The Depth Between Us

Part 13: Love's to Blame

"We gotta get back to the District." Jay said.

He helped Kiera get into the backseat of his truck, then drove back to the 21st District. Kiera was getting her breathing under control, but she couldn't stop thinking about her best friend.

They got back, then Jay and Hailey escorted Kiera to the conference room. She sat down at the table and fidgeted with her hands on the table while she waited. After a few more minutes, the door opened and Jay and Hailey walked in. He sets a bottle of water on the table in front of Kiera and she takes a few sips of water.

The two of them sat down at the table with Kiera. Jay had a notepad in front of him for note taking, while Hailey held Kiera's hands.

"How are you holding up?" Hailey asked.

"I'm okay." Kiera answered.

"Kiera, listen. I know it's hard when you're pulled back into the situation that you escaped from. But, you're doing the right thing for your friend's sake." Jay said.

Kiera didn't respond. Jay opened up his notepad and clicked the pen, ready to take notes.

"What's the name of Cheyanne's boyfriend?" Jay asked.

"His name is Eric Sawyer." Kiera said.

"When did you first meet him?" Jay asked.

"Umm, the day after we moved onto campus." Kiera answered.

"Did you notice any red flags when you met him?" Jay asked.

"No, not off the bat. But, I did start to see some changes in Cheyanne and how Eric talked to her as the week went on." Kiera explained.

"What kind of changes?" Jay asked as he was jotting all this down in his notepad.

"Whenever I would invite the two of them to tag along to any events or meals, Eric would snap back and claim that the two of them are doing something together. He also controlled her to not have any male friends and kept looking over her social media. Long story short, Cheyanne is a people pleaser and she has a hard time sticking up for herself. There's another thing, she barely responds to my messages and she doesn't come back to our dorm room until around curfew." Kiera explained.

"Why didn't you say something to Cheyanne before?" Hailey asked.

"I did, but she wouldn't listen. Then, she would go on to say that he apologized and that it won't happen again. But, low and behold, it just keeps reoccurring. It's like she stuck in an endless cycle and she can't get out. You both should understand that I know that feeling all too well." Kiera explained.

There was a moment of silence between Kiera, Jay, and Hailey. Then, she started to cry. Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out a tissue to give to Kiera to wipe her tears.

"First of all, love can blind even the smartest people. Second of all, Cheyanne is damn lucky to have you as a roommate and a friend." Hailey said.

"Kiera, I hate to ask you this, but what's your biggest fear about this guy?" Jay asked.

"That he'll keep abusing my best friend and that it will escalate into something much worse. Or that he'll walk free and do this to other girls. I can't let that happen." Kiera answered with confidence.

"Trust me. That's not gonna happen on our watch." Hailey said.

"Do you know where he lives on campus?" Jay asked.

"Yeah. He lives in the Penthouse dormitory, near the gym. Floor 3, Room #13." Kiera answered.

"Perfect." Hailey said.