Falling For Your Antics (Editing)

Chapter 37- Where Do We Go From Here?

I went to the police station in one of the copper cars, and when they walked me into a questioning room I told them everything. What use was there in keeping secrets? They'd caught Mason, and I was exhilarated with relief.

When I'd walked into the office on my way there, I saw a glimpse of him flanked by several police officers- handcuffed and furious. I quickly dipped my head down so he wouldn't see me, but my efforts failed as he roared to life and began to erratically twist and turn to try and escape the officers' arms. When it became apparent he wouldn't calm down, they tazed him and tackled him to the floor, and I was quickly ushered away from the scene down the opposite hall.

I was in that room for over an hour, the police making me deliver thoroughly analysed answers that they claimed were critical to their build of evidence to present to the courts. They didn't want him out on the streets again, and I sure as hell didn't. So, I obliged with their investigation and let them take as long as they needed to gather information.

However, when I was finally released, I was surprised to find my mother sitting in the reception, her head in her hands.

"Mum?" I questioned with surprise, my lip quivering.

She looked up at me, a wild and pained look on her face, then scurried to my side and enveloped me in her arms. "Branwen, oh my gosh, are you okay, hunny?" She looked me up and down, searching for any marks on my skin.

I stiffly nodded, not hugging her back. She pulled back and scanned my face, worry knitting her brows together. "Branwen, what's wrong..?"

I stepped out of her arms, completely conflicted and not understanding the amount of emotions I was feeling. "I just feel like, I don't know." I shook my head. "This all could have been avoided."

She took a step back, like I'd landed a punch at her stomach, and I just stood there helpless. "Hunny, I never knew this would happen-"

"And I never knew something had happened." A deep, gruff voice bit in. I looked up, surprised to see Carter there, and instantly moved to his side, not looking at my mum's face as I did so.

"Branwen, please don't do this...we-we can work through this. I thought I was doing what was best." Plead shone through in her voice, making my stomach churn.

"I'm sorry, mum," I looked at my now dirty trainers and twiddled my thumbs, before looking up at her, "but I don't think you know what's best for me anymore."

I heard her hiccuping as I turned around and slowly walked out the door, then PC Reynolds called her in for questioning. But, I couldn't help but feel a tsunami of guilt hit me at once as I stepped into the parking lot, feeling like I'd just turned her in and everything was my fault.

"Branwen, hey," Carter rubbed my back and forced me to look at him, "don't do that. Don't close in on yourself. It was her decision to lie about what landed you in hospital, not yours." He said the last line bitterly, but I ignored it.

"But she's my mum...she thought she was doing what was best. I-" I lifted the heels of my hands to my eyes to stop my tears from flowing. "I feel like I've just made everything worse."

"How can things get worse, if Mason has been arrested? He can't harm you anymore, and you did what you had to do. You're not responsible for your mum's actions." Carter got me into his car, then got in himself. "Not to mention she never believed he was harming you in the beginning, and made you keep his cheating a secret. How selfish of her to burden you with that? I can't even-"

"Carter, stop." I bit in, massaging the space between my brows. "Please, no more."

"No more? Branwen?! He was going to kill you!" He threw his hands in the air and looked at me in disbelief.