Page 143 of Forgive You

Jordan and I scramble out of our seats, almost tumbling into the hallway, just in time to see the officer turn Jacob around, putting him in cuffs.

“No, you’re making a mistake.”

“What?” My mother shakes her head, her mouth covered by her hands as the officer reads Jacob his rights.

“Rape?” Jordan groans when Jacob’s gaze briefly meets ours.

When I look into his blue eyes, I suddenly see a truth that’s big enough to knock me off my feet. Dots are painfully connecting in my brain, frying the gray mass at the same time.

A chill runs down my spine, the little food I’ve just consumed slowly crawling its way back up.Rape?Jacob is arrested forrape? The same man who has been dating the woman I love for years?

My throat dries up, the voices around me hollow and far away like I’m trapped in a bubble. Julie’s face flashes in front of my eyes, before it turns into an image I can’t erase. Fear in her eyes. My brother is on top. I thought after our fight two days ago, my heart couldn’t feel any more pain than it already has.

I was wrong.

This hurts ten times more.

The thought of him hurting her.Abusing her. I want to throw up.

Jacob is escorted outside, pulling me out of my head.

I storm after them, almost running through my mother. “Did you hurt her?”

“Oh, please, you have no proof,” he huffs, rolling his eyes with his hands behind his back.

I stop in front of him, pulling his shirt until we’re nose-to-nose. The officer who places his palm on my chest mumbles something likelet him go, but I can’t.

“Did. You. Hurt. Her?”

His breath fans my face, a sly grin slowly slipping onto his lips. “Don’t worry, nothing she didn’t enjoy, baby brother.”

That’s it.

I knock my head against his. The sharp pain is welcoming, especially when he hunches forward, held on to his feet by the police officer hanging on his arm.

I launch back to finally plant my fist against his jaw the second he’s standing upright again, but another officer grabs my arms from behind.

“You son of a bitch!” I yell, trying to break free. “I will end you! How dare you! You sick asshole!”

“Calm down, son. You get one pass before I have to bring you in as well.”

I groan, I struggle, but I also register what he’s saying.

“Calm down. He’s getting what he deserves.”

“He deserves a good beating.”

“I agree,” the man rumbles in my ear. “And prison deals in their own way with sex offenders.”

I hear the words, and I stop fighting him. My heart is still racing, my jaw still hard as steel, but the officer lets me go.

“I want a lawyer. Mama, call my lawyer!” I follow Jacob’s gaze to our crying mother, and my heart breaks all over again.

Shit.

I whip my head back to my brother. “If I find out you hurt her, I will make sure you rot in hell for the rest of your life.”

Jacob stands in front of the cop car while the other officer opens the door. “Don’t you get it, Jason? I’ve already been in hell since the day you were born.”

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