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[ August 14, 2007 ]
Daisy couldn't meet her brother's eyes.
She could feel his eyes on her, though, feel the weight of his hand on her shoulder, steadying her shaking frame and keeping Daisy from falling off the back of the parked ambulance.
The sound of scissors snipping through fabric made Daisy wince and reach up to grip Aaron's wrist. He let out a soft sigh and whispered something indistinct—something like hey, it's okay—before nodding at the concerned paramedic to continue bandaging Daisy's bruised and battered shoulder.
Nearby, the siren of a police car chirped out a warning, the lights turning on as the engine spurred to life. Daisy stared at the window into the backseat. It was dark, but she knew who she was looking at.
Her vision rimmed with red. She blinked, and a tear raced down her cheek, carving a salty track that landed on her upper lip. She tilted her head upwards and met Aaron's eyes.
"This is all my fault," Daisy whispered. "I saw what he was and I didn't walk away—and now—"
Aaron shook his head firmly. "No," he said, voice sharp, eyes sharper. "No, Daisy—this is all because of him."
"But I started this fight," she breathed, another tear slipping out of her eye and cascading down her bloodstained cheek. She reached up and wiped it away, undoubtedly smearing the blood further. "I started it. He was already angry, I knew he was—this is my fault."
"You can tell yourself that," Aaron said softly. "But you're wrong, Daisy. He had you trapped. That was his intention all along—"
"Stop it," she hissed. "Stop that."
As Daisy watched, Aaron furrowed his eyebrows. "Stop what?"
She waved an indistinct hand. "Profiling," Daisy explained. "You're not at work, you don't need to analyze everyone. He's not a criminal."
"He is," Aaron replied. "If you press charges and succeed, he can get convicted with a Class B felony because of the stalking last year—combined with the undeniable aggravated assault, that's at least ninety-nine years in prison."
"But I don't want him to go to prison!" Daisy burst out.
She only heard Aaron say one thing before he turned and walked away. "That's not a choice you get to make."
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