If No One Else

ᶜʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ ⁴

4.  b r e a t h e   f o r   m e
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"Hey, did you ever find out who busted up your car from a few nights ago?" I look up from my computer as Wilkinson leisurely leans against my desk with a knowing smirk plastered to his lips.

"Uh- Yeah, it was this girl named Chandler Donovan," I reply, quickly glancing up into his eyes before turning my attention back to my screen.

"Oh, that's golden! I told her not to get into anymore trouble, then she goes and trashes a police officer's car out of all things." He shakes his head as he blows out a light chuckle.

"So you're already familiar with who she is?" I ask, not giving Elijah the courtesy of looking up into his eyes this time. I'm not sure he would like to see the emotions showing through them.

"Herrera, it's a small town... of course I know her! I've known her since her family first moved to town like 8 or 9 years ago. And her and my sister are pretty close, so I was kinda forced into knowing her." he waves me off with a deep laugh as if the answer should've been obvious, which now looking back at it, it is.

"Her parents aren't too spectacular. Crazy rich, but they probably wouldn't bet their fortune on knowing a single fact about that kid. She's been alone for as long as I can remember, and she struggles a lot, but she still hasn't completely given up and I commend her on that."

"Struggle is an understatement. I haven't even been here for a month and she's already giving me problems." I roll my eyes, hating how much sympathy she was receiving for being a terrible person.

"I can admit, she can be a handful at times, but our job would be a lot less fun if she ever decided to move away."

"No, your jobs would be a lot easier if you gave her the consequences she deserved," I correct, now turning my full attention to Wilkinson. "I can't even remember how many times she tried to bribe me that night I crashed her party, and it really makes me wonder how many other times that same bribe got her out of previous legal situations..." the suggestion is clear in my voice, there's no hiding the fact that I didn't agree with a lot of the protocols- or lack thereof- enforced in Kenton Grove's police station.

"Herrera, she's young and dumb... she's gonna make mistakes. You have. I have. We all have and will continue to. We didn't become police officers to take down the big bad teenage partygoers; we did it because there's a lot of bad in the world that would go unnoticed or unsolved without us."

"I've seen her records... mistakes aren't supposed to happen that many times, Elijah." The words fall from my lips harsher than I intend for them to, but they're out too fast for me to correct it.

"She's not a bad kid, she just needs some guidance." He folds his arms across his chest as he raises a brow down at me. "Seems the dislike is mutual between the two of you, and for good reason. She wasn't lying when she said you were a dickhole."

"If having a conscience and common sense makes me a dickhole, then I'll gladly accept the title." I say defensively.

He throws his hands up exasperatedly, the irritation clear in his usually relaxed expression that's now scrunching up and frowning with emotion. "Well, since you feel so strongly about it, you have all you need to go put out a warrant for her arrest. Be my fucking guest, since you're the moral police now!" His eyes flash with a dark streak of annoyance as he pushes away from the desk and grabs for the few personal items he has sitting on my table.