Secrets Can Kill

Chapter Eight

My tears soon filled my face and Jay's shirt as he embraced me. His muscular body was held tightly against mine and he kept me close to him to comfort me. The paramedics put my mom's body in a bag, then carefully lifted her onto the stretcher and I watched as they carried her away. My mom, had met the killer, and now, she was gone forever.

An officer approached me while I hysterically sobbed into Jay. "Ms. Lewis, I'm very sorry for your loss. We are doing everything we can to find the killer and bring him to justice. Maybe you should go stay with some family. Do you have godparents?" An officer started explaining to me. I was too broken to respond. An answer to his question didn't even pop in my head because all I could think about was how she really was gone this time. I just clutched onto Jay as he rubbed my back. My fingers curled into the soft fabric of his tee shirt and I was barely listening to the police officer.

"Officer, I am one of her close friends. I know that as it stands, she has nobody. But since she is only 16, and she is a minor, I know she will still need to live with an adult. However I am 18 and am willing to take her in with my family and myself." I listened to Jay and hearing this made me feel slightly better. I knew we wouldn't have much of a place to go, but I didn't care as long as I was with him. He was all I had right now and I didn't want to leave him. My heart felt crumpled and thrown away, I didn't have any emotion in my body right now. I just felt numb. I didn't know what would happen next; maybe if I died it would help. I didn't know how death worked, but Jay did. Maybe if I died I could be with my parents and Jay. I would try to bring it up to him later but for now, I needed to make sure they didn't send me away.

"Well, that's very nice of you to offer, but I'm afraid that by law, she will need to be taken into custody by a foster family until she reaches the age of 18." The officer explained making me cry harder. I didn't want a foster family, I had a hard enough time with the family I had before.

"What if I were to register my family as a foster family for her? Could she live with me then?" Jay asked. There was a silent moment; not completely silent, because the roaring engines of the police cars and ambulances were still being heard, but there was no talking between the two men.

"I don't see why not. Why don't you come to the police station and I can get someone from Human Resources to see if we can find some paperwork releasing Ms. Lewis into your custody." The officer said.

"Great thank you Officer. Do you want us to go now to fill out the forms?" Jay asked.

"Sooner the better. And we can also discuss what to do with this house, and Mrs. Lewis' things." The officer said.

"Alright we will meet you over there." Jay said. I felt him lean forward and an up-down motion. I assumed he shook the officers hand. I clenched back onto him as I heard a few footsteps and then the front door shut. Then it was silent. Jay hugged me tighter.

"This is my fault. I should have been nicer to her! I said she wasn't my mother. I should have apologized sooner. I should have made sure she got to bed. This shouldn't have happened!" I said and cried harder. It really was my fault.

"Kayc', this isn't your fault! It was a murder done by a crazy serial killer. It was not your fault so please don't blame yourself." He comforted me.

"What's going to happen now?" I looked up at him with my tear stained eyes. I was still crying, Jay used his thumb to wipe a tear from my cheek. Normally, this would've made the butterflies return, but the sadness from my mother's death took me over.

"We are going to go live somewhere. Together. I will take care of you and keep you safe forever." He said. I tried to smile, but it wouldn't work.

"What if I don't get to stay with you? What if social services says no?" I asked. He smirked.