Page 47 of The Beginning
I step inside the bathroom. She looks at me with a small smile. “I got this. You’re going to be okay,” she repeats as I close and lock the door and I see her shoes move away from the door toward the front of the bathroom.
I move as far away from the door as possible, standing next to the sink against the wall. I’m just praying for this to work. And hopefully, she doesn’t flake on me. I can’t stay here forever. She only has a few minutes, and I will need to go back out there. What if she can’t find an officer? What if she just heads for herown flight? What if I just imagined all of that, and I’m on my own?
CHAPTER 28
Lexi
Friday morning
Time seems to stand still. Seconds feel like minutes and minutes seem like hours. Standing in this bathroom stall brings me back to when we visited Corleone’s and what Shayna and I did in their bathroom stall. It was exactly like this. The memories seem so distant now yet at the forefront of my mind. Now I’m left wondering if I will ever see her beautiful face again.
Will I be able to tell her how much I love her and explain exactly how long I have felt this way. I remember telling Camden about my feelings for his wife, but I don’t think I’ve ever really told Shayna. And will I ever be able to tell him how I feel about our connection?
A tears begin to streak my face, making my mascara run down my cheeks. I know I look like a mess and if I’m sitting here waiting for nothing, when Jason comes barging in or demanding I come out, I’m screwed.
A loud commotion is heard just outside of the bathroom. It’s not very loud, just enough to cause the women in the bathroomto start chatting louder. Gasps are heard among the people in and outside of the bathroom.
I am shaking uncontrollably now. I don’t know what’s going on and I’m terrified to step out from my safe haven and find out. At least in here I feel somewhat protected from everything. But for how long?
There is scuffling and still the occasional shouts and deep voices heard through all the commotion going on. Since I’m all the way in the back of the restroom area in the very last handicap stall, I don’t see very much that is going on. Everyone has congregated to the front of the bathroom.
“Step this way please. We need everyone out of here,” I hear a deep voice echo through the bathroom, and my head shoots up. “Over here… right this way,” they keep directing. I’m guessing they are getting everyone out of the way for whatever is happening. I consider whether I should exit and make myself known or not.
I see two sets of shoes step in front of the stall door and a tiny knock. “Hey… It’s okay. You can come out now,” hear her say. My heart races and I excel a hard yet relieved breath.
I step cautiously to the door and unlock it. When I pull the door slightly, I see the same girl with a small smile and a police officer standing behind her. I open the door even further when I see the cop there.
“Ma’am, My name is Officer Bailey. I need to ask you a few questions,” he says and all I can do is nod. I step further out of the bathroom stall. “Can I get your name please?”
“Lexi… Lexi Richards,” I reply, trying to sound a little more confident than I feel.
“And who is Jason Webb to you?”
“My ex-boyfriend. I left him a couple of months ago because…” I trail off for a second. My voice is quiet. I am notthis timid person. I hate that he has made me resort back to this scared person.
“It’s okay Ms. Richards. You’re safe now,” he says, stepping a little closer, trying to sound comforting.
“Because he would hit me. I was almost admitted to the hospital on a couple of occassions,” I say, looking down.
“Are there any reports made for the domestic violence?” he asks, and all I can do is shake my head. I allowed it to go on too long without reporting anything. Hell, I didn’t even tell my best friend.
“Do you have any documentation of it?”
“I have pictures that I took in my phone,” I say, finally looking up at him. His brow is furrowed but he nods.
“Okay, can I see them please?”
“Um… when he took me from my house, he left my phone so I didn’t have any contact with my girlfriend and her husband,” I reply.
His head tilts inquisitively. “Took you? What exactly do you mean when you say ‘took you’?” he asks.
“He came in to my friends’ house, drugged me and took me. I woke up in a warehouse tied down to a bed,” I reply.
Officer Bailey’s face changes to one of incredulity. I can see it in his eyes, he doesn’t believe me. And for some reason, that sets me off. I lift my shirt showing the dark and shaded bruising along my stomach and ribcage.
“He did this to me too, after he raped me. Not once… but several times,” I grit out. His eyes drop down to my exposed skin and his brow furrows. The girl that helped me steps forward placing her hand on my forearm again.
“I’m so sorry this happened to you. They have him detained and are arresting him right now,” she says trying to comfort me, where she could tell the cop wasn’t.
