Page 10 of Branded Hearts

I try to push her image aside, focusing instead on the paperwork in front of me, but her presence lingers, a nagging distractionthat refuses to be ignored. I’m a man of few words, but my mind churns with a sea of unspoken thoughts and unresolved emotions—thoughts and feelings I thought I’d buried deep ever since that night.

I usually do a good job of unintentionally avoiding her when she comes over to hang out with my sister. It’s not that I don’t want to see her, and I try not to be a snob or a grumpy prick, but if I don’t keep my distance, I’ll get caught up with thoughts of her.

Which is exactly what’s happening right fucking now.

With a sigh, I stand up and make my way to the staff lunchroom, in desperate need of a break. It’s only ten in the morning, and I’m already feeling the strain. The familiar routine of grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge helps to ground me, if only for a moment, before I return to my desk.

As I walk back, I pass by officers engrossed in their work or chatting too loudly for my liking. Mornings at the Wattle Creek station are usually calm, filled with reports from the night before, minor traffic issues, and the occasional retail or school-related call. It’s a welcome respite from the chaos that often descends upon us during the late afternoons or nights.

I’m grateful for my shift rotation, four days on, four days off, with each fortnight alternating Mondays off. It’s a schedule that allows me some semblance of normalcy, a luxury in our line of work. But as always, things can change in an instant, and I try not to take this stability for granted.

Daniels, full name Sebastian Daniels, has been working with mefor the past few months, and sometimes, I forget how much older he is than me. At thirty-five years old, he acts like a fucking child most days. While I’d never admit it to him, he’s grown on me. Despite his occasional immaturity, I see a good man beneath the surface—someone I can trust, much like I trust my brother Xavier. He reminds me of Xavier in many ways, and perhaps that’s why I’ve grown to rely on him, even if it’s begrudgingly.

I return to my desk, the familiar rhythm of the station lulling me back to a sense of normalcy. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that something has shifted, that the events of yesterday have set something in motion that I can’t quite grasp. And amidst the chaos of police work, amidst the mundane routine of paperwork and reports, one thing remains clear—the presence of Amelia in mythoughts is a puzzle I can’t seem to solve.

I pull my phone out and reluctantly type out a text.

The three bubbles dance as I can imagine Xavier’s mind running rampant, trying to decipher why I’m asking.Just answer the fucking question, I chant silently in my head.

A few moments pass before another text pops up.

Ignoring his question, I just reply with a thumbs up emoji.

It’s about twelve thirty now, and I’m sitting in my car, on our second round of patrolling for the day. This time, I’m behind the wheel, with Daniels in the passenger seat. We’ve been driving around town, observing the townsfolk, yet, somehow, subconsciously, I’ve ended up outside Koala Creek Primary School, about a twenty-minute drive from the main town square of Wattle Creek.

What the fuck am I doing here?The questionlingers in the air. Daniels is absentmindedly scrolling on his phone, not having noticed where we are just yet.

I had asked my brother for the details of Amelia’s school, but I hadn’t really thought through what I wanted to do with the information. And much to my dismay, I’ve ended up out the front of the school. How fitting.

I can’t explain why I’m here, why I’ve driven to this place without even realising it.What exactly do I think I’m going to do now?

This is fucked.

Daniels’ voice breaks through my thoughts. “Uh, care to explain why we are outside Koala Creek Primary School?”

“No.”

“You lost then, mate?”

“No.”

The truth is, I’ve driven here because my thoughts haven’t stopped since the fucking morning.

It’s doing my head in. I’ve never felt these emotions before, and rather than revel in them, I just want themgone.

I’ve tried to rationalise it, to convince myself that it’s just a concern. Concern for an innocent bystander who found themselves caught in a shitty situation yesterday. I’m just doing my due diligence by checking on said innocent bystander.

Yeah, that’s it.

“Just going to check up on something,” I say to Sebastian, my voice terse as I open the car door, but remain in my seat.

“What?” he says abruptly, turning his attention to me, away fromhis phone.

“Hop in the driver’s side. I’ll only be a few minutes or so,” I say back, not bothering to turn and face him. “Keep the car running.”

“What are you doing?”

“I just told you.” I grit my teeth, annoyed by his prying.

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