𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫 (𝟏𝟖+) 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 ✓

Chapter 27

I close my eyes rubbing my temples, my arms on the kitchen island. Yesterday afternoon was chaos, utter chaos and not sleeping last night, the exhaustion is etched deep into my bones right now. After yesterday Jason suggested we skip school to rest considering this is the last week before March break starts. 

I glance over at the sofa to where Oli is still passed out after we had lunch. A sigh escapes my lips as I go upstairs searching through Jason's medicine cabinet for painkillers because my head is in desperate need of some. 

"Tori, where are you?" I hear Oli's voice call out.

"I'm upstairs and I'm coming right back down," I tell him as I turn off the lights, the bottle of pills in my hands as I go back downstairs. "Give me one second to drink some water and then I'll come back and sit with you," I say to him as he watches me go back to the kitchen. I quickly take the medication with a mouthful of water before going back to where he's sitting wrapped in a blanket.

"How are you feeling?" I ask sitting beside him, my hand reaching out to brush his hair. He shrugs his shoulders before moving to rest against my side, arms wrapping around my mid-waist. I wrap an arm around his shoulder, my cheek resting on his head, silence in the house. My eyes close, thoughts flashing back to yesterday.

《 Flashback

"Hey, you fuckers. What's taking so long? Don't tell me, that girl is here ain't she? Her and the brat? Tell her Eiichi is coming and he won't be letting her get away a second time." I can't even breathe when those words pass my ear. I slowly lift my head looking up at the screen, my heart pounding as I see both men facing the camera with taunting smiles as if they know we're still watching. My airways are getting tight and I feel dizzy, everything is spinning around me. 

"Sweetheart, sweetheart, I can't have you passing out on me. Breathe with me." I feel hands on my face and I focus on Jason's. I take a gulp of air, one, two, three; I feel myself calming down a bit. His arms wrap around me and I wrap one arm around him, my other still holding onto Oli. "Is this your first panic attack?"

My mouth is dry so all I can do is nod. Even when I was still with my dad, when I left him to stay with Eiichi, when I got arrested and everything leading up to now I've never had a panic attack before. My hands are holding tightly onto Jason's uniform when I feel a shaking body against mine.  I move back from Jason to look down at Oli who looks up at me, fear on his face.

"Tori, what is he saying?" he questions, his hands tighten on my clothes. My hands drop from Jason's and I go back to holding the small kid that should have never been caught in this. I hear the voices going around us, Jason barking orders at the other officers but the only thing I'm focused on is the child currently in my arms. 

"Jason, I'm going to take us home," I tell him in a quiet voice and he hears me through all the chaos.

"Let me take you two home," he says placing a hand on my arm. I shake my head in disagreement.

"You need to be here, I'll drive the two of us home," I tell him. He looks like he wants to argue but he can see from my face I don't want him leaving here. He can hear directly from their mouths what's going on and pass it on to me later.

"Fine, but I'll have an unmarked cruiser follow behind you to make sure you get home safe," he says with a final tone.

"Alright. Oli, sweetie, we're going home okay," I say rubbing his back. He nods his head silently and I stand back up again and he holds onto my hands tightly. "See you at home later?"

"Yeah, I'll see you both," he says kissing my cheek and bending down to hug and whisper something to his nephew before also kissing his cheek. An officer leads the two of us back out to the front of the police station and I thank him before opening the door and stepping outside.