I waltz back into the house as if I haven't spent the entire day avoiding the police and their questions. I slam the door loudly before announcing my arrival.

"Michelle! Myra! I'm home," I yell out while shrugging off my jacket. I reach for the tub of ice cream before spooning a large chunk into my mouth. The kitchen door swings open and as expected, two police officers storm toward me. They look frustrated so I stand in the hallway with a confused look on my face.

"Is everything okay?" I question them before going in for a second spoonful.

The two police officers share a quick glance of frustration between them.

"You were asked to give a statement earlier this morning, Miss Wentworth. Where have you been?"

The first police officer questions me. They're two males and I figure they've taken over the shift from the first police officers I encountered this morning. My eyes grow wide with fake realization.

"Oh my gosh, that's right! I am so sorry about that. My girlfriend called me and she's just broken up with her boyfriend. He was caught cheating on her with her ex-best friend. Can you believe that? The betrayal! It would ruin me," I ramble while clutching a hand to my chest.

The police officer gives me a suspicious look before sighing and tugging at his radio strapped to his uniform. He announces my arrival down it, no doubt ending the search for me. Behind my facade, I smirk with victory because it's so damn easy acting like a typical teenage girl. I spoon a chunk of ice cream into my mouth before smiling sweetly at them.

"I had to take her for ice cream while she sobbed about her break up, it was truly heartbreaking to watch," I lie effortlessly.

Myra watches me from the other end of the hallway with suspicion. I ignore her burning stare and keep my attention on the officers.

"Do you want to do the statement now? I was so nervous this morning," I say before taking a step toward the living room.

The police officers pull out their notepads before gesturing for me to go ahead of them. If my plan is to succeed, I need to make noise and lots of it. I take a small step forward before clutching at my stomach and scrunching my face up in discomfort.

"Ooh, that felt... weird," I say, beginning phase two of my plan.

Myra immediately springs into action.

"What is it, Emily? Is it the baby? I knew this would put stress on the baby!"

Myra begins to fuss over me. Her arm wraps around me from behind as I hunch over and clutch at my stomach.

"I-I don't know, Myra. Maybe it's the ice cream? Ooh, it hurts," I cry out.

The two male police officers watch me with wide eyes and a startled expression.

"Baby? We, uhm, didn't know you were pregnant," the first police officer says.

He's younger than the other and appears incredibly uncomfortable at the sight of me clutching my stomach.

"She's also having a high risk pregnancy!" Myra yells at them.

I begin making loud moaning and groaning sounds as Myra struggles to lead me into the living room.

"Here, let me help," the officer says with flustered cheeks.

He ushers me inside the living room and helps me onto the couch. I continue clutching at my stomach and wailing out with fake pain.

"Should I ring through for an ambulance?"

He looks bewildered and unsure of what to do in this situation. I shake my head before giving him a tight smile of gratitude.

"No, I'll be fine in a moment. It's just stress," I tell him.

Myra drops down beside me and I turn to give her a sly wink. For a brief second, her eyes flash with confusion before the panic disappears from her. She has no idea what I'm doing, but she knows me well enough to know I have something up my sleeve. Myra shuts the living room door before walking over to me with fake concern. The two officers take a seat on the other couch and watch me with uncertainty.

"Once you're feeling up to it, we will take your statement," the officer tells me.

I take several deep breaths before nodding my head in agreement.

"Okay, sure. Do you have any idea where Tobias and Jake are yet?"

I question them with large innocent looking eyes. If only they knew I'd spent the entire day with them. The police officers share a look with each other before turning back to me.

"No, but we're working on it. We'll find them soon and bring them in for questioning," the officer tells me with a hard edge to his voice.

I fake another deep breath while clutching at my chest. Little do the police officers know, Jake and Tobias are currently sneaking into the house and running up the stairs. My dramatic pregnancy scare is the perfect opportunity to distract the officers and provide Jake and Tobias with a level of noise to hide behind. A small smirk plays on my lips and I mentally give myself a pat on the back. Mission complete.

*

I give my statement to the police before excusing myself. I'm completely exhausted from the day and I need sleep. I drag myself up the stairs before slipping into Jake's bedroom. The room is dark and I find Jake fast asleep on his side of the bed. His labored breathing fills the room and I smile at the sight of him finally getting much needed rest. Proving his innocence tomorrow will be much easier once we're all well rested. I turn before locking the bedroom door from the inside. I know the police officers don't have a warrant to search Jake's house, but I don't trust them not to come looking.

I silently walk over to the wardrobe to change when I notice a figure lying on the floor on a makeshift bed. He turns around and his dark eyes connect with mine.

"Tobias?" I whisper his name while trying not to wake Jake.

"Hey, Em," Tobias says quietly. I blink with surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

"The lock on my room is broken. Jake figured it would be best to stay together while we figure out this mess," Tobias explains. I hum in agreement before releasing a long yawn.

"How was the statement?" Tobias asks me.

"Short and sweet. I told them the truth about last night. I went to bed and had no idea what happened," I say before pulling open the wardrobe door.

I step inside the area to shield myself from Tobias' view. I pull my clothes over my head before grimacing at the pain nestled deep in my body. Today has been tough and my body is paying the price for it. I slip on an oversized shirt that belongs to Jake. It ends mid-thigh and I feel relaxed being wrapped up in his scent.

"I have to thank you for today. You were awesome," Tobias says quietly in the dark room.

I smile while scraping my hair up into a ponytail. It's nice to have the regular Tobias back instead of the old Tobias who can't force himself to say a single positive sentence to someone.

"It's cool. You're like family to me now, Tobias. Everybody helped me during a time I needed it so it's my turn to repay the favor," I tell him.

The Melvin's literally saved my life from Trevor's wrath and I'll never be able to thank them enough. The least I can do is be supportive and helpful when I can.

"Do you think Jane regrets cheating on me?" Tobias says after several moments of silence.

I walk around the room before slipping under the covers next to Jake.

"I hope so. Regardless of how she felt toward you, she shouldn't have cheated. You should have a civil conversation with her once we prove your innocence. She's probably heartbroken over Dylan's death so give it time before you reach out to her," I advise him the best I can.

Hearing her new boyfriend/lover has been murdered in cold blood can't be easy for Jane... As much as I dislike her right now. Tobias falls silent and I know he's deep in thought.

"What did I do wrong, Emily?"

"You didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes relationships don't work out for many different reasons. It could be because you're not compatible, right person but wrong time, people change... There's so many reasons why relationships don't work. It doesn't have to be either person's fault. It doesn't mean you won't find someone because you will. You have to give it time and use this as an opportunity to grow as a person."

Tobias has lots of internal work to do. His reaction to Jane cheating on him is a prime example. I know he's hurting, but he needs to learn to cope using a different strategy. One that won't end up with him lying on Jake's bedroom floor because he's hiding from the law.

"Since when did you get so mature?" Tobias asks me. He sounds like he's smiling. I laugh quietly befores stifling a yawn.

"Somebody has to keep you Melvin boys in check," I tease him.

Tobias laughs before a comfortable silence settles in the room. Within seconds, we're both fast asleep.

*

I wake to the sound of intense banging coming from my right. The noise is terrifying compared to the silence of the night. I spring up in bed, half asleep, with wide eyes and a frantic heart. What is that noise? Tobias and Jake are fast asleep. The banging begins again and I whip my head to the right to find Jake's bedroom door is almost coming off its hinges. For a brief second, I wonder whether I'm dreaming. Jake's bedroom is engulfed in darkness with shadows littering the walls from his furniture. Sweat pools at the base of my neck. Am I hearing noises? Another bang follows and the entire room begins to shake from the force. A scream emits from my throat because I know I'm definitely not dreaming. My heart leaps out of my throat when I realize somebody is trying to get into the room. I grab Jake's arm with panic.

"Jake! Wake up! It's the –"

Before I can finish my sentence, the door flies open and smashes into the other side of the wall. The wood crumbles under the force and the room is immediately swarmed with several police officers. Me, Jake and Tobias all spring out of bed due to the shock of the interruption. I back up into the corner as I watch the police officers frantically scan the room.

"Police! Get down on the ground!"

The police scream while holding batons. Tobias' dark eyes dart around the room and he appears to be looking for an escape. A police officer zones in on me and I suck in a sharp breath as I prepare for him to lunge for me. My first thought is the baby. I immediately wrap a protective arm around my stomach. Before the officer moves, Jake springs in front of me and holds his hands up in surrender. He lowers himself down to the ground onto his knees while shielding me from the officer's reach.

"Hey! It's me, okay? It's me you want! Jake Melvin. That's me!"

Jake yells at the officer to turn his attention away from me. I begin shaking in the corner behind him. Jake's plan works because the police officer grabs hold of Jake before pushing him down to the floor. He brutally yanks his arms until they twist and end up behind his back. I watch in horror as the man I love is manhandled in front of me.

"We didn't do anything! We're innocent," Tobias yells out at them.

He tries to dart for the door but it's guarded by another sea of officers. How did they know where to find them? Tears well in my eyes as I watch them wrestle Jake and Tobias to the floor. Their screams of protest fill the room. Jake lifts his head until his eyes find mine. I've never seen him look so apologetic.

"I'm so sorry, Wentworth. I'm going to fix this, baby. You hear me?" Jake yells over to me.

I slap a hand over my mouth to muffle my cries. The officer slaps metal handcuffs onto Jake's wrist before hauling him up to his feet. He twists his arms with brutal force. Jake hisses with pain and turns around to bark at the officer.

"Get the fuck off me! I'm coming willingly!" Jake screams at him.

The officer ignores him. It's a struggle to get both boys out of the door. Jake turns to look at me and his blue eyes fill with deep regret.

"Look away. I don't want you to see this," Jake tells me.

His voice is broken and guilt ridden. His eyes drop down to my stomach and I know he's thinking of our baby. I feel sick to my core as I watch the police officers haul Tobias and Jake out of the room in handcuffs. As they drag them down the stairs, they read out their rights and arrest them on suspicion of murder. The shock wears off and I immediately run after them in protest. Before I can get close, a female officer grabs me before pulling me back. I extend my hand toward Jake but he's too far away. There's a police car waiting outside the Melvin household with the lights flashing. The house is surrounded by a swarm of officers. Jake is seconds away from being shoved into the back of a police car and taken away from me. A strangled scream of pain leaves my lips.

"No! Don't do this! He's innocent, I swear! Don't take him away!"

I scream over and over again but my words fall on deaf ears. To the law, Jake and Tobias Melvin are guilty... They're about to go down for murder. 

*

Authors Note: Hey everyone! You've just hit the 50% mark of the story. To read the completed version and to find out if Jake and Tobias are sentenced for murder, you can head over to Amazon. The link is in my bio or simply search my author name into Amazon website (Sakz Hussain)

Thank you so much for all your love and support!