“You’re the ones who found out about this?”
The policeman refused to elaborate any further, knowing that going into too much detail might result in disciplinary action for him. So he just shook his head and waved down a taxi, then got in it and left.
The fact that Miranda had put on her new dress today specifically to show Skylar but was now being made to wear a prison uniform left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Her feet felt as heavy as lead as she stood helplessly by the roadside, staring at the brightly lit-up police station. The building was literally right in front of her, yet she couldn’t bring herself to take a single step forward.
The phone in her pocket rang. Noticing that the call was from Tobias, she cleared her throat and shoved down her swell of emotions before answering it.
“I just got back. Where are you? Why aren’t you home?”
There was a long pause as Skylar inhaled deeply through her nose, then replied, “I’m in front of the police station. My mom’s in there.”
“Send me the address. I’m coming over.”
Just as he had promised, Tobias soon arrived at the police station. The sight of him getting down from his car made Skylar feel as if the earth had finally stopped swaying under her feet.
Running straight to him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head into his chest.
“What’s wrong? You seem upset, did someone bully you?” He asked, running a hand through her hair soothingly.
His voice was low and deep, but gentle.
“My mom is going to be sent away tomorrow, and I don’t know what to do. She was arrested just this afternoon.”
Skylar felt Tobias’ chest rise and fall against her face as he sighed. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? You should have called me as soon as it happened.”
Skylar didn’t know what to tell him. Maybe she hadn’t wanted to cause trouble for Tobias, or maybe she just hadn’t thought about him in her moment of panic.
But Tobias understood the reason why, even if she didn’t say it out loud.
In her book, asking him for help whenever she got in trouble was not an option. Even now, she still stubbornly believed that she could handle everything by herself.
But there were just some things she couldn’t muscle through with pure determination alone.
This situation was completely out of her hands. She was a mere college student with no connections, no community resources available to her, and no social influence.
“How long are you going to hug me for?” Tobias whispered into her ear.
It was only then that Skylar snapped out of her daze, pulling away from him as she wiped at her teary eyes.
“Sorry. I’m kind of disoriented right now.”
Tobias didn’t mind. He was already used to seeing Skylar in a disoriented state.
Patting her back, he reassured her, “Don’t worry. Your mom will be fine. It’s my fault for being too busy and not properly managing my time as of late.”
His tone and attitude exuded an aura of absolute confidence that calmed her nerves.
Skylar couldn’t go into the police station, but the chief of police immediately came out to greet Tobias as soon as the man entered. His attitude was so meek and humble, it seemed like he would have gotten on his knees if Tobias simply asked.
Tobias made Skylar wait in the corridor for him. He then spotted a vending machine that sold various types of snacks and buns, moving to stop a female officer who was passing by.
The officer froze up as she stared at the man in front of her. Standing at a height of nearly two meters tall with a perfectly symmetrical face and deep-set, handsome features, the sight of him made her become much more alert than any caffeine ever did.
Is this the start of my fairytale love story?
“How does this machine work? My girlfriend is getting a little hungry.” The man’s words immediately shattered her fantasy.
He’s lucky he’s so good-looking. I nearly misunderstood this as a very unpleasant way of flirting.
After the female officer taught him how to use the vending machine, Tobias chose a bun, some ham sausages, and a bowl of porridge. To his dissatisfaction, the porridge was cold.
Setting the food on Skylar’s lap, he told her, “Wait here for me. I’ll handle everything and your mom will be out before dawn.”
Skylar’s previous anger towards Tobias’s “punishment” melted from the warmth with which he looked after her.
“Isn’t this all very troublesome for you?” she asked, looking up at him.
He smiled slightly. “Not at all. Make sure to eat everything I bought for you.”
Skylar watched Tobias walk away and strike up a friendly conversation with a few uniformed police officers at the end of the hallway.
What are they talking about?
She peeled open the packaging of the bun and took a bite, recognizing the taste of the coconut-flavored filling.
Time ticked by slowly. Tobias was long gone, as were the several uniformed police officers.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she switched it on to read the new messages from Eva.
