Escape

To New Friends And New Beginnings or Whatever People Say in Clichés

Alex's POV

"How is Dan?" I asked.

"He's alive, barely," Johnathan answered. "If that's what you're wondering."

I hummed in pleasure. "Has Dan said anything about Ryan?"

Johnathan shook his head. "No, he won't talk."

"Well make him talk!" I snapped. "He knows something. I know it."

"It sucks when people don't tell you stuff, doesn't it?" I heard my sister's voice say.

I smiled. "Tess? What a surprise. I thought we were meeting up for lunch later."

Tessa scoffed and shook her head, eyeing me. "How do you do that? How can you stand there and look at me in the eyes?"

"What are you talking about?"

Tessa walked forward and shoved a folder in my chest. "This. I'm talking about this."

I pressed my hand over the folder so it wouldn't fall then grabbed it properly. The first thing I see is Tessa's real birth certificate. My eyes widened and snapped the folder shut.

"All right! Clear out, everybody!" I yelled, making sure to make eye contact with everyone.

Once everyone was out, I lost the 'boss-like' composure. I tried to step closer to Tessa, but she stepped back.

"How did-? When did? Who-?" I stuttered, not sure what to say.

"Harry found me," Tessa said as if those three words explained everything.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me! How could you keep this from me?"

"I didn't want to burden you with your parents' death," I explained.

"Bullshit!" Tessa yelled. "You just wanted a loyal pet! One you could use! Manipulate!"

I shook my head and lunged towards her, trying to grab her hands, but she yanked them away. "Don't touch me!"

I sighed. "Tess, please-"

"Don't call me that!" She interrupted. "You don't get to call me that! Not anymore!"

I was getting angry. Yeah, I lied about everything, but I was there for Tessa.

"I protected you from Michael! I loved you, took care of you! I became a parent! Your parent! I raised you!"

"And look how I turned out!" Her voice laced with venom, no longer delicate and soft. "I blindly trust you. Follow your orders. Kill innocent people! Wreck innocent families! Just for your appeal, or to free you of your boredom."

"Those people and families were far from innocent, and you know that!" I yelled.

"There were children! Innocent children slaughtered or robbed of a parent!" She barked.

"Well, they should learn that not everybody will stick around!" I argued.

She shook her head and scoffed. "You can't keep using innocent children as surrogates for your anger towards Michael!"

"It's best that they learn how to depend on themselves young!" I fumed. "That parents aren't always going to be there!"

"Not everybody is Michael, Alex!" Tessa flailed her hands towards me, obviously frustrated. "You use him as an excuse for everything! Michael is dead! He can't hurt you or anyone else! You still let him hurt you. Even from the grave, he's still haunting you." She shook her head. "And the only one hurting others is you."