In A Million Years

Chapter 4: Trust

 Alyssa paced anxiously, keeping her arms tightly around herself. Oakley had to be okay. She just had too. Hot tears burned in her eyes, but she blinked them away. Her mom and dad sat nearby, softly talking. Alex had left twenty minutes ago. She didn't want him to leave. She felt safe with him there, safer than she did now, even with her own parents sitting twenty feet away.

Her eyes kept drifting out the window, wishing to see his car. Instead, she saw a police cruiser. She paused and waited to see who got out. Rachel got out with a tired look on her face. Poor Rachel had worked an eight hour shift, only to be called back out. Alyssa sighed as guilt began to creep in again.

Rachel entered the hospital and walked over to Alyssa's parents. Her father stood up and greeted her warmly. Despite all of the relationships that fell apart when Silas had left the department, his and Rachel's friendship had stayed strong. For that, Alyssa was glad.

Alyssa had stopped pacing and sat down in a chair, watching Rachel and Silas talk. Her mind raced. Rachel had come for her statement on what had happened, but she wasn't even sure what had happened. She tried to replay everything in her mind, but it was all a blur. The sound of shattering glass. The heavy footsteps. The low, gravelly voice. It all blurred together, leaving her confused and scared for what would happen next.

"I don't want her near that officer anymore."

Silas's voice travelled through the quiet waiting room. Alyssa sighed. It wasn't the first time she had heard that statement from him tonight. He swore it was all Alex's fault that this was happening. She kept thinking how insane that was. Alex had protected her. He had earned her trust; now, if he could only earn her father's.

"Silas, I think that she trusts him," Rachel responded. "That may--"
"It may get her killed!" Silas exclaimed.

"He saved her tonight!"

"That's another thing! Where was the officer who was supposed to be there? What happened to him, huh?"
"We're doing an investigation into that. Silas, you trust me, right?" Rachel's voice never lost its strength.

He muttered a response.

"Then let me do my job," she smiled. "Ok?"

Cassandra stood up and put a hand on Silas's shoulder. "Let's take a walk, sweetheart."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and sighed. He was so upset at Alex, but Alex wasn't the one who had threatened her or the one who had put her best friend in the hospital. She groaned, dropping her head into her hands. She wasn't going to argue with him. Not tonight. That would only cause more problems. She just wanted to know that Oakley was going to be ok.

*****************

"Listen to me, Walton, you got no right to be accusing me!"

"McGee, you were parked twenty yards from the front door. There was no broken glass and you were the only one in that house besides Aly and Oakley."

"Oh? Aly, is it? Becoming friends now are we? Glad to know that you'll defend someone you've barely known a week and not your best friend since high school!" Kyle exclaimed.

"Kyle," Alex scoffed. "You've deflected all of these questions! You haven't given a sufficient answer! What am I supposed to think?"

"You're supposed to trust me! Not let some stupid girl get in the way!"

Alex sighed. "Ok. You're right. I'm sorry. But will you at least tell me why you didn't respond?"

Kyle sat down across from Alex. "Alright, alright," he sighed. "I wasn't actually there when it happened. I was at the convenience store down the road. It was late and I was falling asleep. I just had to get something."