Page 5 of Wrapped in Perfection

She tilts her head. "Ma'am, this isn't the first time he's hit you. We have the report when the neighbors called the last time."

More shame fills me. I glance out the window. "That was over a year ago and my fault."

She picks up my hand. "Nothing is your fault."

I turn to her. "You don't know. You don't live with us. It was."

"No," she insists.

A male officer, who my brother knows, leads Chase into the bedroom.

Chase goes into my closet and grabs my suitcase. "You have five minutes to pack, Anna."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're coming to Chicago with me."

"No, I'm not. Mitch is hurt. If I leave..."

"This is over," my brother yells.

"Calm down," the officer states.

Chase takes a deep breath. His hand is swollen and face is bruised. "Give my sister and me a minute, please."

I rise and go to the window.

I can't leave him. He'll be so angry if I go.

He's going to kill me.

No, he didn't mean it. He's under a lot of stress.

Why did I have to screw up today?

"This is a misunderstanding. I didn't have dinner ready. I got caught in the rain. I just...just..." I start to sob, and Chase pulls me into his arms.

He sternly says, "Anna, we're going to Chicago. Pack, or don't, but we're leaving in four minutes. You are not staying with him. And even if you tried, the police are requiring you to stay apart right now."

I can't talk. My brother's arms feel so safe, and I hate that they are his and not Mitch's. That I've failed to maintain my relationship, and Chase has to be the one to comfort me.

If he hadn't shown up, Mitch might have killed me.

He wouldn't.

His eyes were scarier than last time.

It only happened once before. Mitch promised me he would never do it again. But I've never seen his eyes so dark and so much hatred in them before.

I take nothing but my purse. In a haze, I get on Chase's plane and fly to Chicago with him. He tries to talk to me, but I can't do anything except cry.

I have so much guilt over what happened. And I'm embarrassed my brother witnessed everything.

When we land, Vivian is waiting in the car.

Her face falls when she sees us.

I cry all over again, and she hugs me.

---