, but every time I stayed here, I had to sleep on the floor, knowing that 3 feet next to me was where my dad cheated on my mom.
Whenever I stayed with them, they did terrible things to me.
Things that I blocked out because it caused me so much trauma.
But that's a story for a different time.
Colby and I started walking inside the hotel.
It's exactly the same as how I remember it.
"Hi! Welcome to the Marriott, are you checking in?" The receptionist asks.
"Hi, actually no, we kinda came here on a short notice and--" Colby was saying before I cut him off.
"Actually were checking into room 901."
The lady started typing.
"Jeff Margo..." she read the screen then looked back up at me. Realization appeared on her face then she smiled. "You're Riley!"
I nodded awkwardly.
"I remember you! You used to come in here with Jeff and Kandi and Dylan and Amber and baby Lexa." She said.
Kandi was his stripper wife, Dylan and Amber were her kids and Lexa was the reason why they got married.
Wait, the receptionist actually does look familiar.
I just smiled.
"Well here are your room keys." She handed us 2 room keys.
"Thank you." I said, then we started walking over to the elevator.
***
"Woah this place is beautiful." Colby said as we walked into the room.
I just nodded.
The room itself was actually really nice, it was giant, had an actual kitchen, a bar, a master bedroom, a master bathroom, it was practically a tiny house.
"And look at the view!" Colby said as he walked over to the window.
The sun was just starting to rise so it was really pretty outside.
"Yeah." I mumbled.
"Is something wrong Riley, you've been acting weird this whole time. And also, who's Jeff? And those other people that that girl said?" Colby asked as he sat on the bed.
"Sorry, I'm just tired." I lied.
I'm not tired at all and that's not why I've been acting weird.
"And Jeff is my dad and those people were my old friends. He owns this room so that's why we don't have to pay." I half-lied.
"Ohhhhhhh." Colby replied.
"Also, you can have the bed, I'll sleep on the couch." I said as I walked over to the couch in the corner of the room.
"Riley no. You take the bed." He replied.
"Yeah no, not happening."
"And why is that?"
I couldn't tell him it was because I didn't want to lay on the same bed that all those things happened on.
"Because I dragged you all the way out to Florida, the least I could do is give you the bed." I lied.
"Riley you didn't drag me out here, I volunteered."
"But still, you're sleeping on the bed."
"I'm taking the couch." Colby replied, walking over to the couch and sitting down in it.
"No Colby."
"Yes Riley."
"No."
"Yes."
"No you're not."
"Yes I am."
"No!"
"Tell you what, why don't we both sleep in the bed, so you will be happy." He suggested.
"I'll be happy when I sleep on the couch." I crossed my arms.
"But I won't."
I stayed quiet.
I looked up to see Colby giving me a look.
I sighed. "Fine. We'll sleep together."
He smiled.
"Finally! But we really should get some sleep considering that it's 5 a.m." Colby sat down on the bed."What time do we have to be there by?"
I shook my head.
"Colby, sorry to say, but you're not going with me."
He stopped unpacking. "Why?"
I didn't want anyone from my high school to see him. God knows what they would do if they saw us.
I also didn't want see my mom and Cora because I want to keep them separate. I don't want Colby to meet them and then judge me. I just don't want to mix the two.
"Well, for personal reasons I guess. I mean I don't want to put you in that situation and--"
"Riles, is this about your high school people?" He asked.
He already knows me so well.
"No, Colby it's not." He came and sat next to me on the bed.
"You sure?"
"Yep."
"Okay, but still I'm going with you."
I scoffed. "Not if I leave without you."
Wait, I can't fucking drive that's the one of the main reasons why I wanted someone to come.
"Shit." I mumbled.
"What?" He asked.
I could just get an Uber... but I don't have any money fuck me.
"Umm, actually I need you to come."
"So now look who's came crawling back to me." He joked.
"Don't blow your chances Brock."
***
"Hi I'm here for Cora Margo." I said to the receptionist at the hospital.
"Okay and what is your relation to her?" The lady asked.
"I'm her sister."
"And you sir?" She asked Colby.
"Oh I'm here with her." Colby said.
"I'm sorry sir but—"
"He's my boyfriend. Is it okay if he comes with me?"
She sighed. "Okay go right ahead. She's in room 267 on the second floor."
I nodded and smiled.
"Thank you." I responded
"You too." She smiled.
Colby and I walked through the glass doors and into the hallway. We found the elevator and got in.
"So I'm your boyfriend now huh?"
"Shut up I panicked." I said quickly.
"Okay then." He shrugged.
I rolled my eyes and the elevator reached the second floor.
I read the numbers as I walked past them.
261
263
265
267
I took a deep breath before slowly turning the door knob. The door opened and I saw my mom sitting in a chair, nervously tapping her foot on the ground and I saw Cora laying in the bed, sleeping.
Her face lit up.
"Riley, baby." She said before standing up and giving me a hug. I hugged her back while on the verge of tears.
"I missed you Mommy." I mumbled.
"I missed you too sweetie." I pulled away looking at Colby.
"Mom, this is Colby. Sam's best friend from Kansas."
She nodded and smiled.
"Hi Mrs. Margo." Colby said.
"Please, call me Kathryn. It's so nice to meet you Colby." She responds.
I look over to see Cora laying in the hospital bed.
"Is she okay?" I asked.
"She'll be alright. So far she's recovering okay."
I instantly felt relieved and smiled.
I grabbed Colby's arm and slowly made my way over to Cora. I got to the side of the bed looking down at my sleeping sister.
I stayed quiet.
I just admired her face.
She looked tired.
Beaten down.
Like she's been through so much since I've been gone.
Seeing her hurts me.
It hurts me to think that she might be suffering as bad or worst than I was.
I told myself I wouldn't put her through that.
I promised.
But I've failed that promise so far.
I've realized that.
There has to be something I can do.
Something.
"She's beautiful Riley." Colby said and I looked at him smiling.
"She looks just like you." He added.
"Well that's how siblings work genius." I joked.
He chuckled.
I went back to looking at her before kissing her forehead.
I need to get her out of here.