Chapter 10
“Mom?Mom!”I cried,clutching Pamela.
A large,bulky man in a police uniform pulled me up from the floor,forcing Pamela to follow.I tried to push back so I could stay,but it proved useless,the man being as strong as a bull.My sister clung to me,tears pouring down her cheeks.
He ushered us into the kitchen,where several other police officers waited.The first officer motioned for us to have a seat at the table,which we did.
Pamela scooted her chair closer to me and grabbed my hand.I squeezed hers to let her know I was there for her.We would get through this together.I had failed my mom,but I was notgoing to fail my sister,too.
My eyes scanned our tiny kitchen for Jeff,but I couldn’t find him.Dread swelled inside my chest and I jumped from my chair.
“Jeff?”I called,my voice filled with panic.My heart raced and a bubble of fear pushed at my chest.
“Hey,”he said,resting his hand on my shoulder.“I’m right behind you.”
I swiveled to see him and he squeezed.A paramedic stood next to him,checking his cuts from the glass.He had quite a few,but all pretty small.
“Are you okay?”I whispered,ashamed he’d gotten hurt because of me.
He squeezed harder and nodded,trying to reassure me.“Just minor cuts.Nothing major.I’m fine,Aaron.”
His touch had a calming effect and the panic faded as I sat down.“Don’t go anywhere,”I begged,“please.”
“No way am I leaving without you,”he whispered,his voice firm.
I saw my dad being carried out on a stretcher.I also noted the handcuffs,and a weird desire to smile hit me,which only pissed me off.Who the fuck smiles when their mom could be dying?
Once officers took him outside the house,an older man in uniform sat in a chair next to me.“I’m Officer Benjamin Dyer and I have a few questions for you,okay?”
I nodded my understanding as he asked Jeff to give us some privacy.He stepped back,but stayed in the kitchen with us,leaning against the door jamb with his arms crossed.Jeff’s jaw clenched as he stared directly at the officer,almost daring the man to tell him to leave.I was kind of impressed,actually.
Officer Dyer sighed as he glanced between the two of us,as if trying to decide if separating us was worth the effort.Apparently not,because he turned back to me and started talking.I really tried to listen and answer the multitude of questions he asked,but I had a hard time concentrating.I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure Jeff was still there.Each time I turned,his blue eyes caught mine and he nodded,somehow comforting me and letting me know it was okay to continue.
They wanted to separate Pamela and me and interview us alone,but my sister refused to leave my side.She agreed to answer questions as long as I stayed with her,which was good,because I hadn’t been at the house when the argument started.
I felt numb.The house had become a flurry of activity,yet time seemed to drag.All I could think about was my mom and what was going on in her room.
I shouldhave killed my dad.I shouldhave fought him years ago.I shouldhave protected her.What kind of man was I?So what if she wanted me to stay out of it?I knew he was hitting her.While tonight was worse than it had ever been,I had always known he had it in himself to kill her.He hated her.He probably hated me,too.If he ever found out I was gay,I was positive killing me was not out of the realm of possibility.
Sounds from the living room caught my attention.I watched as paramedics carried out another stretcher,and then it hit me—here was my mom,broken and bleeding and nearly dead,but for the first time in years,free of the prison in which my dad had trapped her.Suddenly,the chains were on him in a reversal I was sure would stun him.If he ever sobered up,that is.
So many things whirled around in my mind,I had trouble focusing.Officer Dyer was talking with my sister when I felt a warm hand on my back and looked up to see Jeff standing next to me again
He squeezed my shoulder and leaned down.“What can I do to help?Who can I call?”His voice was calming.Soothing.A feeling of security washed over me and smoothed out the rough edges of my fear.I breathed deeply and closed my eyes for a second before letting the air whoosh out of my lungs.“Aaron?”he prompted.
“Yeah,call my grandparents.My mom’sparents.The Olsens.Paula and…and Douglas.They’re in my phone.”I pulled my cell from my pocket and started to hand it to him,but the officer stopped me.
“Son,we need to be the ones to call them.”
I must have looked confused because Jeff leaned down again.“He’s right.Let him take care of it.I should have realized they would have to make the calls.When we’re done here,I’ll take you and Pamela to the hospital.”He glanced at the policeman.“Is that all right,Officer?”
He studied the two of us for a minute,as though determining if we were able to handle this,and finally huffed out his breath.“Well,normally we don’t let minors go until we have a family member that can help.I know you’re eighteen,but your sister is still a minor.”He ran his hand over his head.“If you and your boyfriend want to take your sister with you to County Hospital,I don’t suppose it would be an issue.At least you wouldn’t have to wait here for much longer.”
I stared at him,mouth open.Did he say“boyfriend”?
Jeff took it all in stride apparently,because he didn’t bother to correct him.“Great,Officer.I’ll go wait in the…”He turned to look at the living room,then glanced toward the front door.“Um,how about I just go wait outside?”
“Sounds fine,son.I’ll send them out when we’re ready.”
Jeff pulled his hand from my shoulder and an immediate sense of emptiness filled me.My head shot up and I found him standing close by,his eyes on mine.
He must have sensed my fear because he pressed his lips into a tight line and nodded at me.“I’m not leaving,Aaron.I’ll be here for as long as it takes.”
I breathed in,not caring to analyze why I needed to know he was near me.