Beating Heart

Chapter 13

Ana's POV

Nothing.

We had nothing. Andrei nor Viktor had any information about who'd hired them. They were mere pawns. Investigations could be done and perhaps we'd find some leads that would take us closer to figuring this out, what these attacks were for, how to make them stop. Oh, but who am I kidding! Clearly whoever I'm dealing with knows what they're doing. The more I think about it, the clearer it seems - we are going to have to wait him out, see if he strikes again.

Waiting. I chuckle out loud. Yeah. If it were only me he'd harm I wouldn't mind, the fact is he does not care about going after others. Andy. My mother. Because lets be honest the demon attacked me, but Senna could've come home in the middle of a shift and - I don't even want to think about it.

I'd blocked out my surroundings for a moment and when my mind comes back to the Interrogation Room everyone is looking at me. Oh, yeah, I did laugh out loud.
I sigh. There's no use in me staying here. There's nothing more that can be done. I run my hands through my hair roughly and jump out of the couch I'd been sitting in for the last quarter of an hour. Unlatching the door I walk briskly out.

I walk for a bit, trying to get away from the interrogation room but also to a section of the subterranean tunnels of the pack house that wasn't as busy. Spotting a hallway with a dead end, it's light about to die I clench my fists. Anger flares through me, bubbling and hot through my veins, making me shake. I hold my breath for a moment. Calm down.
But it's useless, because every time I remember how easy it could be for them hurt my family and for me to not be able to do anything to prevent it—
My fist connects with the concrete wall behind me. I look down to my shaking fist, bleeding and dusty from the now cracked wall. I stumble back and lean against the opposite wall.
No good is coming from this - any of it. Since Seth got back everything's gone downhill, since I let him come back into my life. It's not entirely his fault, of course. The attacks are all my fault; that demon, Andy. There's a reason why Cydra's stayed hidden.
A sudden but terribly melancholic wave suddenly drowned me in memories of the last few months, of junior year. Hanging out with my friends, the girls, all of our inside jokes. That one time I had way too much tequila and danced on a table at one of Miles' parties. Boy drama talk during sleepovers. They are my family.

I want to finish this year, travel for the summer with the money I've been saving forever, and come back just to finish my senior year and then never ever come back. I want to move around, be a nomad, meet different people. I want to live in tropical places. I want to have a boyfriend for Christ's sake. I want to spend my time doing things I love and being in a good mood for most of the time for a change.

For the last few years, I've been the light hearted, fun, goofy person I've realized I can be when I'm with the right crowd. I grew into a real person once Seth left. I had to make my own friends. I adapted. I wasn't the broody, loner girl like I was in middle school. I had my one best friend at that time, Seth. Now, I have a handful! I know quantity isn't what matters but, I have people - plural - who care about me. I'm social, I go out, I have good grades in school to the point where I could actually get into a good college.

I don't want to go back to being that girl from middle school. I don't want to be isolated. And that's exactly what being with Seth meant. I had to go back to being that girl. I would have to move backwards.

I don't want to be here.

I start myself with that last conclusion and stand up. A sudden flare of hope and optimism burn through me. I almost run to Andy's room and when I finally get there the lights are off and she's asleep. I'm slightly bummed that she's already sleeping and I can't tell her my big epiphany of the day, but it'd have wait 'til tomorrow. Eyeing the couch and the blankets set up for me there with a pillow, the heaviness of a long day starts wearing me down. I walk over to the couch and flop myself on top of it.

Shit. I stand up quickly as I realise I'm all dirty and grimy and bloody from all the day's activities. Andy stirs in her bed and she clicks on the lights.

"Ana?" she turns to face me and I flinch, because I notice, as I look down on myself, I look like a crime scene.

"Oh my God!" Andy screams from her bed. She sits up and winces, but I can tell she's better because of the colour in her cheeks.

"Shhhhh" I place a finger on my mouth and quiet her down with a stoic and annoyed expression.

I proceed to shimmy out of my bloody jeans that she can't stop looking at.

"It's not mine" I say and motion casually at the stains. This seems to calm her down because she falls back on her pillows again.

Kicking the pants to the other side of the room I flop my ass on the sofa and reach for the blankets some nurse must've left for me. I shudder and groan as I finally rest and relax for the first time today. My eyes start closing on their accord before I can do or say anything.

Andy narrows her eyes at me. "I can tell something happened, don't think I didn't notice. We sleep right now but I'm waking you up tomorrow so you can tell me everything" she says, annoyed and pushy as always.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" I wave her off and make myself comfortable across the couch.

She laughs softly to herself and clicks the lights off.

Sleep starts to pull me down almost immediately and my last thoughts are on far off lands where everything's bright and peaceful.