Chapter 2: What Dad Heard
Amanda moved faster than I had ever seen.
She grabbed the device from the table.
“Give me that.””
I stood up immediately.
“No.””
The word surprised even me.
Amanda looked at me like I had done something impossible.
“You don’t tell me no.””
Lily stepped between us.
“Mom, give it back.””
Amanda ignored her.
She turned the device over in her hand.
The little red light continued blinking.
“What exactly did your father tell you this was?””
I didn’t answer.
Because Dad had told me not to.
Not unless I needed help.
Amanda’s eyes narrowed.
“Ethan.””
Lily grabbed my hand.
“He told him to keep it safe.””
Amanda laughed, but there was no humor in it.
“Your father is ridiculous.””
“No,” Lily said quietly.
“He’s not.””
Amanda looked at both of us.
Then she placed the device on the counter.
“You two are going to your rooms.””
Lily shook her head.
“Why?””
“Because I said so.””
“Did you do something wrong?””
Amanda’s face changed.
Children notice things adults think they hide.
I saw it.
The hesitation.
The tiny crack.
Amanda walked closer to Lily.
“Don’t question me.””
“But Ethan didn’t do anything.””
“I said go upstairs.””
Lily didn’t move.
I grabbed her hand.
“Come on.””
I wasn’t brave.
I was scared.
But I knew one thing.
Whatever was happening, I didn’t want Lily standing there alone.
We walked upstairs.
My room was at the end of the hallway.
Lily followed me inside and closed the door.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then she whispered:
“Are you okay?””
I nodded.
Even though I wasn’t.
“She said I wasn’t your real brother.””
Lily’s face tightened.
“She’s wrong.””
“How do you know?””
“Because Daddy said so.””
I sat on my bed.
“What if she’s right?””
Lily looked offended.
Like I had insulted her.
“Ethan, remember when you helped me learn how to ride my bike?””
I nodded.
“You fell three times because you kept running behind me.””
I smiled a little.
“You cried when I got hurt.””
“You were bleeding.””
“Exactly. Real brothers worry.””
I looked down.
Lily climbed onto the bed beside me.
“Real brothers share chicken.””
That made me laugh.
Only Lily could say something so simple and make it feel important.
Then we heard footsteps.
Amanda.
She walked past our door.
Stopped.
And started talking on the phone.
Her voice was low.
I couldn’t hear everything.
But then one sentence reached us.
“David can never know what happened.””
My smile disappeared.
David.
Dad’s name.
Lily looked at me.
“What happened?””
I didn’t know.
But I knew we needed to hear more.
Slowly, we opened the door.
Amanda was standing near the stairs.
Her back was toward us.
“You promised me this would be easy,” she said into the phone.
A pause.
Then:
“No. Ethan was supposed to stay quiet.””
My stomach dropped.
Lily squeezed my hand.
Amanda continued.
“I don’t care what David thinks. He’s not here.””
Another pause.
Then she whispered something that made my blood run cold.
“If that recording exists, we have a problem.””
I looked at Lily.
She looked at me.
The device.
She knew.
I knew.
Amanda knew.
A floorboard creaked beneath my foot.
Amanda turned around.
Her eyes locked onto ours.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then she slowly lowered the phone.
“How long have you two been standing there?””
Lily stepped forward.
“Long enough.””
Amanda stared at her.
And then she smiled.
But it wasn’t the kind smile she showed other people.
It was the kind of smile that meant she had already decided what to do next.
“Go back to your room,” she said.
I held Lily’s hand tighter.
“No.””
Amanda tilted her head.
“Ethan.””
Her voice became soft.
Too soft.
“Do you really want to know what your father left behind?””
I felt a chill.
Because I suddenly realized something.
May you like
Dad hadn’t only left us a device.
He had left us a warning.
