Secrets revealed silver.., p.20
Secrets Revealed (Silver Valley University #2), page 20
“You’re so ungrateful. And after I bailed your useless ass out of jail,” she scoffs.
“I don’t think that getting on your knees and sucking the police commissioner’s cock counts as bailing me out,” Brody says. “And I paid the actual bail money.”
“Why did you waste that much money? You were free. You could have used it for other things.”
“Like what?” he asks. “I have everything I need.”
“You could have given it to me. I gave birth to you, after all. I think I’m owed for having you ruin my body!”
Brody snorts a laugh. “I think all the cock and random dick you take is the cause of that.”
She glares at him, her lip pulling back. “You stupid little—” She raises her hand to slap Brody, and I let out a little gasp.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” Brody says, grabbing her hand before she can make contact.
“I should have let you rot in that cell. I hope they charge you and you get sent to prison. No one would care if you’re gone. Do the world a favor and leave.”
My blood starts to boil, and I really want to say something to her. Brody’s jaw ticks as he breathes heavily through his nose.
“I don’t care what you think. If anyone needs to fuck off for good, it’s you. When will you get it through your vapid head that no one wants you around? You use Dad like an ATM and fuck anything that looks your way. You offer nothing to this world but STDs. Get the fuck out of my face.”
“I should have aborted you,” she shouts, snatching her hand back.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it before. Now, get lost.”
“Maggie?” someone asks.
Brody’s mom looks up, and her face turns into a fake smile. “Oh, Bob, honey,” she coos, running over to him.
Brody starts to laugh. “And she’s fucking Tim’s lawyer now. This is just fucking perfect.”
I feel bad for Brody right now. I’ve known his mom has always been an issue for him, but in all the years I knew him, I only saw her a handful of times. He never liked to talk about her, and when I did see her, it was in passing. Brody always made sure we left when she was around.
They come back over to us, her arm wrapped around Bob’s waist. “Ellie, honey, I didn’t even see you over there. Look at you. You’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman.”
I don’t say anything, my own jaw is clenched tight.
“I’m so glad you dumped my son. He was never good enough for you. That boy has some anger issues, and I don’t think he treated you like you deserved. Then to get angry when you found someone better. I was sad to hear you didn’t give poor Tim a chance. He’s a nice young man from a good family. He would have given you more than Brody ever could. I still can’t believe Brody attacked him like that! I hope the judge does the right thing and gives Tim the justice he deserves.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” I gape at her. Is this woman for real? “You do know Tim raped me, right? That’s what all of this is about.” I’m shocked, damn near stunned right now.
“Oh, hun, you really shouldn’t use that word so carelessly. It could cause real damage to a young man’s reputation. I think you might have had a little too much to drink that night, and misread what was going on.”
The others start going off on her, making her jump back in shock like she’s confused as to why they are acting like that.
I stand there, numb, wondering if she really just said all that.
“Get the fuck away from her!” Brody shouts. “You crazy cunt.”
“Brody,” Jax says, stepping in front of him. “Let's go. She’s clearly off her rocker. It’s all bullshit to get a reaction out of you. You know that.”
Brody looks like a raging bull right now, and for the first time, I understand why Brody is the way he is. Having to endure that fucked up verbal abuse all the time from someone who should love and care for you...with them reminding you every chance they get that they regret having you, that has to leave deep and mangled wounds. My heart hurts for him. God, this woman is a real piece of work.
“Brody,” I say as I reach out and touch his arm. “Don’t let her get to you. Remember where you are. You don’t want to do something you’re going to regret. Let’s go, I’m hungry. How about we all go out to eat?”
He’s not pissed, he’s enraged. But the longer we look at each other with both mine and Jax’s hands on his shoulders to stabilize him, I can see him start to simmer down.
He looks at his mom and Bob. “Hope you know you’re fucking a married woman. And that married woman is not only fucking you, but half the town, if not all. Enjoy your used cunt.” Brody takes off toward his car as Bob guides Brody’s mom away from us as she screams nonsense. Jax looks at him, then back to me, and I can see he’s conflicted on what to do.
“Go, it’s okay. Meet us at Bill’s Diner if he's up for it?” I give him a smile.
Jax steps forward and places a kiss on my forehead. “I love you,” he says before taking off after Brody.
“Are you okay?” Chase and Theo ask at the same time, then look at each other with a frown. But it makes me laugh, which is something I needed at this moment.
“Yes. But god, is that woman always that awful?” I ask, watching Bob shove her into the car as she fights him.
“That’s not even the half of it,” Rain sighs, watching too.
“Has she always been like this?” I ask. Chase and Rain look at each other as if they’re wondering what they can tell me.
“I’d never agree with what Brody did to you. But the reason why I didn’t kick him out of my life is because I know that’s not the real him. Years of that woman in his ear telling him he’s better off dead and no one will miss him, it did things to his head,” Chase says.
The idea of Brody having to deal with that, the hurt he must feel, my heart breaks. No one deserves that.
“I never knew it was that bad,” I tell him, watching Brody’s car take off out of the parking lot.
“He didn’t want you to know. We’ve seen it since we were little kids. He didn’t want you to see him differently,” Rain says.
“But he’s trying,” Chase says. “He hasn’t drank since the night after he was released from jail.”
“Really?” I ask, sounding surprised. Brody always had a drinking problem; it’s one of the only things we used to argue about. It was an added issue with what happened on graduation night that had me parting ways from my guys and Rain.
“I’m not asking you to forgive him, because he has a lot to make up for, but maybe now you can see why he can be the way he is sometimes?” Chase asks.
“Yeah.” I nod. “I don’t think I have it in me to forgive him yet, because what he did, it was soul crushing. But I will be more open to seeing him try.”
“You’re amazing, babe, you know that?” Chase says, pulling me in for a kiss.
“Eww.” I laugh. “I just puked, you know.”
He just shrugs. “Sorry, I just love you so much. It’s been like what, an hour since I’ve had my lips on you? I was pretty much dying. But don’t worry, that just brought me half way back to life.”
“Oh, really?” I laugh, loving how he can make my crappy mood vanish. “And what would I need to do to make you fully alive?”
“Well, I mean if you really want to know...” He gives me a mischievous grin as he wiggles his eyebrows.
“How about you try not to ravish my girlfriend in a courthouse parking lot?” Theo asks, and I look back at him, giggling as he cocks a brow at Chase. He doesn’t look pissed, just amused.
“I’m pretty sure you mean our girlfriend,” Chase responds.
“Are you two using titles now?” Theo asks with a grin.
Chase’s brows furrow. “Are we?” he asks me. “Are you my girlfriend?”
Before, I wasn’t ready for it to be so official, but now?
“Yes. I think it’s about time you called me your girlfriend,” I grin. His face lights up like I’ve just handed him the moon.
“Fuck yeah!” he whoops, then turns to a group of people walking by. “You hear that? My girlfriend is Eleanor Tatum. Be jelly.”
“Chase!” I laugh at his antics as he scoops me up into his arms and spins me around.
“No kissing!” Theo says before Chase’s lips crash into mine. “If you start, I know it’s gonna be a bitch to get out of here.”
“Fine,” Chase pouts.
“Later,” I tell him, biting my lip at the idea of being with him again.
He gives me a heated look before Rain grabs him by the arm. “Come on, hornball. Let’s get going. You’re gonna see her in a few minutes.”
“Bye, girlfriend!” Chase shouts across the parking lot. “I love you!”
I wave bye, the smile on my face so big it hurts.
“You know, seeing him like that, it reminds me why I’m okay with you being with the others,” Theo says. “He might be a goofball, and has some growing up to do, but I think he’s good for you.”
“He is,” I tell him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Just like you are.”
“I know we both have something in common,” he tells me, brushing my hair off my face.
“What’s that?”
“We both love you with everything we have. And we would burn the world down just to see you smile.”
And just like that, I fall in love all over again.
Chapter 21
Ellie
“You got this, Ellie. Everyone in that room is going through the same thing you are, but in their own way,” I tell myself, taking a deep breath as I stand outside the building that is holding the meeting I’m attending.
I was happy to hear that they had something like this in Spring Meadows. But this building has different offices for different meetings like alcohol, drug, and sex addictions, and so much more. It makes me hopeful that if there’s a place for people who need help or more support, then they can get it.
Gathering all my courage, I grab the handle to the front door and pull it open. Looking down at my phone, I remember to get the room number right before heading down the hall.
One of the things I really liked about this set up is that you keep what’s going on behind the door private. So, if you come in here asking what goes on behind door 33, they won’t answer. Only the people who sign up know what it’s for. I can see how it could help people feel more comfortable about going without having to worry about someone seeing you walk out of the room and know you’re a sexual assault survivor. It’s no one’s business but your own and who you choose to share it with.
When I get to the room, I walk in and I’m greeted by a lady with a nice smile.
“Hello,” she says.
“Hi.” I give her a smile of my own.
“Welcome, and I hope you find comfort in attending today. We ask you to please leave any recording devices here in this basket,” she says, pointing to the one on the table next to her. “We will keep them safe until after the meeting. It’s to make sure all of our members attending feel safe to talk freely.”
“Of course,” I tell her, getting my phone out of my purse and placing it in the basket.
“Thank you. There’s coffee and donuts on the table over there if you would like any. The meeting is about to begin.”
I thank her and head into the room. I’m shocked to see how many people are here. There has to be a good thirty people, maybe more.
My heart clenches as I think about all of them being here for the same reason as me. Knowing that so many people have been taken advantage of, and this isn’t even a number on the scale of how many people have had this happen to them, is sobering.
A man gets up in front of the room to start the meeting, introducing himself as Marty, so I slip into the empty chair in the back so as not to disturb him.
Over the next half hour, I listen to stories from different people. I cry for each of them. None of them happened the same way, but all ended with the same results. They are so brave to get up there and tell their story. That won’t be me today, but I’m hoping if I keep coming here for the next few weeks, I’ll be ready to tell mine. It will never be easy to relay what happened that night to anyone; it’s bad enough to live with the memories, but to say them out loud in front of people I don’t know well, as opposed to the people who mean the most to me in this world...it’s terrifying. But I’m hoping to maybe heal a small part of my heart by coming here.
I’m not looking forward to having the ones I love know the details, though. My lawyer warned me there’s a high chance I’m going to have to reveal everything during my hearing.
“I wanna thank everyone who came today. It’s okay if you’re not ready to tell your story yet. Keep coming here. We want to see your beautiful faces, and maybe someday, you will be ready to share. And if you don’t think that will ever be the case, that’s okay too. There is no requirement to talk. If sitting here and listening helps, then we are happy to help with that too. There’re some refreshments left on the table, and we hope to see you again next week. Feel free to mingle with each other for a little while, there’s no rush to leave,” Marty finishes up.
Everyone stands up. Some leave, some find other people to talk to. I get up and grab myself a coffee. When I’m ready to leave, I get in line to get my phone when someone says my name.
“Ellie?” a shocked voice asks.
I spin around to find Aria standing there, her eyes widened in shock.
“Aria,” I breathe, my eyes stinging with the knowledge of why she’s here.
“Well, this is...an interesting place to meet outside of work,” she says with a nervous laugh as she wrings her hands together.
“A little,” I smile. “But I’m happy to see you either way.”
“Same.” She smiles back. “So, looks like we have something in common.” Then she cringes. “Sorry, that’s a horrible thing to say.”
“It’s fine,” I laugh. “Wanna sit?” I ask her, pointing to a few empty chairs.
“Yeah,” she says, and we sit. “First time here, I’m guessing?”
“Yeah. I thought it was about time to see if maybe coming here could help.”
“I’ve been coming here for a few months now, but I still have yet to speak. I want to. I’ve wanted to talk to someone who knows the pain I’m feeling, you know?” She shifts in her chair. “My parents know, and they are supportive and everything, but they don’t understand.”
“Trust me, I know that feeling. My parents are amazing, and they’ve been there for me for years through it all, but it’s not the same.”
“Every time I think I’m ready, I freeze up when Marty asks if anyone wants to share.”
“Well, I don’t know if you will feel comfortable telling me, but I’m always happy to listen. Maybe talking to one person versus a room full of people might help.”
“Really?” she asks, her eyes glossing over. “You would be okay with that?”
“Of course.” I smile at her. “And if it will help you feel better about telling your story, I can tell you mine?”
“You don’t have to. Don’t feel pressured. I know I’m ready to talk about it, it’s just finding the guts to do it.”
“Aria, what happened to us is horrible, no matter the story. It’s okay to not be okay with sharing.”
“I know.”
“But, if you’re ready, I’m more than happy to be your conversation starter.” I grin and she laughs.
“I don’t know. Sometimes, I feel like my story isn’t as big of a deal as most.”
“Don’t say that. Your story matters too. Wanna tell me?”
She lets out a heavy sigh before nodding. “It happened about eight years ago. I was in a relationship with someone. At that point, it was about four years in. Things weren’t the best. We kind of were only together because we share a kid. After years of feeling unloved and unwanted, I went back to my hometown for a wedding. I realized how unhappy I was, and broke up with my boyfriend.
“Well, while I was there, my first boyfriend from high school wanted to see me. He was the love of my life at some point, my first everything. We ended like any other high school relationship, but at the time, it felt like the end of the world,” she laughs. “I never fell out of love with him, or so I thought at the time. He asked me to come hang out with him. So I did, because I missed him.
“He told me everything I had ever wanted to hear. He told me he loved me, wanted to get married and have kids with me. He didn’t care that I already had a three-year-old son. He wanted us both. I had years of feeling like I wasn’t loved or wanted, so a part of me jumped at the chance.
“We’d hung out a few times the week before it happened. It felt like old times and, after having sex with him again, I wanted to see him more. He invited me to his brother’s birthday party, and of course I went. I always loved his mom. She was so nice to me when we were dating, and she was happy to see me.
“I brought my son with me because I was there on vacation and didn’t have anyone else to watch him. I was sick with a cold, and later on, I took some cold medicine because I felt like crap, but didn’t want to miss out on the party because he seemed so excited to have me there.
“For the most part, the night was fun. My son played with the toys he had there for his own son. And when it got late, I put him to bed in my ex’s son’s bed. I didn’t have a way back to where I was staying because everyone was already drunk and the buses weren’t running. I could have called a cab, but I was on a tight budget and the cab would have cost too much.
“So, I said I’d stay the night on the couch. He still lived with his mom, so her and her boyfriend left the party early to go to bed upstairs, already drunk themselves. The party ended and everyone else left. My ex was drunk too, so I helped him up to his room.”
Aria pauses, looking down at her fingers, and I know this is where things are going to take a darker turn. I hold out my hand, offering her support, my heart hurting to see her in pain. She takes it, giving it a squeeze like I’m her anchor during this conversation. “As I went to leave, he grabbed my arm and pulled me down on top of him. He started telling me how sexy I was, how much he loved me and wanted me. I told him I didn’t feel like it tonight, that I didn’t feel well and just wanted to go to sleep.
