"Well, have you heard of the William Family?"

My heart starts thumping as soon as her words reach my ear. My brain tries hard to process them. My blood starts running cold while beads of sweat start to form on my forehead. How does she know them? And why is she asking me about them?

Several questions keep striking my head one after the other. My eyes travel to Ella's and she holds the same expressions as mine, shock, and fear. I'm not afraid of Blake but I don't think so I can say the same for his dad and cousin.

I can hear footsteps advancing towards me, my heartbeat quickens, even more, only the exploding of my heart is yet to come now. Footsteps stop and I feel my mom standing right in front of me. She studies me blankly and then her expression turns to a worried one.

"Why are you so pale?"

"She-she's very tired, probably that's why." Ella covers up for me. But my mom doesn't seem to buy her lie. Obviously, who'd believe it, just a moment ago I was munching on the apple and was talking like a free bird and now all the colors from my face have drained for no reason. If only I could tell her the reason, tell her how it feels like that I'm caged even without a cage. It seems only their name is enough to make me shudder, to make me feel captivated, prisoned.

I gulp down the lump and release the breath which I didn't know I have been holding. I cannot just let her know everything right on the very day I got my freedom back. I cannot break the contract and get myself prisoned once again.

So gathering up all of the courage that's left in me I put my hands on her shoulder and sigh deeply and answer her with a question, "Who are they?"

"So, you haven't met Blake?"

Her next question feels more choking than her previous one. How in the world does she know them? Does she know everything? My palms sweat and so does my forehead. I can feel the bile rising in my throat and without realizing I'm already on a run towards the bathroom. Throwing up the churned-up apple I had just now with the sour taste of bile filling my mouth makes me want to keep puking up even more. My muscles ache and my eyes well with tears due to the burning throat and pain.

"Honey? What's wrong? Are you alright?" Mom strokes my back gently with one hand and holds up my hair with the other. All this feels so familiar and within seconds my memories remind me of him regardless of my will. All voices keep sounding faint to me as my mind is captured by the devil's memories. Why can't I get him out of my head? I close the running tap and my eyes land on the bracelet. Of course, how can I forget him after having to wear this damn bracelet he gave me?

He has let me go no doubt, but I still feel bound by something... or someone. I look at my reflection in the mirror and then my mom's reflection who is holding the same expression as she did when I met with an accident five years ago.

"Mom, I want to sleep."

"Of course, honey!" My mom walks me out of the bathroom to my room with Ella following behind. I don't understand how I'm supposed to answer her questions. She's asking me the complete unexpected. I mean how does she even know the name of this dangerous family? There are so many questions I want to ask her but I'm afraid to ask even one.

I lay on my bed and mom pulls the duvet over me. Ella sits at the edge of the bed and mom leaves the room to get something to eat for Ella. As soon as she leaves, I sit up straight, and for a minute or two Ella and I share a blank stare.

"Do you think she knows it already?" Breaking the silence, I ask the most obvious question.

"No there's no way. We are thinking way too much." Ella answers but for some reason, we both can't shake this feeling that mom knows something.

"What if she asks again?" The fear is now quite evident on my face. The fear of spilling the truth or getting caught while telling a bunch of lies.

"If she asks then-"

The sound of creaking wooden floors and footsteps gets the best of our attention and I quickly lay down and pretend to be fast asleep. I can hear something being placed on my study table.

"Have some, you must be hungry dear."

Ella thanks mom and then I hear them, talking about the topic which is making my stomach flip upside down, making me feel sick even when I'm not.

"Mel's dad was so worried when it was all in the news about one of your teachers being in an accident in front of your uni."

"Oh, yeah, the accident. It's been long though." I can feel Ella's shaking voice. I keep my eyes shut tightly and try to get my breathing even.

"Yeah, you're right. It's been long but it feels like yesterday. There was this William family all over the news and also their elder son Blake who's in the same year as you both in an interview regarding the accident."

So this news got my mother the information about this dangerous evil family. I sigh in relief as everything falls into place and then I can feel the stares on me. How stupid of me to sigh while sleeping!

"Are you awake honey?"

Bringing out all the acting skills, the only thing which I learned over the past few months to stay alive, I rub my eyes and get up groggily from the bed.

"Yes mom, woke up just now. I'm hungry."
Bringing the empty stomach topic always gets my mom's attention.

"I'll bring you something to eat right away." She sprints out of the room.

"Girl, I thought I almost died. Your mom is such a detective! How the hell did you lie to her for so many months?"

"I don't know. Maybe my instincts to keep her away from the hell we lived in helped me lie to her." I answer Ella while wondering how exactly I was able to pull this bunch of lies for over months!

The knock on the door gets our attention and we both zip our mouths. Mom enters with two bowls of soup, eyeing our attentive position.

"What's the fuss about? Did I interrupt something secretive?"

We relax our tensed muscles within seconds of realization. I shrug my shoulders and get the tray from her hands and place it on the bed.

"MEL!"

The cute voice echoes into the room and we all turn our heads towards the door.
My cute little sister runs and I crouch to engulf her into my arms. We might fight a lot but it can never change the fact that we love each other to the moon and back. My family has always been my priority and this was my first time staying away from them. We have stayed together with each other for years and now seeing her after months, especially when I had lost the hope of seeing them ever again brings tears to my eyes.

"Did you miss me?" I ask, trying to hold the tears with all my might.

She taps her index finger at her chin and ponders for over a second, "Nah!" and then bursts into laughter.

She has always been naughty and I love that about her. She's cheerful and absolutely adorable when it comes to cuteness. I didn't get to see much of her during video calls. He only allowed me to talk for like a few minutes and then I had to hang up with a lie.

"I've so much to tell you about my school." Rose jumps in excitement and hugs me once again.

"Well, I'm all ears then." I tickle her and we all laugh along with her in happiness.

If only I knew my future, where there's everything but happiness.

************************************

A/N:

Okay, so this was one happy and tense chapter!

Doesn't this sound more like the silence before storm...?
Well, yeah you got the hint ;)

Blake's change lemme tell you as a spoiler.
How exactly? For that,
Stay Tuned!

If you like my work then,
Vote, Comment & Share!

THANK YOU!