Page 83 of Teach Me How To Fly

I gulped and felt the blood rushing down my veins. Ender was a threat to both myself and Annalise considering Laura knew about her. If killing Killian could warn Ender that he had to stop, then I would be glad to do it.

The only thing left for me was the choice of whether I should choose the blade or a pistol when I would kill Killian.

26

ANNALISE

Iwas worried I might not recover from the things I’ve found out soon enough to enjoy life again, and nothing worked when I tried to forget them. They were devouring me from inside out, and managed to turn me into their slave for the past couple of days.

Lydia yelling at me and telling me that I’ve ruined her life kept coming to my mind. It didn’t let me rest for a second. I felt the fear growing inside my stomach as I thought about it, but it scared me.

It scared me to the bone that Sylvian was free. How did he escape the sanatorium?

That was the question that didn’t let me rest for a second. I felt as if he was anywhere around me, ready to destroy my life once again — if there was anything left for him to destroy anyway.

I tried to think about something else when my body began shaking uncontrollably.

Then I thought about Maksen. He didn’t reach out to me in any way and it has been almost a week since we came back home. I didn’t know if I made him upset with something, but Iwas aware that if he’d come to me, I’d kiss him so hard he would forget he had ever been mad at me.

I needed his kiss as much as I needed air to live.

I blushed just at the thought of kissing him and even though it excited me, it also scared me considering I got goosebumps instantly. I hadn’t even realized I started playing with my pen on the desk, hitting it so hard I broke it half.

“Shit…”

But the moment I realized what I just said, I covered my mouth with my hand and almost slapped my face. I had to be the Annalise I used to be. I really had to.

I scratched my face, closing the book in front of me and standing up from the chair. I had enough of this today, but as soon as I stepped away, I came to the realization that I had nothing else better to do.

A loud noise came from upstairs which made me arch my eyebrow and look towards the door of the basement. I immediately turned around and hopped up the stairs, wondering what was happening up there. When I opened the door and made my way to the hallway, I felt the fear creeping into my heart as I heard Katya screaming and my father crying.

I ran to them, and as soon as I got upstairs to Katya’s room, I saw my father standing above her and trying to stop the blood that flowed on both of her arms.

I covered my mouth with my hand as I stepped forward, the fear running through my whole body now.

“Oh my God!” I yelled and immediately ran to the bathroom to get some towels. “Olivia! Call 911! Call 911!” I yelled even louder, trying so hard not to panic and do the right thing to save Katya.

My father was trying so hard to squeeze her arms and stop the bleeding and as soon as I put the towels around her wounds, I felt the tears running down my cheeks.

I was literally sitting face to face with death herself. Katya’s face was pale, only showing the pain she was going through. My father was crying and for the first time in my life, I saw him actually feeling something other than ignorance for his younger daughter.

She was his real daughter after all.

“Katya, look at me,” I whispered as I squeezed her arms with the towels. “Look at me!” I added and put my palms on each side of her face.

She mumbled something I couldn’t catch, but as soon as Lukyan left the room when the ambulance siren sounded in the distance, Katya slowly moved her head and gripped my hand to make me look her in the eyes.

“Pack your bags, we’re both moving to Maksen’s house,” she whispered and the way her voice was starting to get lower scared me to the bone.

“Calm down, don’t talk too much. There are people who’re coming now to help you,” I mumbled, not knowing exactly what to say.

I just wanted to comfort her, make the pain stop and wipe away what happened. Why did she do this? Did she want to…

No. I couldn’t say it, not even in my head. I refuse to say it out loud.

She didn’t want to do that. She just didn’t.

“The only way he would’ve let you leave was if he lost me forever,” she whispered with a last breath.

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