Broken Ever After (21 page)

“
You’re a woman, there is no chance I’m letting you free in any of my cars.”

“
You know I don’t have to be driving it to wreck it.” I poked my tongue out at him as he narrowed his eyes at me.

“
You wouldn’t dare hurt my cars missy. You wouldn’t like what would happen.”

“
We’ll see. I’m so buying one of these!” I leaned forward to stroke my hand over the dash. Jamie laughed. Hard. Probably thinking I’d never be able to afford it.

“
You’ll need more than your allowance for this, my Angel.” I snorted. “I’ll buy you one when you learn to drive.” My mouth fell open in shock. I could afford to buy all of his cars several times over if I wanted but he didn’t know that, I kept it all well hidden. Just like he did.

He’d told me, but I wasn’t ready to tell him yet. It was too dark. Far too dark.

We carried on our silly banter all the way to the police station, he helped me forget what we were doing until I saw the sign on the wall. Jamie grabbed the handle to get out of the car, but I stopped him by pulling him back.

“
I just need a minute.” I put my head in my hands, resting my elbows on my knees. “I’m scared.” he began rubbing my back softly up and down.

“
You’ll be fine, I’ll be right there with you.”

“
You promise you won’t leave me?”

“
I’ll try Angel.” he leant over and kissed my shoulder.

We walked in to the station and Jamie spoke to the officer at the desk requesting a private room to discuss what I was there for. A female and male officer joined us in the private room
and I explained everything about last night to them. I explained every reason I could think of as to why Luke would try to attack me, I told them that I never felt like I had led him on and he always knew that I never wanted to go further with him and he said he was taking from me what I’d never given him. I didn’t remember anything between passing out and the police talking to me so Jamie filled them in on the events there. I had no idea that Lily and Violet were right there; I figured they’d be close but I never realised they’d seen anything. Jamie said he’d got them to go out as soon as the paramedics arrived, they were so upset. I felt bad that my friends had to see that but at least it wasn’t worse.

“
What will happen to him?” I asked them.

Officer Stephanie Bradley
shrugged. “Exactly what guys like that deserve, if he confesses then eighteen to twenty-four months or if he denies it and we need to go to trial then probably another twelve months on top of that for the nature of the attempted assault.”

“
Given the state of indecency the officers found him in last night there is no way he can deny it though, so hopefully we will have this all cleared up for you soon enough.” said Sargent Owen Leighton.

“
How am I supposed to tell my parents?” I glanced nervously at Jamie then back to the officers. “Do you know who- Do you have my file?” The two officers looked at each other. I really didn’t want to say it in front of Jamie, I wasn’t ready to tell him, not here. I could feel him looking at me, his concern radiated from him at my mention of having a police file. Steph excused herself and came back a couple of minutes later with a laptop. It was obvious when they had finished reading when they both looked up at me with that sympathetic expression.

“
Olivia Stevens. We never figured. I’m terribly sorry. We can come with you to tell your parents if you wish? We can ring you and get a convenient time, when you know they will both be available.”

“
They work a lot, but both try to have Sundays off, they might be free tomorrow.”

“
Ok well we can both come by tomorrow if you would like? We’ll call you to arrange a time.”

“
Do I need a lawyer or anything?”

“
Not unless he tries to deny what he did.”

Jamie said that if I did then I could use his
and he’d take care of it for me. My family were connected to a lot of powerful people but I didn’t argue.

I left the station in a daze. I wasn’t looking forward to telling my parents what had happened with Luke; they’d liked him after all, not believing what a douchebag he was to me.

Jamie drove in silence, the radio on low as I stared blankly out of the window not seeing anything, not hearing anything, trying not to think or feel at all.

I didn’t realise we were out of the city until I looked around us, finding that we were sat in the car park of a little country pub. I looked up at it seeing its thatched roof and ivy covered walls; a sign pointed behind it to a river. I hadn’t realised I was holding my breath until I inhaled the smell of freshly cut grass coming through Jamie’s open window. I looked over to him. He had his head down looking to his clasped hands, watching his thumbs do rotations around each other like they were the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen.

“Jamie?” He looked up and gave me an apologetic smile. What did he need to apologise for? I wanted to say that I was sorry, I wanted to hug him and go back to Friday afternoon when everything was perfect, when I was the only one dealing with the demon in my head. He was coming back, I could feel him; pushing the frightened little girl to my exterior rather than her hiding in the darkest corner of my mind. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood as I battled with myself over telling him now or not. Tears threatened the corners of my eyes and I pulled my gaze away from him back to the pub. “Did you want to go in?”

“I did… Do you? We can just leave if you’d rather?”

“No- no let’s stay. I looks so beautiful here, please can we stay a while?”

***

“Wow! This place really is so beautiful; I wish I had my camera.” I sighed, taking in all the wild flowers and wildlife on the bank of the river. Jamie caught up to me and held out his hand containing my small digital camera. “Thank you.” I stood on my tiptoes to give him a kiss, snapping a picture of us from the side.

“
I thought you might like it here so I grabbed it.” He followed behind me as I snapped photos of the scenery along with a few of him. “Are you going to tell me what happened?” He asked so softly I wondered if he’d actually spoke. I gave him an odd look before I realised what he meant, I knew I wouldn’t escape that question.

“
I will… one day, I promise. It’s just too soon after everything.” I looked at him trying to hold back tears and painful memories. “I’m sorry, it’s just hard explaining it right and I don’t feel I can word it properly. Maybe I should have just asked them to show you.” I gave him a nervous chuckle.

“
It’s ok, you’ll tell me when you are ready, I’m sure.”

I looked around at the sunset snapping pictures trying to distract my thoughts when I felt his arms around my shoulders
, I lifted my hands to wrap my fingers into his and I shivered noticing how much warmer than me he was.

“
I should get you home.” I looked up at him pleading with my eyes, silently asking him to take me back to his house. I sighed.

“
I don’t want to go home.” I said as I nuzzled into his chest.

“
Will your parents be ok about you staying out again?” I shrugged my shoulders, they knew I’d planned to stay out this weekend partying and celebrating the end of school and they’d probably picked up the night shift at the hospital, they usually did if I planned on staying out.

“
I don’t really care. I’m eighteen and they haven’t called me so they are obviously worried about me.” I said sarcastically but I don’t think Jamie appreciated it. I rolled my eyes as I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialled my mum’s number.

“
Olivia? What’s wrong?” she answered.

“
Why do you always assume something is wrong when I call you?”

“
I don’t know… maybe because you never call me.” She had a point, if I needed anything it was usually dad or Austin I turned to.

“
Do you mind if I stay out again tonight?”

“
That’s what I thought you were doing. Dad and I are still at the hospital anyway.”

“
I am; I was just making sure you remembered.”

“
We’ll see you tomorrow, right? You’ll be home?” Her voice sounded troubled.

“
Yea. You’re off tomorrow aren’t you?”

“
We are. Hopefully we’ll even get the whole day off for once, so we’ll see you tomorrow sweetheart, I have to go.”

“
Bye Mum.” I shoved my phone back in my pocket and smiled at Jamie. “Sorted” I looked around at the rapidly fading sunlight and shivered again.

“
I should have made you grab a jacket or something.” It was nice when we had left his house and I didn’t anticipate being out at night and actually feeling the cool evening creep in. “Come on, I know how I can heat you up.” I looked up at Jamie a little shocked; he winked at me. “The heater in the car works pretty fast.” My shock soon turned to irritation and I scowled at him.

“
I’m sorry we had such a rubbish first date. Do you maybe want to watch a movie or something?” I asked as we pulled up in his garage.

“
No time spent with you is rubbish, Liv.” He lifted my chin with his index finger and placed a soft, chaste kiss on my cheek. It was such a tender move that it twisted my heart and stomach together in a beautifully painful way. “I have stacks of DVDs in the Entertainment Room if you want to go and pick one out?” I sniggered and gave him an odd look.

“
The Entertainment Room?” I made air-quotes around the words as I spoke. “Do all of your rooms have names?” I looked around gesturing to the doors around us, as we walked through the hallway.

“
Are you picking on my house?”

“
Jamie… I live in a house… This…” I looked around “This is a freaking mansion! I live in a Hobbit Hole compared to this!” I flopped down in a heap on the sofa.

He sighed.
“Yeah they do” I looked up at him questioningly “Have names” He explained. “Wanna go exploring? I can show you them all and you can laugh at the names. I didn’t pick them though, so don’t laugh at
me
.” I smiled up at him as he pulled me up from the sofa again. “I never really pay attention to most of this so it’s nice to share it with someone that is actually interested in it finally. A lot of it is how my Grandparents left it, I’ve wanted to change some things but I just never get around to it” We headed to the room I knew to be Jamie’s home office first.

“
No way am I going in there.” I stopped walking, pulling back on Jamie’s hand. “I was looking for the kitchen this morning and saw all of the paper. I’d need a map to find my way out of that maze.” Jamie opened the door and peeked inside, quickly closing the door again and chuckled to himself. He showed me that he had a games room; it was home to a Pool Table and a full sized Snooker Table, several classic arcade machines as well as some newer ones. I begged him to come back to the games room once we were finished with my tour so I could hand him his arse at Pool. I never told him that my Uncle Austin was a Pool freak and had taught me very well. He pulled me down the hall to a big set of double doors and slowly pushed them open, revealing a huge ball room. The ceiling was high, chandeliers hung from it in precise intervals, a huge fireplace sat in the middle of one of the walls, with an old oil painting of the house set above the mantel.

“
So do you actually host balls here?”

“
No, I just use it for family stuff now.” I walked to stand directly in the middle of the room under the biggest chandelier, overcome with the desire to dance under it as light twinkled from it. I could look up and watch it sparkle as I spun underneath it in an elaborate dance, in a beautiful dress, as I imagine many fortunate women had before.

“
Will you dance with me?” I’d wanted to dance with him so badly during my ruined prom and wasn’t sure when I’d ever get another chance to.

“
With no music?” I looked down and shrugged. I knew it was a stupid idea as soon as the words left my mouth. Jamie slowly walked over to me, set his phone to play a piano concerto and bowed like a gentleman before a lady at a ball; I giggled and pretended to lift a ball gown to curtsey to him. His warm hand held mine aloft in a traditional dance pose, his arm slowly encircled my waist and I rested my other hand on his shoulder. Jamie looked uncomfortable at first, but soon loosened up as we swayed there together. I stood with him, staring into his pale eyes trying to count the hazel flecks that dashed through the green as we danced, before I leaned forward and rested my head on his chest. I let go of his hand and moved mine up to his neck, interlacing my fingers in his hair as we swayed. He leaned away from me and tipped my chin up to kiss him, before stepping back and bowing his thanks for our dance and switched off the music. I looked up at the chandelier again and smiled before looking around at everything.

“
Everything here is so beautiful, if it wasn’t for the unfortunate circumstances, I’d say you were very lucky to own it all.” I looked down at the floor, feeling the weight of my own inheritance on my shoulders.