You Belong To Me

56

The sound of my moms palm making contact with my cheek echoed across the police station. The people around us took no notice and went about their day. It was silent as my mom dragged me away from the station, neither of us speaking a word.

I was glad to be away from the place. After we were taken from the Blue Water house I was brought straight to the station. When my mom got there I gave a statement of the night. Not the real events, just the ones Noah told me to tell them.

Every bone in my body told me it was wrong to let Noah take the fall for what happened back at the house. It should've been me handcuffed in the back of a cop car. It should've been me who was dragged down to the police cells like some flea ridden animal. But it wasn't, it was Noah.

Noah had told the police his version of events. He acted on self defence. Lorenzo was trespassing on his property. He antagonised him, beat him. So Noah did what any normal person would do and shot him. Apparently it's not his fault he has great aim.

Noah told the police all of this and I didn't want to undermine his story so I kept quiet.

Coward.

The car ride home from the station was silent. I could feel the anger rolling off of my mom in tenfold.

After all this time hiding who Noah was from her, she ended up picking me up from a police station because my boyfriend killed my teacher. 

Brilliant.

It wasn't until we made it inside our house that my mom spoke.

"Yesterday I was thinking about how happy I was for you to have found Noah. I thought he was the perfect gentleman, a little older but that gave me a false sense of security that he'd be able to look after you." She spoke quietly.

She hadn't looked in my direction since she slapped me and at this moment in time I'm unsure whether she'd look at me again.

"I called Andrew when I got the call from the police. I was in hysterics thinking I could've lost you."

My bottom lip trembled slightly as my mom wiped tears from her eyes.

"He started to say it was his fault, he should've done something sooner. I didn't have a clue how my daughter, my only child being in danger could have anything to do with him."

She finally looked at me, her eyes full of disappointment.

"He told me all about your boyfriend Noah. Or Ripper, that's what you kids call him on the streets isn't it?" 

She tilted her head slightly inviting me to answer.

"Mom I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get caught up in it all but I love him."

I tried to walk over to give some kind of comfort to my mom but she scoffed and walked away.

"Don't be so naive and foolish Annabella. Boys like that are no good. Boys like that just want to have sex with you, then they throw you to the curb when they get what they want. He's dangerous and I cannot believe you brought him inside this house." She shouted.

By the time she'd finished she was red in the face. I knew I should've said something to my mom earlier. I thought I had time, I wanted to tell her things about the real Ripper after a year. At least then I could've said that was his past life.

"I'm sorry Mom, I got caught up in it all and I should've told you. But everything that happened last night wasn't Noah's fault, it was mine."

I pulled my mom over to the sofa so she could sit down. I didn't want to cause her any stress but I wanted her to at least know the truth. I told her about Lorenzo and I, seeing the disbelief and disgust on her face. I told her about the events leading up to last night - minus Noah's past outbreaks of violence towards me. By the time I told her it was me who pulled the trigger to save Noah, she had shot up out her seat.