Where We Began

chapter thirty-three

Cole's POV

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you." Justin read me my rights as Kurt took everything from my pockets and sat it on the hood of Justin's SUV, "Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?"

"Not at this time," I answered him calmly as Kurt placed my hands in cuffs in front of me instead of behind my back.

"Let's get you into the car," Justin said, leading me to his back door and opening it so I could slide in, "watch your head. We will be leaving soon to go to the jail so just hang tight."

Part of me wanted to ask what other way he expected me to hang in handcuffs in the back of the police SUV but I just nodded as he closed the door. Silence filled the car as I leaned my head back against the headrest. The sheriff's SUV still had fully functioning back seats and the metal guard was down so I could see directly into the front seat where his computer sat with Henley's information pulled up. I sat up and leaned toward the front seat to get a better look at Henley Stanton's wrap sheet which was actually lengthy for a 19 year old. Sexual assault, assault with a weapon, battery, drug paraphernalia, intent to distribute, he had quite the list of charges against him but the all had a red box beside them saying "dropped" followed by the date. One date stood out to me listed beside a sexual assault charge, it was shortly after Brooke's father had died. She, at the time, had been dating some guy named Riley that we had never met and she didn't bring around. Things had ended between them quietly after a night she vaguely talked to me about. She said he had hurt her and was an asshole and she never wanted to see his face again so I had let it go.

"You know damn well what he did was wrong. I don't give a fuck what lie they are trying to spin you go arrest that piece of shit right fucking now Justin. I want him under your gotdamn jail tonight." The sound of Brooke yelling snapped me away from my thoughts. I'm not sure what Justin had said to upset her but she was beyond pissed off and in his face.

Justin said something to Kurt who left the group heading toward Henley with his handcuffs at the ready. With his temper I would be reaching for my taser first but Kurt was a big guy and could handle himself. He had Henley face the car the same way I had but unlike me Henley started yelling and thrashing around trying to head butt Kurt who swiftly took him to the ground and locked his arms behind him as the other two officers came to his aid. Together they managed to get him up and shove him into a police cruiser before he could start kicking again.

I turned my attention back to Brooke who had pulled her hair up so Justin could take pictures of all the marks Henley had left on her. Zane held Kurt's jacket as she slid her arms back in it then leaned against him. I had never been jealous of my best friend but in this moment I wanted nothing more than to be in his place with her body touching mine. Just to feel her against me where I could protect her from everything meant more to me than any sexual contact could. Of course I wanted her in the most primal sense, I had for quite some time but I had never acted on my urges, but my respect for her kept it at bay until she was ready. I let my thoughts wander as I waited for Justin to get in the car and take me to jail. Surprisingly it wasn't long before he climbed in the driver's seat and turned to look at me as Kurt opened my door.

"I'm not sure what we're going to do with you," Justin said looking distraught, "I can't detain a minor with adults especially since the particular adult is the one pressing the charges."

"I can take him sir," Kurt said not missing a beat, "he can come to my house and be under my custody until in the morning when we can sort all of this out."

"Kurt, you understand if I allow that," Justin started, "he would fully be your sole responsibility. If something were to happen and he got out of your custody it would be your badge."

"I don't think he will go anywhere," Kurt half smiled, why was he sticking out his neck for me? He didn't know me from any other kid at the school.

"Okay if you're sure then I will allow it for the night," Justin said, "Cole you're still under arrest and your rights still apply. Do you understand?"

"Yessir," I said as Kurt helped me out of Justin's car and undid my cuffs, "I'm not going anywhere. I will be there first thing in the morning with officer Reagan."

"Come on kid," Kurt said after receiving the nod of approval from Justin, "let's go home for the night."

Kurt put me in the front seat of his K9 car as the police dog walked around in what use to be the back seat.

"Don't worry about Atlas," Kurt laughed gettin in the driver's seat and starting the car, "he only bites if you run."

"Why did you stick your neck out for me?" I asked Kurt as he drove us across town toward his house, " you don't know me. I could try to run as soon as you stop the car."

"You won't," Kurt said with a father-like tone and a smile, "you love her too much to make this any worse than it is."

"You don't know that," I said, he was right tho. I wouldn't do anything but exactly what he told me to do tonight even if it meant sleeping with Atlas waiting to chew my arm off two feet away.

"Son let me tell you something," he said, slowing the car down as we came into a neighborhood with moderately sized houses and fenced in backyards, "I've been where you are. Falling head over heels for a girl I was 99.9% sure was way too good for me. Her name was Kella and she had a rough life: abusive father, absent mother, all that bad family stuff but you would never know unless she opened up to you. To the world she was a strong young woman with nothing standing between her and her goals. She was smart and very independent yet caring and always there for her friends, me included."

"What happened?" I asked as he paused like he was debating how much to tell me.

"The summer before our senior year she was raped at an end of summer bonfire by the capitain of the baseball team," he said as his hands slightly tightened on the wheel before he relaxed and continued the story, "nothing ever came of it. It was the late 80s and of course they blamed her saying she was a dirty slut and she asked for it; the same thing they still do now. However, unbeknownst to anyone but myself and her at the time she was carrying his child."

"That asshole! Did you beat the shit out of him?" I was completely sucked into the story now.

"I actually did," he laughed, "I probably would have killed him and gone to prison if Brooke's dad hadn't drug me out of that party house kicking and screaming. He told me to get my shit together because whether I still wanted to be with her or not Kella was going to need me. No one ever found out I beat the absolute hell out of him or that she was carrying his child. I confessed to Kella that I had loved her and would always love her no matter what had happened or what was still to come. We got married in February, she had Jasper in April and we graduated high school in May then left out of this town as soon as I finished boot camp for the Air Force. Everyone believed Jasper to be my biological son and most still do to this day 29 years later and I won't tell anyone different. Kasen, our biological son was born almost ten years later as a surprise since the doctor's had told Kella she wouldn't be able to have any children and even Jasper was a one in a million chance because of the abuse her body had been through. I love both of my boys and my wife and, even if I could go back, I wouldn't change a thing because it gave me my family including Brooke and Kaylee."

I pondered his words as he turned on a different street then pulled into a driveway with an all too familiar car parked in front of the mailbox.

"That look that's on your face right now," Kurt said looking at me, "thats how I know you won't run away tonight."