Chapter 28: Missed Calls

"Please, please, pick up the phone," Winter mumbled desperately, holding the phone to her ear with her trembling hands, trying to suck in deep breaths. Winter was sitting on the bed beside her bed, hiccupping on her tears, all the horrifying words echoing in her head like irresistible buzz. She felt like she couldn't breathe and her room was flipping around; it was the pressure of needy and fearful and ugly feelings. "Stop it!" she shouted, begging for the voice of her step-father to stop, but they wouldn't. They started echoing even louder in her head. "You forced your mother to commit suicide." "No, I didn't." "You watched her die yet you made no effort to save her because you wanted her dead." "No, no!" Winter hugged her knees and again tried calling her boyfriend. "Zane, please… pick up the call. I need you," she breathed out, letting tears run down her cheeks. Seeing as he wasn't receiving the call, she buried her head in her knees, dropping the phone on the floor, and shout