Page 31 of Monster
“Dom?” I ask, for reasons I don’t know. I think maybe I want some reassurance. I’m so fucking scared. I don’t want to go to jail.
“Yeah, baby girl. It’s me, Dom.” He breathes a sigh of relief as he presses his lips against my forehead in a tender kiss. My heart flutters and I feel the heat rushing to my cheeks, despite the situation I’m in.
I begin to push myself off of the cold, hard floor and Dominik wraps his long arms around me to help me up. Once I’m standing, he doesn’t let go though. He spins me around to meet the cold regard of the two officers and wraps his arms even tighter around me. The nurse who was with us is now nowhere to be seen and I’m not sure what to make of it.
I feel myself leaning back into Dom’s chest, seeking his comfort and he gives me what I need. He kisses the top of my head and grabs my hand, bringing it to where his are wrapped around me and begins rubbing the back of it with his thumb—like he always does. He knows it brings me so much comfort.
I clear my throat and somehow manage to bring my gaze back up to the officers. The woman is staring at me with sympathy clear on her face, her hazel eyes shining with it, and somehow, it makes me feel slightly better. But the other officer… When I glance over to him, I notice he’s not even looking at me. His gaze is locked on Dominik. His dark blue eyes are focused on him and him alone and when I turn my head back to look at Dom, his eyes are locked on the male officer’s too. The tension in the room builds and it makes me uncomfortable.
“Dom,” I whisper, hoping to get his attention, and my voice seems to snap him out of whatever was going on because he jerks his head toward me and gives me a puzzled look.
“Yeah?”
“What was that?” I ask, confusion marring my tone.
“I—it was nothing,” he dismisses me and for a moment, I feel slighted, but then brush it off. He doesn’t even know that man—even though there seems to be something going on between them. His eyes lock on mine and he gives a subtle shake of his head and I decide right then and there to put my trust in him. If there was something he wanted to tell me, he would.
“Ma’am?” The lady officer speaks, and it drags my attention back to her. I avoid the male officer altogether.
“Yes?” I question, my voice trailing off at the end.
“You’re Essa, right? Essa Monroe?” My body freezes and locks up. Dom’s arms tighten around me, and I feel him stand up straighter.
“Why do you want to know?” he asks, neither confirming nor denying my last name—smart. I told him my middle name is Jaymes a couple months ago in my room at the hospital. It was another rainy day and Dominik and I had been talking all day long. That was the first day I really feltokay,and I wanted him to have some small piece of me—a piece of my past.A part of me I don’t want to exist anymore.
“We have some news we have to give her, as long as she gives us confirmation,” she states, matter-of-factly as she nods her head in my direction.
“Yes, my name is Essa Monroe,” I spit out, but manage to keep my voice calm, though I’m feeling anything but.
“Thank you, Essa. My name is Jamie Knoxx and I work for the Le Grande Police Department. There was a murder that happened over in Portland about a month ago that many departments from all around were looking into. There have been no suspects, or even evidence left behind, and was eventually declared accidental. But just yesterday, the bodies were officially identified.
“Their names came back as Benjamin and Sierra Monroe. Their next of kin as Holley and Essa Monroe. We ran the names and hospital records and while your names didn’t show up, descriptions for you did and we were hopeful you were who we were searching for,” she pauses.
I stare blankly at her for a moment before erupting into laughter. My laugh spills from my lips without permission. I laugh so fucking hard my ribs ache and I double over. Dom’s arms loosen around me, but he doesn’t let up. Tears spring from my eyes and run down my face as I laugh hysterically.
After a while, my laughter finally subsides enough, and I straighten my posture again. “I’m sorry, you were saying?” I ask as I catch my breath.
“Umm… Yeah, okay,” she drawls. Her eyes are wide with shock, and she regards me carefully before continuing. “I was saying your parents’ bodies were found and identified. Their house burnt to the ground, with them trapped inside.”
Their house burnt to the ground—with them inside.
Something about that doesn’t sit quite right.
Or maybe they finally fucked up for the last time.
“The Portland Police Department declared their deaths accidental. Seems they found many different paraphernalia items inside the house that didn’t burn completely, and with their history of drug use, that’s how they ruled it. I’m so sorry for your loss.”She nods in my direction.
I snort and her eyes widen considerably. “It’s not a loss, but thanks for letting me know, I guess.” I shrug my shoulders and move towards my bed in the corner of the room, effectively dismissing them. I grab my iPod, ready to turn it on and listen to my music to drown everything out when I realize not a single person in the room has moved.
I glance over at Dominik but he’s back to staring at the male officer. And when I turn my gaze to him, he’s staring right back at Dom. The tag on his shirt says “Boyd.” My brows pull together with confusion, but right now I’m simply too fucking exhausted to care about what’s going on right now, especially the uncomfortable tension suffocating the room.
The female officer—Jamie, I think—is still staring at me, flummoxed.
“Is there anything else you need?” I ask.
“Uh, no. That was all. If we have any questions, or any additional information, we’ll be sure to let you know.”
“All right, thanks,” I mumble as I shove my earbuds into my ears and push play, not bothering to see what song it is. “The Chemicals Between Us” by Bush begins and I close my eyes momentarily before peeling them back open. Jamie is already making her way out of the room—and it’s a small room—but the male officer is still blatantly glaring at Dom, his eyes cold and hard. The tension between them both is so fucking palpable, I swear I can reach my hand out and fucking touch it.
