I've smiled the entire time I've been out here, and my face is starting to hurt.I'm feeling the pain, and it's reminding me of what's going to happen as soon as Kelsea Kepler gets here.I won't be able to keep pushing her on the swing, and I'll have to face what's actually happened to me.
"Hey Mom," Darren waves across the yard, and I know that the time I've been dreading has come.
I'm nervous as I sit in this room, facing the Chief of Police.I've heard really good things about Mason Harrison, and I know he's Darren's grandfather, but it's still intimidating as hell.Darren's dad, Nick, is in here too, and while I do question the ethics, I'm happy to have people that seem to want to have my best interests at heart.
"Do you want Darren in here?"Chief Harrison asks, his dark eyes looking over me.
I can imagine just what he sees.As the day has gone on, the bruises on my face have darkened, and it's hard to form a smile.The muscles are sore from laughing with Nicole, and I so wish I was back in the yard with her.I'm still wearing Darren's hoodie, proclaiming I'm Property of The Laurel Springs Police Department.But I refuse to give it up.I've tucked my fingers under the edges of the spandex cuffs at the wrists.Against my better judgement, I answer."Yes, if that's okay."The longer I sit here under the scrutiny of these two men, I want the one who makes me feel safe.
In the last twenty-four hours, he's become a calming and steady presence when the insides of my body feel as if they're having a dance party to an EDM track.
The Chief gets up and walks to the door, opening it, and then sticking his head outside.Was Darren sitting in the hallway?Because he comes right in, has a seat next to me, and gives me a reassuring smile, before grabbing my hand and squeezing.
He doesn't say anything, but I can feel his gaze on me as I situate myself in the seat, and wait for Chief Harrison or Nick to ask me any questions.
Nick is the first one to speak."Thank you for coming in today.I appreciate it.I know we spoke a little bit last night about what happened, but we need an official statement."
"I understand," I answer softly.
Chief Harrison clears his throat."We got a warrant for the hospital video and they've sent that over.We need to verify a few things for us.I'm apologizing now because you're going to see your attack in real time.I wish we could do this another way."
Swallowing roughly, I nod, and let out a breath."Anything I can do to put this man away, I will."
And then I square my shoulders, and wait for the first questions to be asked.
Chapter10
Darren
I'm beyond thankful that I've been included in this meeting, but I want to rip someone from limb to limb when my grandfather says that they have video.Most of all though, I want to see it.See the face of the man who thought he could touch this woman, the face of the man who thought he'd be able to get away with this because he probably figured she wouldn't have it in her to make a report.
My mind is running wild when I hear my dad begin to speak.
"Okay Macie, run me through the few hours leading up to the incident.Where did you see the man before?"
She's quiet for a few minutes, gathering her thoughts.I squeeze her hand again and she squeezes mine in return.I want to give her every bit of support I can.This is going to be difficult for the both of us.
"I've tried to think back to when I first saw him.It was earlier in the day, like almost mid-morning.At first, I was working in the ER, because there were a couple of walk-in Labor and Delivery patients.Once those were either discharged, or had been transferred to the L&D floor, I got called up to work there.Initially I was doing paperwork for shift change."She stops and takes a deep breath."I was sitting there, and a man walked up to the nurse's station.He introduced himself, and told me that his wife had been admitted, and was in labor."
"Do you remember his name?"My dad asks her.
"Gerald Simmons," she says the words as if they leave a bad taste in her mouth.
Both the men in front of us write down the name, but I don't have to.That's committed to my memory, and I will never fucking forget it.
"Go ahead and continue," my grandfather encourages her.
"So when I looked at the chart, there was a note that said she didn't want others to know she was in the hospital.I told him to please have a seat in the waiting room, and someone would be with him."
Her voice gets much lower, and I have a feeling this is where I'm going to hear what's going to piss me off the most.It takes everything I have to get my shit under control.She doesn't need to manage my feelings when this shit happened to her.
"I went down the hallway and entered her room.She had just given birth, and was doing skin to skin with her new baby.Honestly, I felt like I was intruding on a special moment and I hated to bring this to her right at that time, but I was worried about keeping the man waiting for very long."She stops for a second, taking a drink of water, then forges on."I told her as quickly and delicately as possible that Gerald was out in the waiting room."She stops again, her face taking on a pained expression.
"You're doing good," I murmur to her.I don't miss the way both members of my family eyeball Macie and I's clasped hands.
"The look that came to her eyes sent chills down my spine.That should've been my first clue that something was not right about that man.She told me it was okay to let him know she was there, and the baby was born, but she didn't want to see him.There was a restraining order and she'd given it to the registration clerk who had checked her in.I went to the computer in the room, and verified that information.Then I called security and waited for an officer to come before we went to the waiting area."
I find myself nodding in approval.The woman at my side literally did everything correctly and the world at large failed her, because we let people like this out into that world.If I find this guy, he is mine, for not only what he did to the mother of his child, but what he did to the woman I care about.Truth be told, I absolutely do not want to hear what she's going to tell us, but I know that I want to be the man she needs.
