“No need to apologize, Cooper.” Her voice is back to that of the kind woman I’ve gotten to know over the past few months. “You just take your time. When you’re ready, you can tell us what happened.”
With a deep breath, I nod and begin. Teddy grows more and more tense the longer I speak, and by the end of the story, we’re both shaking. Me from the adrenaline dump, and him in anger. I feel myself sliding into that safe space in my mind, but before anyone can notice, Jillian becomes a whirlwind. Photos of the bruises on my face and elbow are taken. The officer is sent to arrest Silas and get photographs of his ribs as well. By the time she’s done, Silas has three new charges on his docket: witness tampering, sexual assault, and violating a restraining order.
“Unfortunately, the judge has agreed to give the defense three additional days to prepare for the added charges,” she says, sounding contrite. “We won’t go to court until Thursday. I’m so sorry.”
I just shake my head and hope nobody notices when my voice comes out slightly robotic. “Don’t apologize. You are doing everything in your power to make sure I get justice. If I have to wait another three days for that, then so be it.”
“If his lawyer is even a little bit capable, he’ll push for a deal. Then you won’t even have to go through with a trial.”
That manages to pull me out of my head. “No,” I say firmly. “Under no circumstances do I want you to offer him a deal. I might have before this, but he attacked me in a courthouse. He would have raped me if I hadn’t gotten away. He hasn’t changeda single bit. He doesn’t get off light. He will face a jury and get every single year he deserves.”
Silence echoes around the room after my speech until Jillian steps forward. “Okay, Cooper. If you want to throw the book at him, then I’ll paint a bullseye on his forehead. Sound good?”
My responding nod is a little more curt than I intended, but oblivion is calling, and I don’t have the bandwidth to apologize for it. Standing, I turn to Teddy. “Can we go back to the hotel now?”
“Of course. Do you want to stop for food on the way?”
I shake my head. “I just need a shower.”
Everett
The drive back to the hotel is silent. I can see the questions swimming in everyone’s eyes. Thankfully, they don’t press. LB sits in the passenger seat. He’s been staring out the window the entire time. I’d be more worried, but he’s been gripping my hand and rubbing circles against my skin with his thumb. The contact does a lot to ease my anxiety.
When we arrive, LB slips from the SUV, and I turn to face our family.
“Everett, what happened? What’s wrong with my son? Why didn’t we have court today?” Mom is the first to speak, but the same questions are written across everyone’s faces.
“Silas sexually assaulted him earlier in the restroom.” They all start to speak, but I press on, not giving them the chance to interrupt. “New charges have been drawn up. The judge is giving the defense a few extra days to prepare. So we don’t go back until Thursday.”
“That good-for-nothin’ rat bastard.” (Narrator note: this is said by Nyla)
“I’ll fucking kill him.” (Narrator note: this is said by Max)
“I know a guy.” (Narrator note: this is said by Lane)
They’re all talking over each other, but before they can really get on a roll, I hold my hand up. “LB might need a little space. I know you all love him and mean well. He knows that too, but we can’t overwhelm him. He’s gone to shower now. I’m gonna order in some dinner for him. Can you all wait until morning before you approach him? Please?”
“Of course, baby. You just let us know if y’all need anything, and tell Cooper that we love him.” (Narrator note: this is said by Nyla)
“Yes, ma’am.” Exhaustion weighs me down as I exit the vehicle. I leave the keys with Max in case anyone needs to go somewhere tonight, then I busy myself with ordering a pizza on the way up to our room. Inside, I take a seat at the end of the bed and wait.
Even from my seat on the bed, I can see LB’s skin is pink when he exits the bathroom. He heads towards me, cocking his head when he spots the pizza boxes sitting next to me.
“I ordered before I came up. I should have waited, though. They’re a little cold now.”
“Thank you for thinking of me. I’m sorry I took so long.”
“You could have spent two days in there, for all I care. Don’t apologize for doing what you need for your mental health.” At my words, his shoulders, which had gotten tense during his apology, relax. I pat the bed beside me. “Wanna eat?”
LB steps into the space between my legs. His fingers thread into my beard, and then he’s kissing me like his life depends on it. Just when I start to feel a little lightheaded, he pulls back enough for us to breathe.
“I need you,” he says, voice rough.
“I’m yours.”
At that, I expect him to close the small space between us. Instead, he pulls farther away, his face a portrait of nerves. I’m about to ask what’s wrong when he speaks up.
“I—I want to try something different this time.” Fear is shining in his eyes, but there’s a determined set to his jaw. The realization of what he’s asking hits me like a freight train. I trust him to know his limits, but I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t check in.
