Our heads all spin around at the sound of Brody’s angry voice.
“He beat you up and you don’t want to press charges?”
“Don’t yell at her!” Huntley scolds.
“Brody,” Demi says, “He found out about us and got angry. What did you expect? You know he has a temper on him. What we did was wrong. How do I explain this to the police and to my family?”
Brody walks over to us and kneels in front of Demi. “I’m sorry baby, I didn’t mean to yell. But he needs to know that he can’t get away with it.”
Demi cups Brody’s face and the gesture appears very intimate. I feel like Huntley and I should leave and give them some privacy, but I’m beyond fascinated by the tenderness between the two of them.
“He’s right Dem,” I say. “We need to have it seen to immediately. They’ll need to take pictures of your face and get a statement. You might not want to press charges, I get that, but we have no way of knowing whether or not he’ll come back. The least we should do is try get a restraining order. I can call my dad and have him meet us at the police station.”
Huntley grips her hand tight and nods. The look that they exchange doesn’t go unnoticed, something about it unsettles me. Demi sighs, “OK. But then can we go home please?” she pleads, looking at Brody, his expression contrite and angry.
He slips his arms under Demi’s legs, lifting her off the bed. He cradles her in his chest and leaves the room. Huntley and I follow behind and I make sure the front door is bolted until we can get it fixed.
I watch as Brody puts Demi in the front passenger seat of his truck before pulling away.
Huntley’s in my truck when I get in. She’s fiddling with her fingers nervously so I grab a hand and thread our fingers together, hoping to reassure her.
I kiss the back of her hand and say, “Everything will be ok my beautiful girl.”
Her mouth tilts to the side slightly, and I know somewhere deep down she believes me.
I pull away from the sidewalk outside mine and Brody’s house and follow Brody to the police station. I give my father a call and ask him to meet us at the police station. They start processing Demi’s clothes, take pictures of her face and then proceed to take hers and Brody’s statements.
A few minutes later, two officers drag Tommy through the door. When Demi sees him, she immediately stands behind Brody and starts crying. Her tiny frame shakes uncontrollably, making her look like a terrified animal.
Tommy tries to lunge for Brody but the officers stop him. “You asshole,” he yells. “You were supposed to be my friend!”
“I’m sorry we betrayed you. But our friendship ended a long time ago.”
“So that gives you the right to fuck my girlfriend?”
Brody hangs his head and for the first time I can see that he’s ashamed of what he’s done. But I also know he’s the kind of man who will take responsibility for his actions.
“What we did was wrong Tommy, and I’m sorry. But you had no right to do to Demi what you did.”
Brody reaches behind him and pulls Demi to his side. She hesitates, and Brody looks down at her with reverence and adoration shining bright in his eyes and over his features. “It’s ok,” he whispers, “I’ve got you.”
When Tommy see’s the condition of Demi’s face, he pales and stares at her, completely immobilized. The realization of what he’s done hits him like a freight train. “Oh God” he breathes. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…” he trails off, leaving the remainder of what he wanted to say hanging heavy in the air.
Just then, my father walks in. He stops short when he sees what’s going on. “Are you ok son?” he asks me. I nod, “Yeah Dad, we’re fine. Demi is the one who needs your help.”
My father smiles at Huntley and gives her a quick hug before walking over to where Brody and Demi are standing. “Officer Parks, I am this young lady’s legal representation,” he says. His stance is rigid, and you can almost feel the authority roll off his body. The officer scurries behind the desk while my father talks to Demi and Brody in hushed tones.
I wrap my arm over Huntley’s shoulders and pull her into my side. Her rigid body relaxes and leans into mine.
“I’m ok.” She doesn’t make eye contact with me, which is a sure way of knowing she’s lying. But I don’t blame her. In some way she’s trying to be strong for her friend. I get it.
Another hour later, we are finally ready to leave. My father was able to secure a restraining order against Tommy and even called Demi’s parents. Apparently they weren’t too concerned about what happened. They decided to finish their vacation regardless. Assholes. I never understood their blatant disregard for their daughter. At least Demi has my parents and Brody’s parents who pretty much adore her.
We park outside Huntley and Demi’s apartment building and before we catch up with them, I lean over and give Huntley a kiss on the forehead. I so badly want to tell her I love her, but after the last few hours, I can tell it’s just not the right time.
Not yet.
Chapter 17
~Huntley~
It is impossible to describe what it's like to walk into a room and find your closest friend beaten black and blue, covered in a mixture of her own blood and the blood of the bastard who beat her. Finding Demi in that state sucked the air out of my lungs, not only because it was difficult to see her that way, but also because I had been there.
What most people don't know is that it only takes an incident like this to happen to you once, in order for you to understand what it's like for another woman to endure it. It was like a punch to the stomach and enough to break something in me. The look in Demi's eyes when she saw me, told me that she knew I understood. My past wasn't something I openly discussed with her, but something passed between us earlier, something that connected us in an unimaginable way. Her fear became my fear and it stripped away the Band-Aids I'd used to cover up what I so desperately wanted to hide from everyone else.
"Hey, you ok?"
My head snaps up and I find Grayson watching me. We've been back at my apartment for a while now, given the ungodly hour, and I haven't moved from my spot on the couch. The atmosphere in the apartment was melancholic. I’ve been in my own haze ever since we left the police station
I offer him a weak smile but don't respond. He'll know I'm lying if I told him I'm fine, my reaction to what happened to Demi was anything but fine, and if I told him how I really feel right now he'll most likely push for answers. The thought of sharing this part of my past with Grayson terrifies me and has coaxed me into believing that once he knows, he'll leave me. The thought of him walking out on me makes me curl up to his side and get lost in his protective warmth. He kisses me on the top my head and rubs lazy circles on my back. It only soothes my fear-ridden thoughts temporarily but for now, it is enough.
"Where's Brody?" I ask, nuzzling into his strong, safe chest. I'm afraid that if I look into those crystal Jade eyes of his, that he will somehow know I'm hiding something shameful.
"He's with Demi," he replies softly. The sadness in his voice is evident and I know he's worried about the mess Demi and Brody have landed themselves in.