"What?? She deserves to know," Aria shoots back at Bryce burning stare.
If look could kill, I guess we would be by her grave yard already.
Bryce tried to stop her from passing the phone to me but I stopped him.
"Aria is right," I said. " I deserve to know what the photos were about.
Just as she made to pass the phone to me, it ping. Possibly a message. Aria retreated her hand to have a look, only to open her mouth seconds later.
"Oh my god, oh my god. This is bad, very bad."
"What is it?" Bryce leaned closer, to have a look and then look up at me. And then I knew. Whatever the message was about had a lot to do with me.
"Let me see," I heard myself speak.
Somehow I wonder how my voice manages to stay calm and clear in the midst of all this without a crack.
"Guys I have to go," Aria stood up, already sprinting away. I watch her fleeing figure further confirming my suspicions.
"What was that about?" I tried to maintain my cool, hoping to ease the awkwardness.
Bryce cleared his throat, something he does whenever he is unsure of what to say.
"Come on. Whatever it is can't be that bad. You can tell me. I'm strong enough to smile and not hurt."
"Let's go for a walk," He was trying to change the topic. I knew that.
"Sure," I stood up, giving him my hand to take.
As we walked along, I couldn't stop wondering what it was they were trying to keep away from me.
How bad it was that Aria had changed her mind, fleeing as fast as her legs could take her.
"What are you thinking about?" I felt a hand in the bridge of my nostrils. Bryce's.
I turned to give him a glare, he knew how much I hated being messed with. He flashes me a toothy grin. Please that he got my attention.
"What are you hiding with Aria?"
"Nothing. I would never." Lies. He has. He currently is.
"Fine. You caught me. Isabella sent her a message that her grandmother just felt from the stairs."
He said smoothly that I had not grown up with him, I would have believed his well cooked up lies without a second thought. But he was my best friend, I knew him well.
Without sparing him another glance, I walked ahead of him.
There was no need to listen to the rest of his speech. He was going to tell me more lies, worse, I would even become convinced that he is speaking the truth.
Soon, I heard the sound of his footsteps.
"You know that I will never lie to you intentionally, right? This is how best I know to protect you," He said, now walking beside me again.
Maybe he was trying to protect me but the lies? It was not the way to go about it.
I sighted three guards standing by the gate and four others running towards them.
They were trying to prevent some group of people from entering.
Bryce placed his hand over my face as I tried to make out the writings on the banga they held.
"Hey! What are you doing?" I tried pushing his hand off my face. But instead he picked me up, heading inside the house.
He was going to pay, I was suing for constantly infringing on my right.
I heard Addison sigh as Bryce closed the door behind us.
"Thank you." She breathed to him as he let me down. He nodded and I rolled my eyes.
Even an assault on me was counted as a good deed done by him.
"Someone should escort the young miss to her room and ensure that she doesn't escape," She said, I didn't understand. I was under house locked not room locked.
Two guards walked to me, gesturing that I moved along. Giving Bryce one last glare I match up to my room. I heard the keys turn as the door shut behind me.
I collapse on the bed caught in the web of my thoughts.
There was nothing fun to do. My phone was seized and the TV was taken away.
I heard the sound of banging. Though it was faint, it was enough to catch my attention.
I walked to the window, pushing aside the curtains.
My room was directly towards the gate. There were more people that I could count.
Some had on the banner, 'Come out hoe' 'The Gray's daughter is a Hoe'. I stood still unsure of what to think. My breath hitch in my throat as I looked on.
What was going on, why were those banners there? What were those people doing, standing at the gate? Soon some security men came over, chasing them away.
I rush over to the door, banging on it. But no one opened.
It made sense now that Addison had ordered my room arrest.
Swirls of thoughts ran through my mind as I stood facing the door.
After banging for over 20 minutes to 30 minutes, I collapsed on the floor.
Nothing was as suffocating as being helpless and having your freedom taken from you.
As I leaned back, resting my head against the door, I heard voices, possibly from downstairs.
I couldn't make out what they said but I could tell whose
voices they were. Bryce was still around Addison.
The third voice got my heart falling to my stomach.