When Summer Ends

Chapter 20

"I will be right outside, okay? You will do fine. He said it's just general questions, right?" Rylie tries to calm me down as we stand outside my lawyers office.

"Yeah. But Ry, what if I say the wrong thing?"

"You won't, baby. Just be honest. You've got all the pictures, too. Make sure to give him those." She gestures to the manila folder clutched in my hands. "No, go. I'll be right here when you're done." She gives me a quick kiss before pushing me towards the door.

I was regretting telling her to make sure I didn't back out. I take a deep breath as the receptionist's desk comes into view, trying to calm my shaking hands and racing heart.

"Hi... I'm here to meet with William Kent."

"You must be Aspen. I'll let him know you're here. Take a seat." The older woman doesn't glance up for more than a second before motioning me to the large waiting room. I choose one of the closest brown armchairs before sitting down and surveying the room. The chair is just as still and uncomfortable as it looks. Large frames of boring artwork occasionally take space on the walls, but that's about as far as decorations go.

I'm spared from the looming boredom as a tall, thin man appears in one of the many doorways. He looks to be in his mid forties or fifties, although his face seems kind and young.

"Hi, Aspen. It's very nice to meet you!" I stand and shake his outstretched hand.

"It's nice to meet you, too." I respond in what I hope is a steady voice. Mr. Kent leads me down a maze of hallways before finally opening the door to his office. It's clean and bright, with opened blinds letting in lots of light. Two black armchairs sit in front of a large wooden desk, and he gestures to one of the chairs for me to sit. He takes his seat in his tall office chair, and my eyes land on the books filling the large bookshelf behind him.

"So," William starts. "How are you feeling about the trial next week? I imagine you're at least a little bit nervous." He says with a kind smile.

I nod, clearing my throat. "Yeah. It's nerve wracking and... overwhelming and..." I pause, searching for more words.

"Intimidating? Terrifying?"

"Yeah," I say with a small laugh. "All of the above. I'm not really looking forward to it."

"I'd be a little bit worried if you were looking forward to it. Have you seen Gabe since... let's see, when was the last time..." He ruffles through his notes.

"Not since August, when we were in Wrightsville."

"Gotcha. And that was at a surf competition for your camp?"

"Correct."

"Did you know he'd be there?"

"No. He was there to watch his girlfriend, Becca. She was at another of the camps."

"She's another witness, isn't she? Along with Jack and Hadley, your friends?"

"Yes."

"Gotcha, okay. It's going to be a good idea to stay away from him still. Has he tried to reach out to you since Wrightsville?"

"Yes. He called Hadley a few weeks ago to try to see me, but she didn't tell him anything."

"She's a good friend. Do you have anyone else in your life that knows much about the situation and trial?"

"Yes, my mom, and my girlfriend. I haven't talked much about it to anyone else."

"Good. And what about your father, is he in the picture?"

I feel a small pang in my heart at his question. "No. He died a little over six years ago."

"Oh. I am so sorry to hear that." William says, his eyes softening again.