My Savior

-31-

Sage's POV

"I wish I could go in with you," my mom said as she gave me a tight hug. "But I'm sure it will go ok. I'll be waiting for you out here."

"Ok, mom." I took a deep breath before stepping into the office. I was really nervous. I've never spoken with a lawyer before. My dad told me that lawyers aren't as scary as they seem, and they just want to help you win your case. I suppose I don't have any reason to worry.

I stepped inside.

"Good morning, Sage. My name is Georgina White. Please take a seat," said the attorney. I sat down in the chair in front of her desk. It was firm but comfortable. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing alright, but I'm a little nervous," I admitted.

"Understandable. This kind of stuff can be nerve racking. I promise I don't bite." She smiled reassuringly. Georgina had soft blue eyes, and her platinum blonde hair was cut just below her ears. She was dressed in a white button up shirt and a black blazer. I'm guessing she was in her mid forties. She wasn't very intimidating, so I relaxed a bit. "Are you ready to start?"

I nodded. "I think so." Not like I had much of a choice.

"Alright. I have your statement from the police. Is it ok for me to go over it with you? I want to make sure everything is correct or see if anything needs to be changed." I nodded again. "Thank you." She pulls out what I think is the statement and puts on thin glasses. "The perpetrator is Rick Owens, correct?"

"Yes. Rick is my ex-boyfriend. We had been together for five months when... it happened." I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "I broke up with him after that."

"Do you remember what day this happened?"

Despite it being so long since it happened, I still did remember the date. "September 14th, 2019."

She scribbled the date down. "And you were seventeen when the incident occurred?"

"Yes, and I turned eighteen a month later," I responded.

"How old was he?" she asked as she adjusted her glasses.

"Twenty."

She started making notes. "How did you meet him?"

"I met him through my older cousin, Greg Smith, who's also twenty. They went to high school together and Rick lives with Greg. I knew Rick for almost a year before I started dating him." I used to hang out with Greg almost everyday, so I saw Rick frequently. At some point I started liking him. Thinking about it now, I don't know what I even liked about him. I guess I thought he was funny, or that he made me happy. I now realize that he had always been a douchebag.

Georgina's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "During your relationship with him, was there ever any acts of violence towards you? Or had he ever tried to make sexual advances before?"

I sat quietly for a moment, thinking of every time he had hurt me. Whether intentionally or accidentally. "Rick was... he had anger issues. It wasn't uncommon for him to insult me, call me names, or manipulate me. He was verbally and emotionally abusive, but he never attempted anything like that. I guess I never left him because I was scared," I finally admitted to myself. I briefly paused to maintain my composure. "He wasn't violent until the day I broke up with him. He slapped me across the face and my dad had to pull his hand off my arm. Once I was nine weeks pregnant, Rick came to my house and tried to assault me again, but my current boyfriend protected me." Thinking of Ryder was the only thing that was keeping me calm. I would give anything to have him by my side right now.