Saving Annalise | ✓

xxviii| Pœnitet

"Get out of my room," I responded sardonically, not wanting to be shouted at any longer.

"So this is the norm from now on? You fuck up your lungs by smoking and fuck up your future by not revising. Real smart decision, Chase; clearly turning eighteen has helped you make groundbreaking choices."

"Shut the fuck up Tyler," I bit back, my voice loud enough to almost drown out the busy London streets as I spoke back to my disappointed brother. "You have everything sorted. You're about to graduate from uni, about to get married, already secured a job at your dream accounting firm. You have no right to judge me. You're not in my position."

"Oh yeah, I'll never relate," he started, his voice, once again, sarcastic. "I can't remember what it's like to be in year 13 having shitty romantic relationships and being stressed out. Guess fucking what, I got through it without ruining my future and you will too or so God help me-"

"You'll do what?" I responded immediately, calling on his threats.

Ty let out a cynical chuckle, "no threat I make will live up to the consequences of your own actions. Just know, brother, hindsight can be a pretty shitty thing."

"I guess I'll have to suffer then," I muttered, not really giving a shit about his words, instead staring at the desk he stood beside, desperately craving another cigarette to calm my nerves.

Ty sighed, causing my eyesight to shift from the desk to him, "why did you and Lise break up?"

"Get the fuck out of my room," I responded instantly, not wanting to reveal to my big brother the meticulous details of my relationship.

Tyler left the room, as wordlessly as when he entered, making a point to slam the door behind him. I groaned, a fit of range consuming me as I grabbed the glass ashtray with my right hand, launching it across the room and watching it make contact with the wall, shattering into small fragmented pieces before dropping pathetically onto the ground. The dust and ash which had collated in the tray remained in the air momentarily, lingering before lowering onto the ground.

I grabbed my phone, dialling a number I knew all too well and waiting impatiently for the phone to be picked up, tapping my finger on my bedside table restlessly as I waited for a response.

"Hello?" Scarlet's voice was off guard.

"Want to come over in about an hour?" I asked, cutting straight to the point, not wanting to bother with small talk due to increasing feelings of impatience. 

I needed some sort of release; a distraction, and if Tyler thought smoking was fucking my body up then this was my only resort.

There was a pause at the other side of the phone, "Annalise?" Her voice was quiet and tentative. I grit my teeth at hearing Lise's name from Scarlet's mouth, but I ignored my frustrations nonetheless.

"And I are done," I stated.

There was another pause, causing me to roll my head back so it was resting on the headboard. "I'll be there at seven."

════════

The doorbell rang, and I practically sprung out of bed, counting down the seconds until Scarlet arrived and I could release all of my frustrations. Opening the door, I allowed her to enter, her steps careful and hesitant as she walked into the house she had been in one hundred times before. I don't know why this time was so different.