in threes
Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Lottie’s POV

Do you wanna listen to it on your own or 1 can listen to it for you and tell you what she says?Whatever you are comfortable with.” Anna whispers again, as I nod slowly to acknowledge whatshe was saying.

‘I… can do it.” I tell her, as she nods and clicks away on her phone to replace the message.

“I’ll be back down in five. I tell her, taking the phone, as I stand from the chair and exit the kitchen –feeling Alex‘ hot gaze on me as I leave.

What could my Mother possibly want from me now…

I trudge back up the steps, my heart hammering and my feet feeling heavy, as I approach mybedroom door.

I enter and lock it behind me for privacy, before slumping down with my back against it staring at thephone in my hand with the play button facing me.

I wait a couple of moments, before sighing and pressing the button-

“Hi Charlotte, this is officer Owens and I am trying to reach you on this number regarding yourwhereabouts? Please don’t panic love, you aren’t in any trouble! We just need to have clarificationof where you are and who you are staying with because the school have raised some concernsabout your attendance and your Mom can’t seem to give us an address… if you could give us a callback that would be great our number is…”

My thoughts cloud, as the female officer recites the number for me to call her back on, as my skingrows hotter and my breathing gets quicker.

“F**k!” I grit out frustratedly, as I hug my knees and burry my face between them, feeling my eyesgrow heavy.

I don’t know if I would have preferred to receive a snappy phone call from my Mom over getting acall from the damn cops!

What if they tell me I need to move back home? I can’t possibly tell them where I am! But what ifthey send a search party out across the country just to replace me? Maybe this has something to dowith those three horrors… I wouldn’t put it past them if they have been reporting me missing andshit just to replace out where I am!

My palms grow sweaty as I push the hair back from my face and hit the back of my head againstthe door in annoyance.

What the f**k do I do now?

The tears start building, as I feel weak and defenceless yet again. I’m sick of living in this horrorstory!

I sniffle loudly, before releasing a sob.

What will I do about this? I can’t just avoid the police! What if they know about what I did? What ifthey are tricking me just so they can replace me and lock me up?

“Open the door Lottie!” I hear a heavy knock, as I jump slightly – having not heard the individualapproaching the room to begin with.

Alex…

“Open or I’ll break in you know the drill by now…” He attempts to joke, but I know he means thestatement nonetheless.

He will in fact attempt to break in here… I know he will…

I wipe my face furiously, completely fed up with the crying since that’s all I seem to resort to whenlife gets hard.

“Don’t make me count doll… His voice comes again, as I sigh and click back the small bedroomdoor lock.

He wastes no time after hearing the noise, before pushing his way into my space again. He stepsin, takes one look at me, me into his arms.

before pulling

1 instinctively tense up, shocked that he moved so quickly this time, before his large hand replaces myback and begins to rub circles of comfort.

“What happened? Is it still about yesterday? I said I was sorry, don’t make me say it again!” Hequestions gruffly, probably wandering why Anna and I were whispering downstairs before I left…

“No…” I choke out, as he seems to squeeze me tighter in his arms.

He’s so confusing!

“Then what is it? Why did you leave with Anna’s phone and now I come up and replace you like this?”He pulls back, keeping a hold of my shoulders as he studies my red puffy face in concern.

“N–Nothing.” I cry out, my head falling forward as 1 break down more at the thought of the policetaking me home again.

They can’t… I can’t go back there… they will kill me…

I fall to my knees, as Alex attempts to catch me and keep me up

however we both end up on the floor in a heap.

“Tell me whats happened so I can help you?” He encourages as he shakes my shoulder, causingme to bury my face in my hands in shame of him seeing me have yet another meltdown.

“I c–can’t… you’ll hate me… you all will!” I cry out, before I hear the bedroom door open again,causing me to curl up more.

I’m just causing them total grief… they don’t deserve to deal with somebody as broken as me!

“Lottie what happened? It’s ok just let me help you!” Anna’s voice fills the room, as she closes thedoor and seems to join myself and Alex on the floor.

“Y–You can’t! They are coming to get me!” I state in a panic, hoping that Anna would understand atleast some of what I meant.

“I won’t let her take you back Lottie!” Anna confirms, wrapping her arms around me as I shake.

“Not her! The police! They left the… the voicemail!” I sob, as Anna hushes me and rocks me backand forth.

“The phone? Give me it!” Alex‘ commanding tone comes next, as I flinch slightly from how annoyedhe seemed.

I’ve pissed him off now too!

“Lottie where is it?!” He continues, as I whimper and lift the phone out from under my leg.

He wastes no time before taking it from my hand as he stands and exits the room in a hurry causingme to break down more – if at all possible.

“We only want to help you Lottie please don’t panic… they won’t take you back I won’t let them! I’llask my Dad to help us out too! Alex will know how to handle the cops best.” Anna’s soothing wordsfill my ears as I just remain weak – crying on the floor in her arms.

“I can’t go back there… it’s not just her that I ran away from Anna…” I suddenly lift my head, lookinginto her eyes as she stares back at

me with sorrow,

“You can tell me anything… I won’t judge you!” Anna encourages, as I shiffle slightly, finally decidingthat it was time to trust her fully…

“There’s some people back home… that want me dead… they have tortured me my whole lifeAnna… until one day when they tried to assault me – I just snapped! I actually… stabbed one ofthem…” I replace myself rushing the words out like vomit, as Anna nods along with me to show that shewas listening.

To my surprise, Anna didn’t seem disgusted by my crime, which only enticed me to continue on withthe story-

“I was so terrified and worried that I had killed him! I had to run away! hopped on the first bus thattook me here and that’s the night that I met you! I promise I’m not a bad person… I know that’s hardto believe when I actually f**king stabbed someone Anna… but they’ve abused and bullied me mywhole life! My Mom hever cared either she hates me too! I had to get out of there!” The tears trickledown my face, as Anna opens and closes her mouth for words – looking saddened

“They’ve left scars all over my body… places that nobody would ever replace them at school! That’swhy I didn’t want to wear those short gym sets and that’s why I’m so damn insecure all of the time!Those three boys have haunted me my whole life and now they are no doubt using the police to tryand bring me back home! I can’t go back there Anna… I CAN’T LEAVE!” I cry, the panic unleashingfrom within me as I grab Anna’s hands and yell.

A weight felt as though it had been lifted from my shoulders for the first time telling someone what Ihave experienced, however the problem was forever growing… they would stop at nothing forpayback!

“YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE I WONT LET THAT HAPPEN! I WANT THEIR F**KINGNAMES LOTTIE!” I almost pale realising that Alex had been standing at the door the whole time –listening to every word that had spilled from my lips as he makes his infuriated` presence known tous…

No…

What have I done…