The Marx Brothers

Chapter Thirty Eight - 'Harsh'

After writing my 8 page long statement, starting from the very beginning, including the details of the day Dylan had attacked me, I was taken to another unmarked police car. I hadn't seen Phoenix for the 3 hours it had taken, nor Jett.
In passing, I had noticed Rocco, Ryland and Georgie. I ignored them, and thankfully, they ignored me too. I just wanted to go home.

A man that I did not know had driven me to the gym to pick my things up, he then drove me home with Dee.
I had missed home, more than I thought I ever would. I appreciated the house now more than I ever would. I would never take it for granted. I couldn't wait to shower in my own bathroom, sleep in my own bed. All that was missing, was Grace, and I couldn't wait to see her. I needed companionship, real, honest, loving companionship.

The minute I stepped inside, I began keeping myself busy. My mind had not stopped racing, and I knew that I would need to push myself in order to fall asleep anytime soon.

I had washed my clothes, showered, changed, given Dee a messy bath, cooked and eaten dinner and cleaned the house top to bottom over the course of the next 5 hours. By this time, it was early morning. Finally, I had felt as though I would be capable of falling to sleep without lying awake, for hours on end.

Fortunately, when I did succumb to my bed - Dee wrapped around my legs for warmth - a whole new dilemma arose. My emotions.
Without even having to think, the minute I closed my eyes, I was overcome with sadness. Tears freely escaped my eyes, bursting open, quickly turning into a full blown crying attack. I couldn't control it, I had lost control of my body. I had lost control of my life.

Curled in a ball, my pillow wet from the sobs, I had at some point fallen asleep.
When I woke the next day, the sun swept in from the window, taunting me, teasing me. I had tried to tell myself that the entire night, the last 24 hours, had not happened. But it was futile, inescapable.

Checking my phone, I read the time, - 11:47am. Groaning, I wondered what use it would be for me to actually get out of bed. I no longer had a purpose to awaken, to leave my bedroom. Grace was out of town, Penny too. I was longer friends with Oscar, and probably no longer friends with Brody either. I had lost everyone, everything that I had not so long ago had.
Nova, Jett, Phoenix, they were all liars, they were all in on a game that I had no idea I was even playing. I was disappointed in myself, disappointed that I hadn't seen the signs, that I had gotten so easily involved with people that I should have been more careful around. I knew from the very beginning that Jett and Phoenix were bad news, but I continued to sniff around their world, and now, here I was, drowning in my own thoughts after being played like a violin.

In the back of my mind, I wanted to believe that what Phoenix had said to me, was true. But I had been so wrong about everything else, what difference was this? On what ground did I have to actually believe in his words?

An hour later, I threw myself out of bed and made my way to the kitchen. I had just begun to stir together a pancake mix when there was a knock to the door.
I quickly remembered that the officer that had remained out the front of my house after dropping me off, was probably still there, and in desperate need to use the bathroom.
Turning the stove top to low, wearing only black tights and a loose T, I answered the front door. Expecting to see the face of the previous nights officer, I was taken back when it wasn't the same man.
It was Jett.
The lone glance of his face, it made me boil with feelings I had almost forgotten about.

"Hey" He slightly smiled, now unafraid to be seen in what I assumed was his usual attire. Black ironed pants, boots, a navy collared shirt with the shudder inducing belt sporting handcuffs, badge and pistol.

"Hi" I dully answered standing in between he and the door.

"I was hoping we could talk"

I hesitated, contemplating wiping them completely from my life, starting over.
Instead, I stepped aside, Dee overly happy to see the familiar face, dancing around his ankles as he entered.