HATE YOU; LOVE YOU

anic surged through me, fierce and immediate. I burst out o

are you heading? We need

alt. I turned around to face him and the others. They

had taken us so long-too long-to crack the case. And now, just when we wer

alled out again,

zing nonstop in my hand as I sprinted down

said breathlessly, my voice breaking as I fough

rely blinking, trying to calm the storm inside me. My heart beat so f

l, I threw some bills at the driver and jumped out, barely he

directed me down the hall. My parents were in the waiting room.

en I s

stic chairs, her face pale, twisted in pain, her eyes blank with devastation. My dad stood

nto the room, and t

ze locke

I

learly in her tear-stained eyes. The s

ped in our neighbour's h

out of everything inside. Mum had told me to look after her. She'd trusted me. B

nosed with asthma at the hospital. That d

I could feel the walls of

ff her and marched towa

Where the hell were you when your

rough the sterile w

e. The guilt. The memories. The fe

ork," I said, my voice

th before she passed out? Is your work more important than your sister's lif

began hitting me-fists pounding aggressively on my shoulders, sobs wrac

ut that only seemed to ignite her further. With shaking hands, she reached for my ID badge,

e. They fell freely, silently, as I stood there motionless. I watched as he led her bac

barely made a sound. But even after her sobs faded, the echo o

at. All I knew was that my eyes never left the emergency room

rd the doctor in unison. I stayed where I was, unwillin

nt relief that softened her face, I could tell Bella w

her did I finally hear the buzzing from my

he caller ID flas

y ID from where Mum had tossed it. I clutched i

ll clinging to my lashes. But the moment I picked

station in the next thirty minutes, consider yourself t

our boss on

by my dad's voice behind me.

," I said quickly

he's going to b

till needs to run a few more c

ateful but s

nd up trapped in a room filled with smoke?" I asked, de

rom her phone charger-it was still plugged in. By the time she wo

he weight of his wo

ck to him. That same pitiful look was in his eyes

... don't hate her too much. She'

did. The only thing I kn

ated, I couldn't even fake a smile. I didn'

just

oss. Your mother and I will take care of your sister," he said, gent

rry a call. He called earlier and said he couldn't get hold of

llowed by the horizon as dar

orner hinted that something good must have happened. I spotted Samuel at t

his conversation with the officer had ended. T

?" I asked. But even before he replied, the smile

d, and I let out a deep breath. It might

id you leave the way you did? You were this c

our boss from across the room-staring at me