Ethan started pulling out his iPad and typing something in there. He's been deep in that thing for a while, and the silence is deafening. I offered to tell him about my life, and that got his attention. He smiled and put down his tablet.
"I already know enough about you, and I'm here to assist you so you don't incriminate yourself while talking to the police." He slightly leaned back and watched me up and down. "You look so much like your brother that I thought you were twins."
"Thanks?" I honestly don't know where this conversation is going. I feel like he's just stalling for something.
Well, it's either that or he just doesn't want to be here.
He chuckled. "Wanna know a funny story? I was bullied too, like you, and I never grew the balls to fight or tell them to fuck off. So, be proud that you stand up for yourself."
"I guess." I sighed because while he was probably lying, he was certainly confident that he would get me out of this.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Detective Decker sat back in his chair. "So, there's a new update for your case. I believe you when you said it's self-defense, and judging by the scars and your side of the story, it's probably a life-threatening situation for you."
"It was," I said.
"While I am sure your attorney is ready to fight for you, I want to tell you that your case has been dropped."
I was stunned. The words echoed in my mind, struggling to take root. Dropped? The fear, the dread that had been hanging over me for weeks, threatening to crush me, suddenly lifted like a heavy fog dissipating under the morning sun.
"Are you serious?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper. I was pretty sure Bailey would make my life hell on earth from here on out. But this? What?
Decker nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "They just called to drop the case, so you're free."
I stared at him, trying to process the information. The weight of almost all my high school life, the cold police station, the anxiety—they all began to fade, replaced by a sense of relief so profound it nearly brought me to tears. Ethan held my shoulder in reassurance and said, "Thank you for your work, detective."
As I stood up to leave, Decker offered a reassuring smile. "You did the right thing, you know. Defending yourself. Don't let anyone make you feel otherwise."
"Thank you," I replied, my voice thick with emotion.
He nodded. "Take care of yourself."
I nodded again, unable to find the words to express my gratitude. With a final glance at the detective, I turned and walked out of the room, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts.
As I stepped out into the cool evening air, the town lights flickering in the distance, I realized that my life had changed forever. Then, I saw my brother waiting in the parking lot and when our eyes met, I ran to him and hugged him tightly.
His arms wrapped around me, strong and comforting, grounding me in the moment. For a few seconds, I let myself forget about everything—the threats, the fear, the uncertainty. All that mattered was the familiar scent of his jacket and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my cheek.
"I'm so glad you're okay," he murmured into my hair, his voice thick with emotion.
I pulled back slightly to look at him, my eyes scanning his face for any sign of worry. There was plenty of it—his brow furrowed, his eyes dark with concern—but there was also relief, a quiet reassurance that everything would be alright.
"They dropped the charges," I said, my voice trembling. "But… How?"
"Let's get out of here," Ethan said, glancing around the nearly empty parking lot. "We'll go back to your place for now. We can talk about it there."
My brother agreed, and we walked to his car in silence while Ethan went into a Bentley park not far from his car. So, he is that rich. The drive to our house was quiet, mostly because everything that happened today was emotionally draining, and I was ready to pass out. I stared out the window, watching the town blur by, my mind replaying the events like a broken record.
By the time we arrived at our house, exhaustion had set in. The adrenaline that had been keeping me on edge was finally wearing off, leaving me feeling drained and hollow.
Inside, my brother led me to the couch and handed me a blanket. "You look like you could use some rest," he said softly.
I nodded, too tired to argue. As I lay down, he sat beside me, his hand resting on my shoulder.
"We'll talk more in the morning," he said. "For now, just try to get some sleep."
"Thank you," I whispered, my eyes already closed.
*~*
Somewhere in the early morning hours, I felt like I hadn't slept at all, haunted by dreams of what might come next. I give up trying to sleep and wake up to make a coffee instead. What I don't know is that Ethan is also awake. So, I jumped as soon as I saw his silhouette in the kitchen.
"What the hell!" I thought he left after my brother forced me to sleep, but apparently, he stayed.
Ethan scoffed when he turned. The smell of coffee in his mug wafted across the room into my nose, and I wanted to grab it. "What are you like, 10? You're too young to know how to use curses."
"I can do whatever I want," and it's true. In the confines of my home, I was free to do whatever I wanted.
"Suit yourself. Coffee?"
"Yes."
Not long after, my brother woke up and saw me sitting across from Ethan, drinking coffee in silence. He went to me and gave me the warmest hug ever. He might not say anything, but his relieved sigh and tight hug told me everything I needed to know. I'm glad I still had him because God knows I would have jumped from the tallest building I could find just to make the torture stop.
"I love you, Monkey." He said as he kissed the top of my head. I smiled and hugged him tighter.
After that, we enjoyed a simple breakfast my brother made. He might not be the best cook in the world, but I will pick his cooking over food from a 3-Michelin Star restaurant. Why would a tire company rate how good the food in a restaurant is?
It just sounds stupid.
"So, today, we will go to the doctor to check your wound, and then I'll sign your resignation form at your school, " my brother said after finishing his pancake. He always ate so fast that I wondered if he ever chewed it. Anyway, I just nodded because I sure didn't want to go back to that hellhole of a school.
"I can take care of the school if you want." Ethan inserted himself into the conversation.
I frowned, "Aren't you busy with other cases?"
"Yeah, I'm grateful for your help last night, so you don't have to stick around. We can handle the rest." My brother said in reassurance. Something about his tone really can put anyone at ease.
"I know, and I'm not busy. That's the perk of having a law firm and many assistants," Ethan winked at me. Show off.
"And I don't mind, I need to make a full report to your boss anyway, and it might be good to make sure there won't be any of these incidents anymore."
I can see the gears turning in my brother's head before he nods. "Let me know if you need anything."
Something was different about the way Ethan looked at my brother, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. I don't think I'm in any capacity to think deeply because even though I'm saved, the scars on my arms still ache under my sleeve. The memory is still fresh in my mind, and I do everything in my power to keep my head above the water.
"Why were the charges dropped?"
Ethan turns his gaze to me before going back to my brother. I had a feeling he was hiding something, and it pricked my curiosity. "Why?" I asked again.
"Because you held more convincing evidence," My brother smiled at me but the little wrinkle in the corner of his left eye told me he was lying. Or at least didn't tell me everything.
I know Bailey and what her parents are capable of. She wasn't the type to back down, and her mom or dad would throw money every which way to make sure I never saw the light of day. "I know there's something more."
Ethan looked at me for a while until something on my face satisfied him. "Before we go to the station, we will go to talk to their lawyer."
My brother immediately held his shoulder in an attempt to stop him from talking, so I reached for his hand. "I want to know, please."
"It's well-known in some groups that Damien is basically untouchable after he founded Corazon, and he has many connections, so once we get a name, it's easy to find the rest. Long story short, we found more stuff about Bailey and her family, so I went to their lawyer and told him that I knew about it, too. That's it." Ethan said without missing a beat.
The thought of what he implied sank in my stomach, leaving a bitter taste. "Are you blackmailing them?"
My anxiety went to the roof, and I suddenly hit with dread, thinking that more police would come and knock again. I watch the front door closely, they will arrest me again, and this time, they'll bring my brother, too. There's no way we can get out of this unscathed. What Ethan is doing is reckless and can make them more angry, and if not the police, there will be something else after us. This is the worst. The thought that my home was no longer a safe space invaded my brain like a storm. I think I'm going to drown.
"Hey! Mily, stop it, stop!" My brother's voice boomed in my eardrum when I noticed he held both of my hands.
Once I looked at the blood spots on my sleeves, I realized I had unconsciously scratched my wound.
"It's okay. We're going to leave this town and never look back. You're safe now, ok?"
I nodded as my face started to get warmer, and my gaze blurred. I blinked a few times, and when my tears rolled down, my brother immediately wiped them. His face wrinkled when he looked at me worriedly, and I tried to control my breath. He continued to soothe me with his voice and hugged me, and this was all that I needed to stay afloat.
When I heard Ethan sip his coffee, I turned to look at him and said, "You blackmailed them." It is not a question.
Ethan tsked and put down his mug. "Blackmailed implied that I asked for something in return for discretion. It was merely a friendly discussion. I didn't ask for anything, nor did I promise anything. Rest assured, they won't go after you or Jake."
I stared at him in disbelief. I guess there's a reason he's a successful lawyer, but "It still sounds like blackmail to me," I said.
"-ish?" Ethan winked at me again.
My brother snorted from the top of my head, and I couldn't help but laugh with him, too.