TBYK

Chapter Thirty Five

Song of the chapter is 'Bring Me to Life' by Evanescence

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

I was in no mood to follow Higgins and Jackson back to my family home. All that I would be able to do was watch as they gathered more and more evidence that had the power to put my brother behind bars for life. In an attempt to find something semi-constructive to do, I stayed at the police station and decided to have a look around.

Considering the majority of the police force which occupy the station were in my house, the station was relatively empty. I had been looking for Chase to see how he was holding up when I stumbled upon someone in a more vulnerable position. My younger brother Jack was being held in a witness protection room at the other side of the station from where I had last saw Chase. Inside, he was alone and curled up on a suspect orange couch looking decidedly worn out.

I watched as his body twitched with his sobs as he tried to control himself. I felt the corners of my mouth turn down into a deep frown as I tried to stop myself from crying yet again. I walked over to Jack and sat down beside him on the sofa, not bothering to ensure I was quiet because I knew that Jack could not sense me at all.

It's hard to be surrounded by people and feel invisible, but it's even harder to being sitting alone with someone you genuinely love and know that they don't even know that you are there.

I hated feeling so helpless. I reached out to touch his hand but I felt nothing in return. Normally, when you hold a person's hand, the heat from them radiates into you, but when I touched Jack it didn't even feel cold. It felt like I was touching air. Jack was neither emotionally or physically able to sense me and the idea of that being how it would stay for the rest of his life if I was trapped in this state was so awful I can't even put it into words.

"It's going to be okay, Jack," I said as fat tears rolled down my cheeks, "I'm promise you I'm going to fix all of this."

I don't even know why I bothered to try to talk to him as his inability to sense me only resulted in me becoming even more upset than I was before. I stood up from the sofa and paced to the other side of the room before collapsing against the white washed wall. I felt my body shaking as I failed to contain the sobs that wanted to be released from my throat.

In a moment of realisation, I looked in Jack's direction as though my loud sobs may have alerted him to my presence, but he was just sat motionless on the sofa staring at the wooden door with his arms clasped upon his knees.

I cried for another few minutes before finally pulling myself together. I knew that it would not be the last time I would cry before this entire process was over, but I had to stay as focused as I possibly could on the task ahead.

I walked over to Jack again and placed a chaste kiss on his forehead, "I love you, Jack," I murmured into his hair before walking towards the door and feeling myself being sucked out of the room like I had been when I was with Alec on the lawn in front of my house. This time, I didn't resist the sensation and allowed myself to be taken wherever it was deemed necessary for me to go.

***

"This interview is being tape recorded. I am Detective Higgins and also present is Officer Jackson Williams. The interview is taking place in LAPD and both officers present are certified in criminal justice. Sir, could you please state your full name and date of birth for the record?" Detective Higgins said monotonously as he began the interrogation of Chase. Both Higgins and Jackson were sitting opposite a nervous Chase with uneasy expressions.

"Chase Alexander Matthews and 12th of April 1996," Chase stated as he stared at the metal table top, unable to make eye contact with either officer.