Chapter 45

It was later on that evening and everyone was back at the apartment. Laughter and yells could be heard as they were watching a hockey game, but Ross being Ross was making sarcastic comments about Riker's team and Riker would just comment back. Laura and Ratliff would just roll their eyes.

Laura smiled.

This was her family; she couldn't imagine if anything happened to separate them, even after she and Riker get married she hopes nothing changes with them. Now if only Rocky would show up.

Speak of the devil. Rocky comes in and walks to the living room where everyone is.

"Well look who decided to come home? I am sorry but what is your name again?" Ross asked.

Rocky rolled his eyes.

" Rocky the name is Rocky you know the older brother of the douchebag named Rossetta?"

Ross rolled his eyes. " Nice one dick"

" You would know something about dicks wouldn't you?" Rocky asked

" Shut the Fu.."Ross got cut off.

' How about both of you knock it off?" Riker asked.

Rocky and Ross both said " Sorry about that daddy."

Riker just rolled his eyes.

Laura just rolled her eyes. " Well since everyone is here, what do you guys want to eat? I am getting tired of takeout."

" Same here." Ratliff said.

" Well I can cook something if you guys want?" Rocky asked.

" You cook?" Laura asked.

" Yeah I do, I just haven't before because all we get is takeout so, how does spaghetti sound?"

" Sounds good. And I can come and help you." Laura said as she grabbed Rocky by the arm and they both went into the kitchen.

Riker's phone rang. He looked at it and it was his mom. He picked up.

" Hey Mom." Riker greeted his mother. He could tell something was wrong with her as she sounded like she was crying.

" Mom slow down what the hell is wrong?" Riker asked his voice risen a little. The others stopped and listen. Riker never raised his voice and espically with Stormie, so if he had to do that then something was wrong. Ross and Rocky couldn't help but feel their stomachs drop. This was not good to see Riker getting so agitated and something must have happened to get their mother freaked out.

" She told you? I only found out yesterday and I wanted her to be the one to say something." Riker answered his mother's many many questions.

Riker's face drained of all color. Laura went up to him and held his shoulder, he just mouthed Thank you to her as he continued to listen to what was going on at home.

" Yeah I will tell Ross and Rocky. How is Ryland?" Riker asked.

Riker nodded his head. " Yeah I will. Everything will work out you got to believe that mom. I love you. Bye." Riker said as he closed his phone.

" What happened Riker?" Laura asked. He looked at her and then just focused on Ross and Ratliff. Rocky just realized that Rydel must have finally confessed to what she had done.

" Look I am going to tell you guys something, something that I only found out yesterday and I didn't tell you guys sooner because I wanted her to be the one to say something to you." Riker said looking at Ross.

" What happened bro?" Ross asked.

Riker sighed.

" Rydel was the one who leaked those pictures of you and Ratliff online." Riker said.

Rydel couldn't get the look of disappointment she saw on her parent's faces. Or her mother's tear stained look when she asked her why she did it to her own brother. And honestly she couldn't give an answer that wouldn't make her look like a vindictive person because her crush liked her brother.

Ryland just looked at her and didn't say anything to her. He just walked away.

Rydel just sat there on the couch in the living room and cried. She had let everyone down just because she was jealous. There was really no way she could truly make it up to everyone. They would hate her, like her parents and Ryland do.

Ross would hate her the most though. After all she was the one to cost him his career at Disney. And also the record deal too. She didn't even want to know what Ratliff would think of her. The thought that the guy she was in love with and she was in love with him. She could tell the difference between a crush and love. The thought of him being in anyway upset or hating her, killed her. But she really had no one to blame but herself.

Why did she let her hurt and jealousy get the best of her? Why couldn't she have told Ratliff on how she felt sooner?

Rydel knew what she had to do. She had to go over there and try and explain her side of things. To try and make them understand that she wasn't a bad person. That she just made a horrible decision by letting her jealousy and hurt get the best of her. They would have to understand right? Then everything would get back to what they were once were.

Rydel had to make them understand. They had too.

The silence in the room was scary. No one was talking after what Riker just said. Rocky was the only person in the room that knew that unfortunately that it is true. Laura just sat there next to Riker in shock. There was no way Rydel Lynch would do something like that. Not the Rydel that she has known all this time. Ratliff just sat there in silence trying to wrap his head around what Riker just said. The girl that he had considered to be his family couldn't have hurt him like this? Rydel would never hurt a fly on the wall much less her own brother and him. Ratliff just shook his head, there had to be another explanation.

Ross was pretty sure that he misunderstood his brother. There was no way that Rydel would set out to hurt him like that. Rydel wouldn't do something like that. Not to him. The sister that he grew up with would protect him at all costs. He would and did the same for her. Ross loved Rydel unconditionally. After all she was his only sister and so that caused him to have a special bond with her. Ross loved her and he knew she loved him. There just could be no way that she would do this.

" Riker you are wrong, or must have heard wrong. There is no way in hell that Rydel would do this to me. I mean come on she is our sister!" Ross said.

Riker sighed. He couldn't blame Ross for not believing it. Riker still found it unbelievable himself that she would have done something like this. This was his baby sister after all.

" Believe me Ross, I was where you are at right now. I didn't want to believe it until I heard it come straight from her mouth. Ask Rocky he was there."

Ross and Ratliff and Laura turned to look at Rocky to get verification. Rocky just nodded his head before speaking.

"Ross, Riker is correct. Rydel was the one who did it. I didn't want to believe it either but she admitted it to her. And you were there to see her anger at you. You must know that with her being like that she was capable of doing anything. She hasn't been the sister we all love in a while."

Ross just sat there silent, after taking in what Rocky said, Ross flashed back to the other day and when Rydel reacted to him. She was so angry with him; he could actually feel her hatred towards him. He thought it was because he was gay. But why would she hurt him like that? She must have known what would happen once those pictures came out, what they would do to him.

" No….No, I mean she is supposed to love me." Ross voice quivered with emotion. Ratliff just brought him closer.

Riker sighed.

" Ross I believe she still loves you, after all a bond between a siblings is strong. I just believe she lost her way for a second and let her jealousy and hurt get the best of her." Riker said softly.

" What would she be jealous about to do something like this? Doesn't she know what she cost me? She humiliated me in front of millions of people! She exposed who I was to everyone when I wasn't even ready. And the thing is she didn't do it to help me, she did it to hurt me! Who the fuck does she think she is to do that!" Ross screamed. He couldn't really deny the truth anymore. He just lost it; tears were sting his eyes and were not falling. His sister had hurt him in the one way he wouldn't have think she was capable of doing. The sound of Ross's sobs nearly broke everyone. Laura's heart broke for her best friend, how was he supposed to get over the fact that his sister betrayed him like that? She just looked over at Riker and saw that he was crying too. She wrapped her arm around him and hugged him. Riker just leaned his head on her shoulder and just let the tears flow. Despite the fact that Riker wasn't the one that she set out to hurt, he did get hurt anyway. Their whole family did.

Ratliff just pulled Ross into his arms. Ross held onto Ratliff like he was his life raff. Ratliff couldn't phantom why Rydel would do this. But he couldn't help but sense it was because of him.

Rocky felt out of place. Laura was comforting Riker and Ratliff was comforting Ross. Sure Rocky wasn't the one that was exposed, but he was hurting too. This was his sister too and he was hurting as well. It would have been nice to see someone try and comfort him. Rocky looked away as he was trying to hide his own tears. He felt a hand reach him. He turned and it was Laura.

Laura pulled him into a hug. And Rocky just smiled. She always knew what he needed. She was the Best friend that anyone could have asked for. Laura wrapped her arms around Rocky and just gave him a hug. She pulled backed and kissed his cheek.

" Thanks Laura." Rocky whispered.

" No problem Rocky. You are my family and I hate to see anyone of my family hurt."

" Same here." Rocky said. Laura grabbed his hand and brought him so he could be closer to them all. It wasn't fair that Rocky was all the way in the kitchen when they were all needing comfort. Rocky sat on the recliner as Laura made her way back to Riker. Riker just smiled. It was something else to see Laura comfort his brother. It just made him even more thankful to have this woman in his life.

" I love you." Riker said to her.

" I love you too," Laura said as she placed a kiss on his lips.

There was a knock on the door. Laura looked up at Riker, he was about to get up when she stopped him.

" I will get it." Laura said as she got up and went to answer the door. Laura opened and was surprised to see who it was.

" Rydel? What are you doing here? This isn't a good time for you being here?" Laura said.

" So you know what I did. Look Laura I know you must hate me, I hate myself for what I did too. I just want to try and explain to Ross and everyone why I did what I did." Rydel pleaded with her. Laura just sighed. She moved and let her in.

Ross saw that it was Rydel first and he stood up.

" What the hell are you doing here?" Ross demanded.

" I am trying to make things right, I want to explain about why I did it." Rydel whispered.

Ross rolled his eyes.

" I don't want to hear it, All I know is that the sister that I loved so much in this world stuck a knife in my back and betrayed me. Why should I listen to anything you have to say?" Ross sneered. Ratliff stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

" Baby, maybe you should listen." Ratliff said. Rydel felt like throwing up at the fact that Ratliff called Ross baby.

" Why should I? She betrayed me?" Ross asked.

Rydel rolled her eyes.

" Yes because it is always about you Ross right? Because no one else could be suffering right?" Rydel yelled. Ross just walked up to her and laughed.

" I know you don't have the balls to come into my home and give me attitude after what you did to me?" Ross asked.

" I came here to apologize for what I did, but Ross you aren't the only one to hurt you know that right?"

Ross just laughed. " You are really a piece of work Ry! You don't get to be upset with me at all."

" Oh really? I know what I did was messed up Ross I do, And I will have to live with what I did for the rest of my life. But please don't go around thinking you are some damn saint by any means."

" Ry, did you really come here to give Ross grief? Because if you did you can just leave." Riker said.

" Shut the fuck up Riker, I am really tired of you holler then thou attitude. So mind your own damn business." Rydel said.

" Don't talk to Riker like that! At least he has the decency to tell me the truth unlike some people I know." Ross said.

Rydel rolled her eyes.

" Look Ross I did what I did because I was jealous and hurt, and that is no excuse for what I did. I am sorry and I just came to tell you that."

Ross rolled his eyes. " Why would you be jealous of?" Ross sneered.

" Because I am in love with Ratliff that's why you selfish ass!" Rydel couldn't take anymore of Ross completely ignoring her pain.

" You are what?" Ross asked.

" I said I am in love with Ratliff and I have been for a long time now. I came over that one night that Kelly broke up with him to tell him that but that is when I found you two. The sight of you with him made me sick! I was suppose to be with him like that , but of course Ross you had to get there first and I snapped okay? I lost it and I did something that I am not proud of okay?" Rydel sneered.

Ratliff just was stunned. Rydel was in love with him? He just rolled his eyes at himself, how could he not have seen it?

" Look Ry.." he started to say.

Rydel rolled her eyes. " Don't even try Ratliff, you made it known who you clearly care about more. I don't need to hear your bullshit reasons."

" Don't you ever talk to him like that Rydel! He was talking to you and you should just shut the hell up." Ross said.

Rydel having enough of Ross's attitude slapped him hard across the face.

" You are the most selfish arrogant ass I have ever meet. I am sorry that I did that to you Ross. But I am not going to tear myself up about it anymore."

Ross grabbed his cheek, tears were flowing from his eyes " why am I not surprise that you like to hurt me?" he whispered.

Rydel rolled her eyes.

" Please you are the one to talk. I am done here, I came to say what I did and now I am leaving." Rydel said as she made her way to the door.

" Good and I think it would be for the best if you never came back." Ross sneered. Rydel just threw him a dirty look.

" I think it would be best if you were dead." Rydel sneered back.

Everyone was silent.

" You don't mean that Ry!" Riker said as he made his way to his sister. Rydel nodded her head.

" I do, Ross is the most selfish ass ever and he didn't even care that he stole the guy that I was in love with! He didn't even care that the only reason why I did what I did was because I was hurt! I hate him! I fucking hate you Ross! And I do mean what I said. I wish you were dead!" Rydel cried out.

Ross cried out in pain as he realized that now things were said that couldn't be taken back.

" That is only fair since you are dead to me Rydel." Ross said. Rydel just stormed out of the apartment. Riker followed.

" Rydel come on! Slow down and lets talk." Riker said as he continued to follow her. But Rydel didn't want to listen.

" Let me go Riker! I want to leave!" Rydel said as she got in her car and started the engine. Riker stood in front trying to block her from leaving.

" No you are not leaving until we talk this out. Come on Ry we are family."

" No, no we are not. Not after you took his side. I know I screwed up but he did too, and you don't see that."

" Ry, he didn't fall in love with Ratliff to hurt you. Why can't you see that?"

" Just go Riker! I am leaving." Rydel said as she put the car in gear and pushed the gas pedal, Riker jumped out of the way but started to run after her to try and get her back to reason.

This couldn't be happening, everything was falling apart and Riker didn't know how to stop it. Riker continued to run after her until her care left the parking lot, Riker just stood there in the street as he watched his sister drive away.

He didn't notice the car coming towards him until he was too late.