DESCENDED

UNWANTED

"He's in some of my classes," I reply. Trying hard to remember.

"Were you and Jacob involved in any way? We found your DNA on his body, and we have evidence that he might have been the one to do that to your face," the officer tells me.

Suddenly, a flash of me running through the field flashes through my mind. Someone was chasing me. And then that someone became Jacob. He tackles me to the ground and starts hitting me.

"Are you okay? Do you remember something?" Aunt Sarah asks.

"It was Jacob. He followed me from the library. Only, I didn't know it or who he was at first. I got scared, started running, and he chased me. Tackling me to the ground and dragging me into the woods. He wouldn't stop hitting me and I blacked out," I recalled.

"We're very familiar with Jacob's work. He's not a nice guy. The last girl he did this to left town and her family didn't want to press charges," the officer tells me. "Did you see anybody else there last night? Because someone did a number on him."

"No. I passed out after the first few blows to my face," I shake my head.

A nurse comes into the room to press some buttons on the machine next to me. Then she examines me while the officers ask me more questions. I try my best to answer, but knowing I look like I just lost a boxing match, and Sebastian is here watching me... I feel a little self-conscious. My hair is all over the place, my face is puffy, and I'm sure I could probably use a toothbrush.

"I want to go home," I announce to no one in particular.

"You can't go home yet, Angelique. We have to make sure you're well first," Aunt Sarah tells me.

"I feel dirty, and I ache all over. I just want to go to sleep."

"You found her?" Samuel rushes over to me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I just want to sleep," I assure him.

The nurse places a cold pack against my eye, and I wince from the pain.

"You look like crap," Samuel points out.

There was no way anyone could be this insensitive. Samuel is either an idiot, or he's trying to make me uncomfortable on purpose.

"I'm not in the mood for you right now," I wave him away.

"Oh, come on. I'm not that bad," he winks.

"And you are?" Aunt Sarah eyeballs him and Sebastian.

"Samuel Demonti."

She looks to Sebastian next.

"Sebastian Christiani."

Satisfied, Aunt Sarah turns her attention back to me.

"What were you doing at the library? And why didn't you call us to let us know so someone could come pick you up?"

"I needed to do research for an assignment, and I lost track of time. By the time I looked up, you guys were all at choir rehearsal, and no one was home when I called," I answered.

"You could have called me," Sebastian levels me with a look.

"And why would I do that?" I snap at him.

Aunt Sarah picks up on the tension between the two of us and smiles. My hostility towards him has betrayed me more than I wanted it to.

"About yesterday...I-"