Chapter 36: Murderous

*Olivia*

“Byron, why are you doing this?” I asked in dismay.

I couldn’t stand the sharp contrast between the cutesy pinks and purples of my childhood bedroom and the very dark turn this day had taken. I was scared and uncomfortable, but even more than that, I was confused.

Byron was my big brother. He was the responsible one, the one that I turned to when I was afraid and confused. Now, he was the cause of these intense feelings.

I stared at him. He was standing just inside the door, fiddling with a small item in his hand. It caught the early morning sunlight, and that’s when I realized that it was a key.

The key to my bedroom.

Byron didn’t speak for a long moment, just staring down at the key he held, twirling it around like a toy. He tucked the key into his pocket before raising his eyes so that they could bore into mine.

“I don’t want to be the bad guy, Vivi,” he said, and the way he said my nickname made my chest constrict.