Pretty Boy (boyxboy)

Chapter Thirty Four

WEDNESDAY (A WEEK LATER)

Jamie is slowly starting to return back to her normal self. I don't understand how she's able to move past it. After hearing her side of the story, it just made me want to kill the man, but she brushes it off now. She refuses to talk about it any more; I can't say I blame her. 

Nate has been coming in every day since, and staying for hours longer than he ever has before. Ana has been calling here everyday too. Jamie will never admit it but I think she's getting annoyed with everyone walking on eggshells around her. She's said it herself, she is not fragile and weak, she continues to pick herself back up and move on with her life, despite the horrible things she's had to live through. 

Nate, Jamie, and I are sitting outside under our tree in a circle, talking. I can't keep my mind from going back to what he said to me that night. I don't know how to feel. Granted, he already said that it was no rush, and I didn't have to say it back. But what if I want to? We've only been together for a little over a month, even though it feels like so much longer. 

I flinch at the sound of Nate's cell phone ringing in his pocket. He's quick to pull it out, swiping across the screen to answer the call. 

"Hello?"

"Okay." 

He removes the phone from his ear, putting it on speaker phone and holding it out between all of us. 
"Go ahead mama. She's here." 

"I just got a call from the police." 

I give JJ a nervous glance but she ignores it, her face remaining calm and still. 

"What'd they say?" Nate asks.

I hear her sigh. 
"He's being charged with statutory rape of a minor. But since the evidence against him is so heavy, they offered him a plea bargain, and he's agreed to take it."

I squeeze my eyes shut and lean my head back on the hard oak tree trunk.
"How long will he be behind bars?" Jamie speaks up. 

"With him pleading guilty, about ten years." 

"Does this mean it still goes to trial?" Nate asks, focusing his attention on the grass underneath him. 

Ana sighs again.
"It will go to trial so he can plead guilty in front of a judge, and then he will be sentenced. It's better this way. I don't want Jamie anywhere near that court room with him. I will be there on her behalf." 

"I don't either." He agrees. 
"Thanks mama."

"Love you guys."

"Love you too." They both say together. 

The call ends and Nate and I both eye Jamie carefully as she picks at the grass.

"You okay?" I ask. 

She nods.
"Yeah."

Her facial expressions remain the same as she crawls over and places herself in her brothers lap, curling up into him like a child. 

He doesn't speak, he doesn't need to. His hand rubs up and down her back and he lets her lay there in silence. 
My fingers reach out to grab his free hand, holding it tightly, laying my head down on his shoulder.

"Matthew?" 

I jerk my head up at the sound of Doctor Olsen calling my name from inside.

"Yes?" I call back. 

"You have a visitor in the lobby." 

I look over at Nate, who gives me a curious look. I shrug and lift myself off of the ground, leaning back down to place a small kiss on the top of Jamie's head and another one onto Nate's cheek. 

I jog inside, slightly shivering at the change in temperature and head towards the lobby. It has to be my mother. Nobody else would know I was here. If it is, I don't know why she's here. Maybe she wants to apologize for ignoring me. If that's the reason, I'll be pleasantly surprised. 

I finally reach the lobby area, giving Cindy a smile as I turn my attention to the waiting area. 

To my surprise, I don't see my mother anywhere in sight. The only person there is a tall man, facing away from me, focusing his attention onto the old cartoon they have playing on the TV. 

"Um? Hello?" I ask, my eyebrows furrowing. 

The man turns around at the sound of my voice. 
I can literally feel the air being knocked out of my lungs as my eyes meet his. 

"Dad?"