Wronged

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A/N: Please answer this question for me. <3 ^

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- Anna's POV -

"Anna."

His tone is breathless. His words are breathless. My name is breathless. I am breathless.

I'd heard him on the phone. I'd heard him at school. Not in person. Not face-to-face. Over the phone. It sounds and looks so surreal in real life. I can't believe he is here.

At first happiness and rejoice flooded through me. I could feel it course through my veins and rush in my blood. My heart leapt at the sight of my older brother. But then anger and pain struck it down when it was jumping mid-air. It landed in my chest with a clenching thud, going back to the dark and emotionless pit of emptiness.

I hear footsteps trotting down the stairs to follow after me, and I don't have to look back to know it's Hayley and Nico. They stop just right behind me, saying nothing.

Red quickly flashes in front of my vision, and my hands curl at my sides. I feel my arms shake. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

He slowly steps inside, hands up in defense. "Anna, please just let me-"

"There is nothing to explain," I seethe. My eyes shift to the ground, bouncing all over it in anxiety. "You-You just left me! You left me with him! You knew what he'd done to me!" My voice cracks. "Why did you leave?"

His eyes flash in pain and he stares at me in grief, guilt, and regret. "I couldn't stay. My boss got me caught up in some things that I couldn't escape. It was for your own good. You have to believe that I was protecting you."

"Protecting me?!" I ask, bitter amusement stretched along my face. "Ha! You left me with a monster! He did inexplicable things to me after you were gone, Dakota! It got worse!"

I am exploding. I am doing exactly what I told myself not to do if I ever so happened to encounter my brother again. Everything I kept contained and calm on the inside came rushing out in a tornado storm of disaster and destruction. I hurt so bad, and I want him to just understand how I feel.

"Anna, I'm so so sorry. But you need to listen to what I have to say. You can still hate me if you want after, but you have to let me tell you. Please," Dakota begs, almost looking as if he may cry. It's been so long since he's seen me. I know he didn't want me to react like this at his return. But I believe he anticipated I'd react this way anyway.

His eyes glance behind me at the two people standing there. First on Hayley, and then on Nico, to whom his eyes light up.

"Nico?"

My eyes widen.

"Dude, what the hell did you do?" Nico growls, stepping in front of me. He looks pissed. "What did you do to Anna?"

"You know each other?!" I screech.

What a small world, really.

They seem to ignore me, and Dakota chokes on his words, surprised to see Nico here apparently.

"I-I...she's my sister."

"No," I growl. "I'm not actually."

"Anna don't say that. You need to let me talk."

"I refuse to be related to you. Blood doesn't connect the bond."

"Anna-"

"Everyone shut up for a second!" Hayley yells, breaking the arguing- at least arguing on my side.