A North Carolina Autumn

Chapter 11

3.19.2022- I'm sorry this is a shorter chapter, I was going to try and lengthen it, but I'd rather get another chapter out instead haha. I'll post the next one as soon as I can!

The moment I get home from work, I get a phone call I wasn't expecting. "Hi, William. How are you?"

"Hey, Aspen. I'm alright. How are you holding up? I heard about Rylie."

You and everyone else.

"I'm okay. It's been really hard, but so many people have been willing to help."

"That's wonderful to hear. She'll pull through." He says confidently.

"I hope so."

"So, the reason I'm calling is not great news, but I thought you deserved to know. Gabe was killed yesterday."

As the words leave his mouth and travel through the phone's speaker, I'm thankful I'm no longer driving. A shock travels through my system, and I feel my legs turn to jelly. I sink onto the couch, thankful for its support.

"He's... dead?" My voice sounds small and faint.

"Yes. I'm sorry to break the news to you this way. Are you okay?" William asks.

No. I was most definitely not okay. But I suddenly had to get off the phone. "I'm fine. I'll be fine. Thankyou for telling me, William. I've got to go."

"Okay. Hey, keep me posted on Rylie."

"I will. Thanks. Bye, William."

"Goodbye."

I quickly hang up the phone, dropping it onto the couch beside me as the tears form in my eyes.

Why am I crying? This is Gabe! He beat me and raped me, I hate him!

I couldn't understand. I didn't really want to understand. But after a moment, I finally got it.

I was finally, truly free of Gabe. These tears weren't all sad, although some were. Despite my hatred for Gabe and the things he did to me, the way he broke me, he didn't deserve to die, right?

I put my head in my hands as the tears continue to fall. I didn't know what to think.

Harvey, proving once again that he was the sweetest dog, hops up onto the couch to lay beside me, resting his head on my lap. "Hey buddy." I say, a mix between a laugh and a sob following after my words. "I can't be here right now, what do you say we head over to the hospital?" Harvey cocks his head to the left and I laugh. "Okay. I'm going to call Hadley real fast, and then we'll go."

I pull up Hadley's name in my phone and click call, and she picks up on the first ring. "Aspen, hey! What's up?"

"Hey, Hadley. Are you busy?"

"Not at all. Are you okay?"

"Honestly, no. I mean to call you earlier, but things happened..." I pause and take a deep breath, wondering where to start. "Gabe is dead." I say simply.

"Oh. You found out..."

"You knew?"

"Yeah, I found out a few hours ago. I'm so sorry, Aspen. I wanted to tell you, but I needed to figure out how..."

"No, it's okay. Do... do you know what happened?"

"I do... but it's ugly." Hadley replies hesitantly.

"Tell me. Please."

"He was outside during his free time, and I guess a bunch of guys had heard what he'd done to get in there... and they jumped him. He was pretty much beaten to death."