In the Blink of an Eye

Chapter 15: I'm sorry

"What're you doing here?"

"Coach called a meeting with the whole team. I guess I got here early," Terrance says and I immeadiately call his bluff. I live with Mr. Wilkins! How can he possibly be so stupid.

"Bullshit," I say and I go to close the door but Terrance stops the door with his foot. "Go away, Terrance."

"Can't, doll face. Sorry. I've got business to deal with. Boss's orders," he says and I tense. I open the door and I see Terrance reach for something in his waistband. I then see a gun.

I don't waist a second and I kick his hand away from his gun. I then punch his face and I take his gun. Terrance attempts to punch me but I dodge it. I punch him in his jaw and he staggers back.

"What the hell is going on here," Officer Barnett's voice booms behind me but when I see Terrance charging towards me once again, I act without hesitation.

I pick the gun up from the ground and I hit Terrance on the back of the head, knocking him out cold. I then drop the gun and I push up his sleeve. When Officer Barnett sees the tattoo on Terrance's arm, he curses under his breath.

"Let me bring him in-" he stops talking when he sees me drag Terrance in by myself without problems. I shut the door behind me and I prop Terrance against the wall in a sitting position.

"I would've thought the people searching for you have stopped," Officer Barnett says thoughtfully and I sigh. It's time I tell him.

"They've been laying low because they lost me for... Five years. You know how I've been off the grid? Yeah? Well, that's because I have been homeless for five years. I was kidnapped when I was sixteen but that was a low life gang that hated my dad and his line of business."

Officer Barnett stares at me blankly and I stare at him without a hint of emotion. In his eyes, I see anger, hurt, and sadness.

"Why didn't you come to me?" I look at him with disbelief.

"Oh yes because I definitely knew where you were. All I knew is that you were still on the other side of the country!"

"Well then why the hell did you go homeless?! You were fine in the system!"

"I ran away from the system because three out of four families were abusive! The first family, I didn't last two days before I ran away with the son to the police station it got so bad! The second family I was trapped for two months before I finally escaped! The third family never fed me shit! I was with them for a year and a half. Then, one day, they beat me so bad that I was barely conscious. And you wanna know what happened next?! They left me on the side of the road! The fourth family was the best family the system had for me."

I chuckle humorlessly and I turn away from Officer Barnett.

"That was the last family I was put into. I ran away after I stayed with them for one year... Maybe a little less than that."

"Why did you run away?" Officer Barnett's question was so quiet I barely caught it.

"His people came after me," I say, pointing at unconscious Terrance. "The dad of the family was shot in the leg. He got shot trying to protect me. He was an amazing dad. He had an amazing family, and I had to go and fuck it up. While he was in the hospital, I said that I was sorry and that it should've been me. You wanna know what he said?"

Officer Barnett stays quiet and it's then that I realize everyone standing around watching, but I couldn't care less right now.

"He said, 'there are times when you have to be selfless. Then, there are times to be selfish. But when I jumped in front of that bullet, I was both selfless and selfish at the same time. I wanted to save you so you'd be okay, but I also wanted to save you because I love you like my own daughter and I didn't want to lose you.'"