JADEN
The anxiety is killing me by the time I park the car at the hospital. I've been procrastinating coming in here, but I need to find out who's behind my accusation. Jess holds my hand as I rest my head on the steering wheel and try to calm down my breathing.
"You can do this. I know this is unpleasant, but finding out the truth will help you to move on."
"Every second I spend in his presence will feel like too long."
Jessica nods in understanding and we get out of the car. She finds out the room number from the clerk at the information counter. I've been cleared of all charges, but I don't know if he has given any instructions to the staff about stopping any visits from me. Jess holds my hand as we walk through the corridors and it makes me realize how much I miss us. I'm still hopeful of rekindling our relationship.
Once we arrive in front of the room I take a step back and try turning around. Jess holds my hand with a strong grip and pulls me back.
"You owe it to yourself, Jaden. I'll wait right outside this door."
Once I open the door, I fear moving past the curtains, but I hear the TV above his bed and a deep chuckle followed by a cough. They might have cleaned up the bastard, but a few limbs are in casts, his whole face is battered and his lip is stitched. This is exactly how he left my face when I was thirteen. His eyes widen when he sees me standing at the foot of his bed.
"You! You are supposed to be in jail!" His voice is full of panic.
"Of course not. I'm not in jail because I didn't do anything wrong. Who did this to you?" I keep my voice low, but the tone I use is strict.
Caleb avoids my gaze and seems to be regretting the situation, a sign that something else is going on.
"Who did this Caleb? Why am I being framed? Why do you want me back in jail? Answer that!"
His face features change and his usual cocky smile reappears.
"So... Little Jaden has an enemy and he doesn't know about it," he says in a ridiculous sing song voice.
Before he can act, I move towards him and grab his hospital gown, lifting him up from the pillow. He winces and coughs, but I don't budge. I'm fed up with the games, with the abuse he's put me through. I'm not a kid anymore and I'm much stronger than his pathetic, alcoholic body is.
"I will hate you for the rest of my life, and you are giving me many reasons right now to commit a real crime and go back to jail," I say through gritted teeth.
"I don't know him, never seen him before around Lonstino," he says and I let go of his gown. "He said you had something that's his and wanted revenge, paid me a shitload of money to hurt me and accuse you. He knows we are related and that you have been to jail, but I don't know how he found about that."
"What's his fucking name?"
"He never said it. After I went to the garage, I headed to the bar nearby. He approached me and proposed that to me."
"You will pay for every single thing you have done to me. I swear you will."
Jess watches me with concern the moment I walk out of the room and grab her roughly by her hand. We make it to the car and my hands shake as I try to put the key in the door lock.
"I will drive," Jess says in a firm voice and I don't feel like arguing with her.
I hand her the keys and walk around the car to take the passenger's seat.
"Where do you want to go?" She asks while reversing the car.
"The police station."
I watch the buildings go by as I stare out of the window, and feel grateful when she doesn't press me for details. I should have done this years ago, but I was too young or cowardly to do so.
"Do you want me to come inside with you or should I wait here?" Jess asks as soon as she turns the engine off.
"I need you to come with me. I love you Jess, and it's time I take charge of my life and seek justice."
Jess smiles at me and we get out of the car. When we walk inside the station, one of the agents who arrested me looks confused.
"What are you doing here Stone? You were cleared of all charges."
"I need to see Davids. I want to press charges against Caleb Bush."
"Ill check if he's available," he says and Jess and I take a seat on one of the benches.
Davids walks into the reception area and motions at us to follow him. Jess watches me with an expression I can't decipher. She means everything to me and what I'm about to do will show her that I mean it.
"So you want to press charges against your uncle," Davids says as he sits behind his desk. "What's the situation?"
Every detail of my life is discussed in this tiny room that smells of stale coffee and moldy air. From the moment he was assigned as my guardian when I lost my parents to the most recent hospital visit. We talk for hours and Davids types away. Jess couldn't contain her tears as I told him about the night I ended up at her house, and how he viciously attacked me for coming home late. Jess and I had been on that evening at the fairgrounds and we had our first kiss. I rushed home and Caleb found me starting dinner when I should have been done by then. He grabbed me by my hair and hit my face repeatedly against the kitchen wall. When I regained consciousness he was nowhere, so I escaped to Jess' parents who took care of me until Caleb came back and threatened them.
I also relay the information about every occasion where I ended up with a fracture and how he made me lie at the hospital. Each time he told me that now I had a few broken bones, and that the next time he would make my death look like an accident. I'm sure there are enough hospital records around that will prove how many times I had to visit the emergency room. When I told Davids about the night he sold my body to a junkie in exchange of drugs, he stopped typing and placed his head in his hands. When I finish talking, I feel exhausted.
"Jaden, I have so many charges in here that I don't know where to start," Davids reads from his monitor and shakes his head. "Negligence, abuse, assault, sex trafficking and so much more. Why did you take so long to do this?"
"Shame mostly. I didn't want anyone to know exactly what went on, but I just can't keep it inside of me anymore. It's ruined my reputation, it's messing with my life and I want to be happy."
"And you have witnesses to these events."
"I'm one of his witnesses," Jess says.
Jess has known me forever, and knows how many times I came to school with bruises or a cast. She was ridden with guilt when she saw me the next morning at her parents, because she thought it was her fault that I came home late. Jess also found me in Greenwood as she was already in college and saw me at my worst, when I was drugged or drunk, and brought me clothes and food. I didn't want her to see me like that and it worried me that she wandered through dodgy streets trying to find me.
I give Davids the contact details of the people who can give faith that all I've said is true. My biggest witness is Fiona who knows about me more than anybody else, apart from Jess. Jess gives her statement in private as I wait outside and drink a cup of water. When she's done, she walks out of the office with Davids and I join them.
"If after I talk to Fiona Connor your story checks, Bush will be put under arrest at the hospital. Once he's released we'll book him. My advice is to stay out of his path and cut contact."
Jess and I thank him and return to the car. Before we sit inside, Jess holds my hand, then kisses me.
"You were so brave and it makes me proud. It's time that he pays for the abuse he's put you through. People will know who's really at fault and they will see that you were his victim."
"I stopped caring a long time ago about what people think of me. I don't want anybody's pity. I've made mistakes, and those are on me, and can't turn time back to change things. I also did my time for those mistakes and since then I've worked my ass off to contribute to society. From now on, I want to live in peace and be happy, hopefully with you."
"Have you forgiven yourself?"
"I'm on the way there, but today was a good beginning."
"I'm ready to take you back."
The tears I've been trying not to shed flow down my face as we hug. She's all I've ever wanted, my first love, my first kiss.