Always Yours | ✔

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter 19 - It's been a rough night: Part Two

Two very husky officers are making their way to Parker and I. I pull Parker's jacket tighter around me and he holds Daffodil snug in his arms.

"Annalise Jacobs?" The taller officer asks.

I nod in reply to him.

"We found this." He holds up a bag with a ski mask in it. The one that the intruder was wearing.

"He was wearing that." I shudder.

"We assumed so. It was on the back porch. Did you know that your lock was rusted?" Of course. Another thing that should've been fixed but dad was too busy obsessing over mom's case to get it done. "This area is common for break ins. People know that this is a wealthier neighborhood and it creates an obvious target." He explains in a calm tone. "Right now investigators are sweeping the house for anything else they can find."

I can't stop my mind from wondering how cops are so neutral about these things. I understand that it's his job, and this is just a simple break in, but I'm sure he sees worse. How does he not break?

That's a quality that I wish I possessed. The ability to not break. To shut out feelings, and to ignore the reality of life. I wish I could turn a blind eye to the smallest of happenings, but instead, deep inside, my mind can't stop obsessing over things.

My mother's death. My father's pain. Even Parker's childhood.

I can't stop obsessing over how wicked I've realized my plan is. I can't stop obsessing over how I broke Chase's heart, or how Mallory broke Elliot's. Or how I broke Elliot's.

It's the simple realizations that can eat a person up inside.

"When can I go back inside my house?" I ask, just wanting to shower and go to bed.

"As soon as we're done inside and you are seen by the paramedic. You seem to have taken a beating." He gestures to my cut up legs and balloon of an ankle. "Then you are free to rest for the night. No worries, there will be two officers on patrol in the neighborhood."

"Thank you." I try to smile at him but find it hard. Seeing as how my safety is not 100% assured.

"Hey Anna, let's go get you checked out." Parker takes my hand and leads me to the ambulance.

-

"Wow that's really swollen." The women examining my ankle has on blue jeans and a blue sweatshirt with our hospital logo on it. She's a bit older, and seems very motherly. I'm sure she has her own happy family at home while she's stuck here with me.

She moves my foot in circles and bends it in different directions. I wince a little at the pulling pain. "That hurts?" She asks as she stretches my foot downwards.

"Yeah, that's the only thing that bothers me though."

"Well that's good. I'd say you just have a bad sprain. I'll put a compression wrap on it and give you a crutch to help support that side of your body."

She starts wrapping my ankle gently. "Take some aspirin for the pain and swelling and I want you to ice that as soon as you get inside. Then every 4-5 hours for twenty minutes at a time." She instructs, handing me the crutch that as been adjusted to my height.