Beyond My Boundaries | ✔

48 - Love

Chapter 48 - Love

The creaky bed beneath me is what woke me up. It was old, and a little rickety. The mattress itself was nice and cozy, but not the frame. Brett must have had this for years.

Sitting up, I looked around the empty room. Next to me were messy rumpled up sheets, but Brett was missing. It wasn't early so I assumed he already started his day.

Putting my feet to the floor, I slowly arose, trying my hardest to be quiet as I tip toed across the wooden floor.

The view outside his room was stunning. The house overlooked a large back yard with trees lining the edge. Though it was in a quaint neighborhood, the backside made it look as if it was in the desolate countryside. There was a little garden and a row a birdhouses. A patio area with a grill, and a well kept lawn.

It just seemed so perfect here.

It's hard to believe the tragedies that happened in this family. His parent's happiness alone makes it unbelieveable.

I wish I would've found it that easy to move on. It has to be harder to lose a child than a parent. It's just unnatural to outlive your child. It shouldn't be that way but for them it was, and something about that made me feel weak.

Weak that I sobbed for so long when their loss was even much more brutal than my own.

But they got over it.

Smoothing out my wet hair, I crept down the hallway. There wasn't a blow dryer in Brett's bathroom, but what guy would have one, I guess.

The house was eerily quiet. I couldn't hear a peep from any direction. Maybe they went out for something, but who would leave a stranger in their house?

All the doors down the hallway were partially open, except for one.

Maybe someone who could help me was in there. All I needed was a dang blow dryer.

Standing outside the door, I tapped softly against the wood. I didn't want to startle anyone.

I waited a little while and tapped again, a bit harder this time.

After leaning against the door frame for a few minutes, I put my hand on the knob, slowly turning.

I quietly pushed the door open as I suddenly felt like this was a place I shouldn't be.

"Excuse me, is anybody in here?" My voice was low but loud enough to be heard by someone on the other side.

When no answer came, I pushed the door open further. "I don't want to-"

I stopped dead in my tracks.

The walls were a light orange with white wood trim. The room was vibrant with pink and teal accent pieces. Photographs covered the wall above the bed. The bed was half covered in a hot pink comforter, tons of decorative pillows strewn all over as if it had been slept in the night before.

I walked over to a white desk. There was an open history book and a notebook slightly overlapping it. I skimmed my hand over the open page. Faded pencil was scribbled across the yellowed paper. Answers written down, then crossed out, then re-answered.

'Claire' was just visible at the to of the page. The written date was almost seven years ago.

They kept this room untouched for seven years.