Help me...

Chapter 12

An awkward silence settled over the table as she sat across from her brother in the kitchen, unable to look him in the eye after what she had done just last night. She slowly moved to get up but her brother grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Layla talk to me. Now," he ordered her and sighed down at the woman in front of him. His baby sister. One he hadn't talked to in years since she married Jackson. Layla looked up at her brother, tears coming to her eyes as she stared at the face that used to look at her with love but now only looks on with disgust. She slowly curled into his arm, pressing herself against his chest.

"Tigerstar I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have tried to contact you in some kind of way. It's all my fault," she said through sobs and curled into her brother more but her brother never comforted her. He just stood there, allowing her to cuddle into him as she cried her heart out. 

"It is your fault, Layla. I told you about Jackson. I warned you but you chose to be with him," he said then gently pushed Layla off him by her arms. She instantly tried to calm herself and clear her eyes, sniffling. Tigerstar sighed softly and frowned down at his sister, "I'm not going to apologize Layla. You're with Jackson now and I stand by my decision. You're not my sister any longer. You're just a woman I happen to know thanks to her husband being arrested. I am doing the mandatory check-in that happens to wives whose husbands have been arrested."

Layla just nodded at his words, unable to talk and not wanting to anyways. She cleared her throat as she calmed down her tears and sniffling. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" she asked softly and her brother frowned. 

"No, I am leaving. You seem to be fine and everything in shape around here. I'm going to guess Jackson is at work then?" he asked and she nodded, "good, providing for his family. Speaking of, where is your daughter?" Layla's stomach dropped and started flipping as he asked for her daughter. She swallowed carefully and rubbed her forearm with her hand gently.

"S-shes at school," she said quickly. Too quick. Tigerstar's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he took a step closer. 

"Layla don't lie to me. It's criminal to lie to a police officer. Now answer truthfully. Where is your daughter?" he asked. Layla couldn't find a proper excuse in her head and she was about to stall him by changing the subject but she was interrupted.

"I'm sorry sir but based on the Miranda rights, my wife has every right to remain silent and not answer any of your questions," Jackson said as he walked up beside Layla, just coming home to make it on time for the parent-teacher meeting. Layla turned to her husband and, gripped his hand tightly, scared of what he brother would do. Tigerstar glared at Jackson then scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Tigerstar knew Jackson was right and that angered him more. Instead of retaliating, he turned and left. He walked out of the house, into his police car then drove off. Layla looked to Jackson and grabbed his forearm gently in her small hand.

"Jackson I am so sorry! He's a police officer and I couldn't just stop him from coming in the house! I didn't know what to say to him I'm sorry!" Layla said over and over, suddenly hugging onto Jackson tightly. Jackson looked down at her then sighed and patted her head softly.

"Yeah, whatever. Let's go. We're moving now. I called the school and told them that Amelia wasn't feeling well and we were moving so we were taking her from the school. I passed by and got all of her documents. I already saw a nice little house 3 hours away in the forest so you and I can live there," he explained as he pushed Layla off him and started going through the cupboards to pack stuff away. 

Layla frowned at Jackson then looked at the house she was in. She had been here for years and didn't want to move. She mainly didn't want to move away from Cloud. She walked upstairs quickly, mumbling about going to pack her stuff. She rushed into her room and bent down beside the night table, reaching under to grab the phone. She walked into the bathroom with it, locking the door. She opened it and went through it till she found the calling app. She hesitated above the only number that was there then finally pressed it. It rung 3 times then someone picked up.