I woke up physically drained.
I felt like hell, and I felt so much worse when I remembered why. I remembered our fight...
I picked up my cell phone and called a familiar number.
"Hello?" My mothers voice answered.
"Hey mom, it's me." I said in a false happy voice.
"Hey baby, what's wrong?" She asked.
"I feel sick and ... I miss you. I miss you so much." My voice got thick and tears welled in my eyes.
"Aw, baby I miss you too. You're my little girl." She said.
"Ryan dumped me, I think." I said starting to cry hard.
"You think?" My mom didn't try to hide her confusion.
"Well, I don't know what we are right now but he told me he doesn't want me to leave him, but then he left my cabin! I'm so confused mom, I thought girls were the confusing ones!?" I said sadly.
"Have you tried talking to him?"
"No........" I said, knowing that she'd just tell me to talk to him.
"Well, there's your first mistake. Talk to him!" She said.
"Mom, it's not that easy. He stormed out of here! He obviously didn't want to talk to me!" I huffed.
"He wanted something. Your attention maybe?" She suggested.
"Well, I don't know, but I don't appreciate him creating drama like this." I said, annoyed.
"Baby he obviously has something he wants to tell you! Maybe he just doesn't know how!" She said.
"Fine. I'll talk to him, Mom." I sighed.
"There you go. Now cheer up, you only have a week left!" She said.
"8 days, but who's counting..." I laughed.
"Don't count, have fun and make the most of it." My mom said.
"I will. Thank you so much mom I love you so much." I said.
"See you soon baby." She said before hanging up.
I walked right up to Ryans cabin door and knocked three times.
After waiting a few minutes I raised my hand to knock again- but pulled it back quickly when I head footsteps.The door swung open quickly and Ryan stood there looking as glorious as ever with his hair sticking up in all directions, and Lord help me he was in his boxers.
"Come in." He grumbled as he turned away from the door and plopped himself on the couch.
I went in, shutting the door behind me and sat on the couch with a decent amount of space between Ryan and myself.
"I love you." I said so quickly that I didn't even realize I said it out loud. I blushed and looked at my feet. Unable to meet Ryans gaze I payed too much attention to a loose string on my shirt.
"I love you too." He said in a low tone.
I looked up and into his eyes- they looked hurt. Why was Ryan so broken inside?
I inched a little closer to him and put my head on his chest. I didn't realize I was crying until ryan wiped away a tear from my eye.
I looked up at him and once again got lost in his hurt eyes.
"What's wrong?" He asked, his eyes showing concern.
"Do you really love me?" I asked.
"Yes... that's the problem." He said as he looked away.
My heart sank into my stomach. Why was loving me a problem?
"But, why?" I asked.
"Have I ever told you about my father?" Ryan asked.
"No?" I said questioningly.
"Well... when I was little I loved him, and hell Amber I trusted him with everything I had. My mother had passed away from cancer when I was around 9 and my sister Lanie was 17, and my father took it very harshly. Watching my mother slowly die killed all of us- especially my father, he was never the same. Generally he wasn't violent because my sister and I listened to him out of fear. But he became violent one night when my sister finally spoke out. That night had been etched into my mind, it was something I could never forget." Ryan trailed off.
***
"Hey Dad, Corey asked me out today. You know Corey? He was on Ryan's baseball team!" Lanie said giving dad a hopefull smile.
He raised an eyebrow at my sister, Lanie.
"Well anyways we're going to see 'The Plague'." She paused. "If that's okay with you?" She corrected herself.
"You want to go out?" My father said sitting in his Lay Z boy with the TV on in front of him.
"Well, yeah."She said looking a little discouraged.
"No." My father said before looking at the TV.
My sister stood there and she slowly closed her hands into fists by her sides.
"Why not?" She asked.
I was sitting on the couch and I knew it would only go wrong from here. When you questioned my dad, he got angry.
"Why?" He said in disbelief. "How can you even think about going out? It hasn't even been a year since your mother died and you're ready to go back out and go partying? Have some respect, Lanie. God." My father said looking at her with a disgusted face, his anger clear in his voice.
"Wh- Dad." Lanie looked defeated. When Dad mentioned mom she flinched- we both flinched.
"What?" He said sternly.
"Well I'm sorry that I wanted to have a night out! And I'm not going to a party I was going to see a movie!" She said standing up for herself, her hands still balled into fists.
Lanies face went a dark shade of red.
My father got up from his chair and stood a foot away from Lanie, towering down on her.
"Are you talking back to me? I said you're not to go out tonight!" He said, the anger now making his chest rise.
Lanie was a fighter and I knew she wasn't going to give up this battle- especially when dad was bringing mom into it. I felt fear in the pit of my stomach for Lanie, this was her first time standing up to dad without mom here.
"Why not! You know mom would want us to carry on and be happy dad, she wouldn't wish this life upon us!" Lanie said, her face only getting more red.
And that's when it happened. He slapped her.
Shock spread accross her face and tears welled up in her eyes. I wish I could've said something. Done something... anything.
"Mom's watching you! She saw that! And she would have never let you get away with that if she were still here! Hitting me and making my life miserable isn't going to bring her back dad!" Lanie screamed at him.
I had never felt so helpless in my life. I wanted to do something so bad but I was frozen with fear.
My dad full on punched Lanie this time, sending her flying back on her butt.
"Don't talk back to me." He said. "If you're going to play this game, your mother would never have allowed you to talk back to me like that." My dad said in a calm voice, even though his fists were shaking.
"Daddy." Lanie said crying on the floor. "I just wanted to go out." She cried.
"Don't call me daddy, and quit your whining. If you want to act like a baby I can treat you like a baby!" He shouted at Lanie.
"But dad- why are you doing this? Mom wouldn't want this daddy. Do you remember her at all dad?" My sister said wailing.
It broke my heart to see my sister cry like that... she was 17 years old! I looked around the room, feeling like I was going to vomit. Tears were running down my own cheeks.
"DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT HER. YOU DIDN'T KNOW HER LIKE I DID!" My dad screamed.
I slowly got up from the couch and hid behind the table, looking for the home phone. I knew this was about to get violent and I needed to find the home phone.
"SHE WAS MY MOTHER!" Lanie screamed back, she was rocking with tears.
My dad advanced towards her and grabbed her arm with such force that Lanie let out a yelp of pain. He dragged her upstairs by her arm muttering to himself 'I know what will shut you up'. I heard a bang that sounded like it came from his room and I heard my sister yelling for help before he yelled 'SHUT THE FUCK UP' and she was silenced. I didn't know what he did but all I could hear was muffled cries and the bed rattling against the floors. 'SHUT UP OR I'LL KILL YOU!' My father yelled again. The bed against the floor continued but my sisters crying got a lot quieter.
I raced around my house and finally found the phone. I quickly dialed 911, and it took forever for someone to pick up.
"911 emergency?" The operator said calmly.
"Hi, my dad he's-" I panted, I was so nervous and I had been running around my house looking for the phone.
"He's what? Is he in trouble?" The operator asked.
"No send police please right away! Please, my sister-" I started crying. My brain was so jumbled. "Hurry please he's going to kill us!" I said.
"Okay, where are you?" The operator asked.
I said my adress and I heard the bed stop rattling.
"Hurry I think he's coming, he's going to kill me!" I panicked and ran down to the basement.
"Okay, it's going to be okay the abulence is on their way, I need you to stay on the line with me please. What's your name?" The operator asked.
"Ryan Micheals!" I huffed out.
"Okay where is your sister now?"
"Upstairs, my dad was up there. I think he was hurting her." I said, crying. "SHHHHH he's coming!" I said into the phone.
I heard footsteps walking upstairs and my heart rate picked up even more- if that was even possible.
"Ryan, I'm just letting you know that the police should be there any minute. Tap on the phone if you can hear me." The operator said calmly.
I tapped on the phone.
"Alright, thank you. Tap on the phone once if you think the door is locked, twice if you think it's unlocked and three times if you don't know." They instructed.
I tapped three times. I could still hear my dads footsteps upstairs.
"You said your dad was upstairs, tap once if you're on the main floor or twice if you're in the basement. We want to get you out as safe as possible." They said.
I tapped twice.
Just then I heard the basement door open.
"-Or tap twice if your mom is home" The operator said. I barely caught the end of his sentence because the door had distracted me.
"Ryan you're not tapping. Tap once if you're not in trouble." The operator said.
I was hiding under an old table with boxes placed all around and infront of it to hide me in the far end of our cluttered basement.
My dad came down the stairs- dragging Lainie behine him. He dumped her on the floor and looked around, as if he knew i was down there. I didn't want the operator to talk and give me away- but the phone would beep if i hit the end button. I was frozen with fear. My dad continued to look around, but thankfully he turned and walked up the stairs.
"My sister." I barely whispered into the phone. My body shook and my eyes burned from not blinking.
My sister, Lainie was laying in the most awkward position on the floor. Her body was bent so oddly- wouldn't that hurt?
The realization hit me just as I heard the front door bust down.
"POLICE!" The Arizona Police shouted.
I cried into the phone and the operator stayed on the line.
"I didn't save my sister." I cried harder and harder.
"It's ok, Ryan. It's alright." The female operator said into the phone.
"I should've done something!" I cried.
"No Ryan, you helped her the best you could. You called us." The operator said.
"Oh God, first mom, now Lainie." I cried.
***
"After that night I was introduced to my foster home, here in Florida. My sister was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime and my father was put in jail for 25 to life for-" Ryan's voice got thick, "raping and killing my sister, Lanie." Ryan said looking me straight in my eyes.
"Ryan, I'm so-" Ryan cut me off.
"Sorry, I know. You're sorry. Everyone is. I lost my entire family in less than a year, Amber. I'm sorry I freaked out on you but I can't believe how close I'm getting to you. Dependant even. I just don't want to lose you because I know it sounds sappy but I lose everyone that I love." Ryan said with tears in his eyes.
I hugged him tight and rubbed circles in his back.
"Ryan I promise I will never leave you." I said to him.
Not knowing what to do, I tried to comfort Ryan.
"What was she like?" I asked him.
"Who?" He asked.
"Lainie." I said her name quietly.
"Well, she was the best coolest older sister ever. I looked up to her so much! She used to play with me and drive me places and take me to the part and buy me candy. Sometimes we would argue, but we always made up right away. It sounds very cliche, but she was seriously my best friend. She always loved being with our family. And she always talked about getting married and having kids. All she wanted to do was have a family of her own, and she was only 17! She got all of that taken away from her, Amber..." Ryan's voice trailed off.
"She sounds lovely, Ryan." I said smiling, still rubbing his back with my face in a crook between his head and shoulder.
"You would've loved her, and I know she would've loved you, Amber." He said his voice cracking again.
Usually I felt uncomfortable when boys cried, but I felt peaceful around Ryan. I liked knowing that I could make him feel better.
"So you like your foster parents?" I asked Ryan.
"Yeah, they're great people. They take good care of me." Ryan said sincerely.
"I can't wait to meet them!" I laughed.
"They can't wait to meet you either." Ryan laughed too.
"Really?" I said in disbelief.
"Yeah I've called them a few times and mentioned you. They say you sound nice." He said.
My heart warmed.
"That's so nice." I said staring into the distance.
-x-
When I was back in my own cabin, and sunshine had already done her check and Jennifer had already said goodnight to me I let my mind wander.
Ryan really was the real deal here... Something about him told me that we were going to be together for a long time.
Sleep crept through me yet my mind still wandered.
My mind made a mental picture of what Ryan's sister would have looked like. Like him, with chestnut brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. Her hair would be long though, and she would have thick black eyelashes around her eyes. Ryan's nose and mouth... The image of her I pictured was beautiful.
Lainie... such a beautiful name.
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OMG GUYS OMG.
I'm so sorry for this chapter :(
My heart was pumping while I wrote the part about their dad LOL. I had to stop and remind myself that I'm the author and I could have him killed off at any second so there was no point in being scared of him hahaha.
I like Amber and Ryan together :') Look at him coming out of his shell for her!
I just want to thank you guys so much for reading, and I got so many votes since I posted the last chapter so I just wanted to thank you all! Also, if anyone makes covers, this cover is a little lame haha. I'd definately consider using one that you guys would make :)
YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME I LOVE YOU ALL OK GOOD BYE OK BYE LOVE YOU OK
I'll update suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper soon if I get to 30 votes :D
Sorry I know bribery isn't nice but I'm a tad evil :)
have a nice day I love ALL OF YOU.