Free Falling

Chapter 32 | Always

"You're okay?" He asks, almost as if he can't believe his eyes.

"Of course I'm okay. I'm not fragile." I tell him, forcing out a laugh.

He just glares at me slightly, and I sit next to him.

"I'm gonna give y'all a minute." Dwight says, and I give him a grateful smile. He smiles back and squeezes my shoulder before leaving the room.

"What did he do to you?" Jake asks me quietly after a few moments of silence.

I sigh a little, wondering if I should be truthful.

Although, everything is going to come out in trial anyways. I might as well be honest now when it's just us.

Looking down, I clasp my hands together before starting. "He uh...he you know, just hit me and stuff."

"And stuff?" Jake pushes and I turn my head away as a few tears prick my eyes.

"He ripped my clothes and uh," I clear my throat trying to get rid of the lump in my throat. "He touched me." I practically whisper.

It's deadly silent and I look up to see Jake halfway out of the bed in his hospital gown.

"Jake! Get back into bed! Jake stop–" I say, trying to get him to lay back down.

"He's going to fucking die." He says and I can see it in his eyes that he's serious.

"Stop, Jake it's okay." I say softly, still trying to get him to calm down.

"In what world is any of this okay Em?!" He shouts, anger in his eyes. "He almost got you again! And all I did was–"

"Don't go there Jake. Don't you dare put this on yourself, there's nothing you could've done." I say cutting him off completely.

"I just–" He starts but I cut him off again.

"Besides he's not getting off scot free this time." I say, starting to get angry myself.

"What are you talking about?" He asks.

"I told them not to tell you about it until I talked to you, but Jake we're reopening my rape trial." I say quietly, cringing at the word.

Jake goes still.

"I wanted to tell you myself so don't get mad at everyone else okay?" I tell him.

"I don't care about that right now. I'm worried about you. Em, are you sure about this?" He says, concern flooding his face.

"I can't keep letting the people I love get hurt because of me."

"Em, none this is your fault."

"Jake, Austin can never play football again. And even if everyone here is telling me that it's not, I still can't help feeling that a part of it is my fault!"

"I'm gonna murder Chase." He mutters under his breath, causing me to glare at him. "Look Em, it's not your fault okay. It's Mason's. And as much as I want him to pay for everything, I don't want you to sacrifice yourself thinking that you have to when you don't."

I look at the ground and sigh a little bit.

"Jake...it's just not because of what happened to y'all." I say quietly and his eyebrows pull together.

"What do you mean?"

"When I found Mason...he was hitting Bridgett. It makes me wonder what else he's done to her in the past, or what he could do to her when he gets out of jail. He's hurt me so much in just the past year, and instead of going to the police like I should have, I let him win.