The Long Journey {COMPLETED}

Chapter 14: Secrets

When I woke up it was only midnight, and I had to get up. Again I had seen my father in my nightmares, and I wouldn't be able to sleep again. So, I got up and put on a pair of pajama pants over my shorts and walked into the hall. I sat on the couch and then heard a growl.
"Get off me." Jeremy groaned.
"Why are you on the couch?"
"Ann? Why are you awake?"
"I asked you first."
"Damn, ok I'll answer you're question first, after you get off me." I had forgotten that I was sitting on him.
"I uh sorry." I said jumping to the chair next to him.
"It's fine, ok so it's going to sound weird but outside and here were always the safest places for me, because she refused to hurt me where other people could walk into without a door, and the kitchen, that was safe too."
"It's not weird, I used to love being in my closet because he couldn't fit in there."
"Oh, now you answer my question."
"I am awake because I got a nightmare and couldn't sleep."
"Oh, ok, come here." he said sitting up. So, I walked over to him and sat next to him, "you don't deserve all of the mental torture that ass hole has put you through."
"You don't deserve what happened either, or that she has resurfaced and is making your life hell."
"I guess but you come before me, especially when you can't sleep."
"Stop being so sweet or else I will have to walk away from you before I lose my mind because I can't think straight."
"Ok, I will, because I don't want you to go anywhere."
"I don't either," I say, curling into him and closing my eyes. I was tired again, which didn't surprise me, I got tired very easily. Then, I fell asleep, dreaming about Jeremy. All my dreams made me smile, so I must have looked weird.
"Hey, your awake."
"Yeah, did you even sleep?"
"No, and you are so beautiful when you are asleep."
"You sound like a creep."
"I'm sorry, you were kinda sleeping on my leg."
"True, and you could have slept."
"I don't sleep a lot."
"Why not?"
"I'm afraid to."
"Oh."
"Is that weird?"
"No, I used to be afraid, but you have helped, I feel safer now." I said wrapping my arms around his neck.
"I wish I was as brave as you."
"You are brave, or else you would have run away."
"I feel like I have in a way." he says almost guiltily.
"You haven't, you have always been here since I let you in my life." I said, and he leaned in and kissed me, again. I don't understand why we kiss so much, but I also do. Its just a natural, in the moment it feels right so you do it thing. He is so amazing for caring about me and I love him.
"Ann, why do you always try to comfort me when I should be comforting you."
"It doesn't matter, you staying by me is more comforting than my words probably are."
"I still wish that I could comfort you more."
"It's fine"
"No, it really isnt."
"Don't make me slap you."
"Well, it isn't ok that I can't comfort you." and then I slapped his chest, "ow, what was that for?"
"I told you not to make me slap you, and you kept trying to fight me, so I slapped you."
"Wow, ok you did say that you would slap me. That doesn't make it ok though."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"It's fine, but now I have to watch out and not aggravate you."
"Why?"
"Because it hurts, you are really strong."
"Really, cause I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"Fine, whatever."
"Hey, what time is it?"
"6:30."
"Really? I thought it was earlier."
"We are used to sleeping in now."
"I know."
"Well, I should probably get dressed, we can do some watching TV until we are needed."
"Sounds good." he said, and I got up. I had a wonderful life now, I loved Jeremy, he loved me back. Then there was also the fact that I was free from my father actually hurting me even though it wasn't over. I wonder if he had a funeral, or did no one care to have one? Once I opened my closet I was over whelmed by how much my life had changed, my old room was the size of my closet. I was like a princess, but I hated why. I was here because my father was dead, because people knew about the abuse, because I was an orphan.
"Hey, sorry I took so long." I said to Jeremy when I walked into the living room.
"It's fine, I was slow too." he says walking out of his room still putting on his shirt. Wow, this was weird.
"Um, what do you want to watch?" I ask him to try to cover up the awkwardness.
"Deadliest Catch, or My cat from hell."
"UM, ok" I said turning on the TV, I had finally figured out all the channels. I flipped it over to Discovery and curled into Jeremy. He immediately wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"This is amazing."
"I know, Street Outlaws is awesome."
"I meant having you right here, cuddling with me."
"Oh, why are you being so adorable again."
"I don't try."
"Well, don't try even harder."
"Ok, beautiful."
"Stop," I said blushing. Every time he said I was beautiful it mad me blush.
"Oh, you're blushing."
"Shut up." I said throwing a pillow at him.
"Ow, it hit me with the corner."
"Sorry."
"It's fine, I know it was an accident."
"Ok, good." I said, before putting all of my attention to the race. It was terrible, but it was better than me just staring at Jeremy. We continued to watch Street Outlaws until Mr. Amerly walked up the stairs.
"Hey, I need Ann." he said before he reached the top of the stairs, he would see me and Jerrmy cuddling, "oh, there you are, I need your help." he said, completely unfazed.
"With what?" I asked.
"Figuring out who the email belongs to."
"And how do I do that?"
"By talking to Kate and the girls at your school, this was a student at your school."
"What?"
"Yes, that also means that you 3 are going back to school, I will take you in right now."
"Ok," Jeremy and I replied in unison.
"Also, will you guys try to find out more about the math teacher, Mr. Robson?"
"Of course, let me get my backpack."
"I will meet you 2 in the car."
"Ok." we said running to our rooms to grab our stuff. I put on my lace-up boots and ran out of the room. I ran down the stairs as fast as I could and jumped in the car, hah I had beaten Jeremy to the car.
"Hey," he said as he hopped into the car, "you beat me for once."
"You know it." I said.
"Well, I had to change."
"Why?"
"Because those were old clothes, not the new clothes that I got for my birthday."
"Oh, ok, Mr. Popular." I say sarcastically.
"Miss 'really I'm pretty?'"
"That is how I used to feel."
"Do you now?"
"No, you have helped me love myself and you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, without you I would be dead." he sighed and looked at me sadly.
"Is that the only reason you love me? and be honest."
"No, it's not, but its a reason why I trusted you and was able to completely say that I love you."
"Oh, ok."
"Kids, you have to go into the school."
i laughed nervously, how much of our conversation had Mr. Amerly heard?
"You ready," Jeremy asked me extending his hand.
"You know I am." I replied, taking his hand and opening the car door.
"Let's do this," he said as we walked into the school. He walked me to the office because we had to sign in. Then he walked with me to my locker, after that we went to lunch. That was how late we were.
"Hey," Becky said to me when I sat next to her. Jeremy was sitting with dumb and another one of his friends, which I did not want to be anywhere.
"Hi, how are you? Did I miss a lot in class?"
"No, not really, just review and I don't really feel good, but I mean like I feel sick."
"Oh, that's to bad."
"I guess, hey, why aren't you sitting with Jeremy?"
"Because Liam is dumb, and I think Nick probably is too if he's friends with doofus."
"I heard Nick's sister commuted suicide, is that true?"
"That's Nick?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, can you please give me a minute."
"Yeah, why?"
"I need to talk to him."
"Ok, after can I talk to you?"
"Of course." I said getting up and walking over to Jeremy. I slid into the chair next to him.
"Whoa, she knows when she is being talked about." Liam said.
"Haha, idiot." I hissed.
"Dude, calm your girl," he said to Jeremy.
"Why don't you shut up?"
"Because I have a freedom of speech, little all of a sudden brave."
"Oh shut the hell up, asshole." Jeremy and Nick looked at me like I had just killed someone, "what?" I asked them.
"You have only sworn at me when I piss you off."
"Well, he pissed me off."
"Ok, so what's up?"
"Um, can I talk to you 2, not including dumb ass?"
"Yeah, he left anyways, went to hit on Becky."
"Oh ok."
"So what is it?"
"How is Lisa?" I ask Nick.
"Sad, but she will hopefully be ok, better than Rachel."
"I'm so sorry."
"It's ok, thank you for helping. Without your help, we may have never found the E-mail or her note."
"I'm still sorry, it's terrible, even though whoever that person is didn't actually kill Rachel it's like she did."
"I know."
"Hey, I'm here, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Oh, sorry, I wanted to see if you would check with your dad on what exactly he wanted me to do."
"For what." Nick asked us, clearly confused.
"A case that she is helping my dad on, its actually about her father."
"Oh, I'm sorry what happened."
"It's fine."
"No it's not, you have to stop that. It's not fine, you are hurt by this, I know you are, or else you wouldn't always be so uptight and nervous." Jeremy said looking me straight in the eye.
"I I'm sorry that I'm into the habit of being nervous and untrusting."
"I'm sorry that I lashed out."
"Wow, you two are so cute and nice to each other. I wish Rachel's ex cared that much."
"What do you mean?" I asked, this could help.
"You don't think he could have done it do you?"
"It's possible or if he had or has a girlfriend that was jealous of them." Jeremy told him.
"Did they stay friends after breaking up?"
"Yeah, and occasionally they would go on dates."
"Motive if there is another girl." I said to Jeremy.
"Thank you so much Nick and please tell Lisa I said hi."
"I will." he said as I walked away. when I sat back down at the table with Becky she was smiling.
"Hey, so what did you want to talk to me about."
"Um, can I talk to you in the library?" She said, it must be serious, she wanted major privacy if she wanted to talk to me in the library.
"Um yeah of course," I said getting up and walking with her to the library, I turned on my voice memo on my new iPhone that Mr. Amerly had bought me.
"Um, I iam kind of in a rough spot and I need help."
"What's wrong?"
"I think I'm pregnant."
"What?" I asked, "how?"
"Um, well, um will it make me a criminal if I say it."
"There isn't a way you could be unless you forced a guy to have sex with you."
"Actually, it was the other way around, a man forced me to have sex with him and after awhile I actually started to like it and so then I got pregnant."
"Wow, who did this to you?"
"Mr. Robson, but please don't tell anyone, he doesn't know that I'm pregnant." she paused, "should I tell him?"
"No, let me handle it, let me call Mr. Amerly."
"What, why?"
"That is rape, and I am going to report it, especially because someone reported a suspicion of this happening."
"Oh, ok." she said looking at her feet, "I feel like a slut,"
"You shouldn't, my father raped me, and I didn't think anything of it for a really long time."
"Really?"
"Yeah, and you will be ok, I promise."
"Ok, call." she said and I took out my phone. I chose Mr. Amerly's contact and called him.
"Hi Ann what is it?" He said sounding like he should be doing something else.
"I have your proof for the teacher situation."
"Really? That was fast."
"The victim actually confronted me."
"I wow, really?" He asked sounding very amazed.
"Yes, anyways Jeremy and I are done with lunch in like 2 minutes."
"Ok, I will be there soon." he said calling for Lucy, she was also an officer. So I looked over to Becky.
"Hey, are you ok?"
"No, my child's father is going to go to jail."
"I'm sorry Becky," I told her hugging her.
"No, you can't be sorry because you didn't know and he did this." she paused, "so did I so I will keep this baby."
"You are way stronger than I could be."
"I don't know, you went from an abusive father to being able to love a man."
"Jeremy isn't anywhere close to my father, in any way, except that they have both impacted my life."
"True, ok well, we should leave, next class starts in a minute," she said, walking out into the hallways and down to the Science Lab. I walked back to my locker to grab the rest of my stuff and was greeted by Jeremy.
"So, what happened?"
"We've got a criminal teaching."
"She told you."
"Yep, you're dads on his way," I said and then 3 police cars pulled in front of the school. The officers were Lucy, Mr. Amerly, Nate's dad and Liam's dad.
"Well, this will be fun," he said wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling me to him.
"You bet."
"Ann. I need you to come with me," Lucy said.
"Why? Did I do something."
"Yes, you heard the allegations."
"I also recorded our conversation and the victim knew, she saw the voice memos started."
"Ok, Jeremy come too, you are leaving after this, you two deserve a break after you're amazing work."
"Um Ann has done all of the work, I only help her stay sane."
"That's a huge job." I told him, looking at him over my shoulder.
"Ok, now let's go make an arrest," Nate's father said, and the other officers nodded. So we all walked down to Mr. Robsons classroom and opened the door.
"Dad, why are you here?" Liam asked.
"You'll see."
"Mr. Robson, you are under arrest for having an inappropriate relationship with a minor." Lucy said.
"I have not." he said quickly.
"We have a young girl saying that you forced her into things." Lucy said, trying to stay school appropriate.
"Fine, arrest me but I am innocent." he said, as Lucy read him his rights.
"Wow, best school day ever." Jeremy whispered in my ear.
"I know and now we are leaving early, best day ever." I said.
"You know what would make it perfect?"
"What?" I asked even though I knew what he was going to say.
"You and I hanging out."
"Yeah, it would but I think it will be a busy day."
"But, if we stayed at school I would spend more time to hang out."
"I know."
"Dad, where are we going?" Jeremy asked his father
"You are going to your aunt Victoria's house, well, her vacation home, she will be there with you 2."
"What about Kate?" I asked.
"She is with aunt Amy."
"Oh, ok." I said, so we would spend more time together.
"You will get on her plane from the house."
"What?"
"Yeah, she's a millionaire, she came up with some important thing."
"That's cool," I said as the announcement buzzer went off.
"Students, due to a turn of events you will be sent home in 5 minutes, parents have already been notified, please report to your lockers and busses now. Thank You." Principal Deligian said.
"Let's go get our bags," I said dragging Jeremy to our lockers. His locker was across the hallway from mine. He grabbed his backpack and walked over to me, hugging me.
"I am so glad that we can get away from this town for a little bit."
"Yeah," I said sliding my hand in his, "it will be nice to meet someone from your family."
"I hope she won't dig into you."
"What do you mean?"
"She likes to know everything."
"Oh, I hope so too." I said as we walked out of school.
"Ok, let's go, the sooner we get packed the faster we can leave."
"I can't wait to leave."
"Why?"
"This town is annoying."
"How?"
"Because, there is so much that is haunting me, my friend died, my dad died, your friends twin died and my mom did too. Its just overwhelming."
"I am so sorry darling, I wish I could have protected you from all of this, but I couldn't."
"I know that you couldn't because I didn't know you, and anyways that was all out of your control."
"I know, but I still feel guilty." I kissed him before he could say anything else, I didn't care that everyone could see us kissing. He pulled away and looked at me with that look of love, and dragged me to his fathers car, it was his personal one, because Mr. Robson was in the cop car.
"Hey, what took you so long," a familiar voice said, it was the driver, but I didn't know who it was.
"She had to get her stuff and say by to her friend," he said, even tough he probably wanted to say, "and we were kissing." but he didn't, thankfully.
"Ok," the driver said looking at me, "who's the girl, did my little Jeremy get a girlfriend finally?"
"Yes, this is Ann but please don't annoy her Jessica."
"Wasn't planning on it but I have practically been family so seeing you grown up is hard." she said sadly and began driving. We got home quickly and I ran upstairs to my room and grabbed anything I would want to wear while I was gone, which needed up being most of my closet and grabbed my moms diary, I would read it later.
"How much stuff do you have?"
"Like a whole closet." I said.
"Ok, the plane is at the airport, she will be here soon."
"Jeremy where are you?" A female voice said.
"In the living room."
"Ok, please come down, we have to go if you want to get there by night."
"Ok, coming."
"Ok."
"Aunt Victoria, how are you?"
"Good," his aunt said, "Jeremy who is this, does Lucy have a daughter?"
"No, this is my girlfriend Ann."
"Oh, so this is the bad ass."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"His father told me about your bravery and your amazing detective skills."
"Oh,ok."
"Let's go, we can't leave after 4 and it's already 3:30."
"Ok, let's go," i said and grabbed my huge suitcase. The whole time that we were around Victoria was weird, but once she left us to go sleep on the plane we went back to normal.
"Ann, this is nice."
"Yeah, I get to spend the whole week at least with you." I told him, putting my head on his chest.
"Why are you so loving? Especially when I don't deserve you?"
"Because I am madly in love with you and don't want to lose you." I said, kissing him, and for the first time, there was tongue, and it was weird but neither of us cared. Eventually, I pulled away, staring into his beautiful hazel eyes.
"I don't want to lose you either, I love you."
"I love you too, and I always will." which I meant, he will always be my first love and my love.
"You mean that."
"Of course." I said, and took his hand.
"Ann, I am never letting go of you."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to not let you away from me and out of my arms," he said, and I knew what he meant, he was afraid that I would leave him.
"Stop," I smacked him.
"What? I was being honest."
"You don't need to worry."
"Shut up."
"Only if you make me."
"No, you should just do what I say."
"I'm sorry that I'm not your slave."
"You are my slave." I said standing up and poking him.
"No I'm not." he said, realizing that I was joking.
"I demand you to tell me 1 of your deepest secrets." I said.
"I was raped." He said flatly.
"What, you were raped?"
"My mom."
"Oh my god, that is terrible." I said hugging him.
"Yea but I'm fine," he said,"well, I don't think we will get there before the morning."
"Why? Where are we going."
"Paris, but since we are in the middle of the U.S. it will take a while, you should probably go to sleep."
"Not without you."
"Why?"
"Because I need someone to snap me out of my nightmares." I said and looked down at my hands. He cupped my face and made me look at him.
"Okay."
"I am just used to you protecting me."
"I already said I would.
"Ok, let's go."
"Don't you want to change?" He asked.
"No, I'm in shorts and a t-shirt, I'm fine."
"Ok, I am not sleeping in this shirt though."
"Ok," I said, realizing he was going to sleep shirtless.
"Ok." he said laying down next to me, "I hope you know that I don't have a shirt on." he said.
"I know," I said, pulling his bare chest to me, and wrapping my arms around his back.
"Ann?"
"What?"
"Do you not like me as much anymore?" He asked me with a worried tone.
"No, why would I?"I asked, pulling him closer. Which was hard since he was really strong, and muscular.
"Because I'm more flawed than you thought."
"I don't care about your "flaws" they make you, you." I said with a smile. Even though he couldn't see my smile.
"Oh, well, I'm glad." He said and kissed my forehead. I snuggled up into him and started to yank on his arm.
"What?"
"You are really strong."
"Why are you yanking my arm."
"I don't know."
"Dong make me leave."
"No, I will stop. I promise." I said, taking my hands off of him and turning away from him. I soon felt him wrap his arms around my waist and bring himself closer to me, "so you can hold me but I can't hold you?" I asked him playfully.
"Yes, because I am not pulling your arm." He said to me.
"Shut up." I said and fell asleep.
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Hey, this will be short. I just edited it, I realized how bad it was. Anyways, this was a really long chapter. Ok, I am almost done, but I am actually getting attached to this story. Please comment. Love y'all :)