All Of Me

54

(Hey guys, these are the closing chapters of All Of Me. Maybe 5 left. The updates won't be as often, since the chapters will be more in-depth toward the end, but they will be longer. I want to thank you all for reading, and being such amazing readers. There will be an author's note at the end. <3 U ALL)

Brooke's POV

I couldn't breathe. Everything was a blur. I couldn't get enough air to fill my lungs, and every gasp was painful.

This couldn't be happening.

Tripp was driving fast enough to scare me, and my fingers were shaking as I dialed 911. I was in a cold sweat. I don't know how we got to the interstate so fast, but he got on it, and the speedometer said 90 mph.

Back at Uncle Todd and Aunt Sherry's, I ran in and grabbed my stuff in a fit of tears, and threw it in the truck. I didn't care if I got everything. I didn't care about anything but getting back to Gracetown.

"911, what is your emergency?" The dispatcher sounded bored until I began frantically telling her about Paige's phone call. "My sister. She called me, she was crying, I heard something crash, and she told me he was going to kill her, and that she loved me." I only prayed she could understand me through my tears. I couldn't tell them where she was, because I didn't know. I didn't know who she was with, who the he was that was killing her. I never asked. Why didn't I ask? Why?

'H-he's going to k-kill me' her voice rang in my ears. My baby sister. I began to sob again and the dispatcher asked me to calm down and tell her all about Paige. Her age, weight, height, full name, where I thought she might be. I gave her my mother's address, my address, and other than that, I never knew who she was with. I recapped the phone call, telling her anything I could remember.

She told me they would look for her, and to call back if I heard from her again. I didn't know where we would go when we got back to Gracetown, and that was the scariest part of all. She was about to die, and I couldn't get to her.

It was the longest three and a half hours of my life. I cried, and tried calling Paige's phone repeatedly. All there was to do was wait. Wait and ride. I didn't care about anything but Paige. Was she still alive?

#

My house. Nothing. My mother's house. Nothing. "Oh my god." I cried repeatedly as Tripp drove. Drove where? We didn't know. Where is she?

And then, it was as if an audible voice spoke to me. And I remembered graduation. Paige bopping up to me through the crowd. The memory played back to me in water colors. Her bright smile. How she acted when I asked her why she was there...

"She's at Josh's house." I said loudly, to myself, and to gripping Tripp's arm. Unsure of why out of everyone in that school my brain all but screamed at me. Pieces coming together. And as if he could read my mind... "It's Josh." Tripp said in a whisper as he slammed the car to a halt, and turned around. Horns hoked and tired screeched at us as he completed the illegal maneuver, and barreled in the direction of Josh's house. His best friend.

As we got closer, I saw the lights. Parked down the road were police cars, ambulances, and firetrucks. Neighbors stood outside their houses, and my breathing stopped. My heart. My entire world. Everything spinning in slow motion as Tripp parked the car behind the line of emergency vehicles and we jumped from the car.

I took of in a dead sprint up the road and then up the driveway. Someone was yelling Paige's name in the distance, and then I realized it was me. Neighbors stood giving reports to the police, and I scanned the property for anything. And then, I saw it.

"No," Two paramedics wheeling a body back out of the house on a stretcher. Paige, no. "No, no, no!" I yelled. starting to run but being pulled back by strong arms. "Let me go! I have to get to her!" I yelled, and my voice eventually turned to sobs. "No please. I'm sorry, Paige. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I yelled as if the beautiful young girl inside that body bag could hear me. Hear my pleas. Hear my heart breaking. But she couldn't. Why would he do this? Why would he kill her? What had Paige ever done?

Tripp turned me to face him and wrapped his arms around me, holding me up as I my knees betrayed me and sobs shook my body. How could this happen? No. No. No.

My sister. Sweet, beautiful, Paige. She had never done anything to deserve this. She didn't deserve to die this way.

Police filed in, taping off the property, and the ambulances sped away. But my life was standing stock-still. A motionless state of grief as I accepted the loss of my little sister. Her sweet voice playing over and over in my mind. Why hadn't I tried more to find out about her life? Why she was gone so much? Why she was always bruised up? Josh Smith. It took the very wind from my body, and with every sob I felt more and more light-headed. I was going to die right there.

Paige's POV

"You've screwed me the last time," Josh yelled, in a rage as he stalked out of the room and I knew where he was going. To get something to kill me. With shaking hands, I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Brooke's number by memory. "Hello?" Her voice came over the line, and all I could do was sob. It would be the last time I ever hear it. I would never meet Luke. Never hug my sister again. This is what it feels like the know your life is about to end. "Paige?" Her voice rings out again and I sob harder, hearing him rummage through things. Throw things. Slap drawers. He's looking for his gun. "H-he's gonna k-kill me." I finally managed to say. She began to cry, and I felt bad. For upsetting her. But she needed to know before someone else told her. I wanted to be the one to tell her, your little sister is about to die, and I'm so sorry. This was my fault. I thought it would be fun. To sell myself for some extra money. How hard could it be? Have sex and get paid for it! To a 16 year old girl, that sounds appealing. But Josh was a different person when he was head of the ring. The ring of prostitutes he ran. His sister was one too. That's how I knew them all. I thought it was so cool at first. Brooke brought me back to reality when she yelled my name, begging me for more information. I screamed when Josh slammed the door open again and pointed the gun at me. "Brooke...I love you." My shaking voice sobbed and I clicked the phone off so she wouldn't have to hear. "Please," I quietly begged him for my life, but he laughed a dark, cold chuckle and cocked the gun. "You've had your chance." He aimed it at me again but I scurried to my feet, "Josh, please. I love you. Don't do this." The adrenaline pumping through my veins was almost enough to make me as intoxicated as he was at the moment, and he stumbled forward a little I took it as an opportunity to lunge at him. I did, and wrapped my hand around his around the handle of the gun, trying to pry his fingers away from it. I took nothing into account; his strength from the intoxication, his strength in general. What did I have to lose? I was going to die anyway, but this way I would die with a fight. He growled and put his hand around my throat, squeezing it so tight I felt my eyes would pop out. He slammed me backwards onto the ground and caused himself to lose balance. He regained it and quickly knelt down to my eyes level before growling, "You're gonna please me one last time before you die." The stench of alcohol on his breath was so unbearable that even I could hardly bear it as he shoved my shorts down and pressed the gun to my temple. He began his assault, and as he forced himself on me one last time, and using me as his distraction, in one quick motion, I shoved the gun toward him and put my finger over his...squinting my eyes closed and using his own finger to pull the trigger that would send the contents of his head spiraling across the room. Robbing him of his very soul, like he had done to me for a year and a half. His large body fell limp onto me, and I could feel the dark red liquid cascading down onto my neck and shoulders. I screamed in horror before shoving his body off of me, and standing, covered in blood as it ran down my body. Staining. dripping. I was free.