No Such Thing As A Hollywood Ending

chapter 36

Henry sat in the back pew of the church, his heart pounding in his chest as the service droned on. He hadn't been able to focus on a single word. His eyes kept darting around, making sure Amelia wasn't there. Thankfully, she hadn't shown up, but the mere thought of her had him on edge. After what she'd done to him last week, he couldn't bear to be near her. He didn't know what he would do if he saw her again.

When the service ended, Henry stood awkwardly by his parents, hoping they could leave quickly. But then, the pastor approached, a solemn expression on his face. "could I speak with you in private for a moment?" he asked.

Henry's stomach dropped. He immediately feared the worst-had Amelia said something? Was she trying to twist the situation, make it look like he was the one in the wrong? His heart raced as his parents exchanged concerned glances before following the pastor to his office. Henry hesitated for a moment, then trailed behind, too anxious to be left out.

Inside the office, the pastor closed the door and sighed deeply, sitting down behind his desk. He looked tired, older than he had before. "I want to start by saying, Henry, that what happened to you was wrong," he said softly, his eyes filled with a sorrow that Henry wasn't expecting. "I was furious when I found out what Amelia did."

Henry blinked, stunned by the pastor's words. (Wait, what? He knows? He doesn't believe I caused the situation?)

The pastor continued, turning to Henry's parents. "I had Amelia stay home today. Her mother and I both agreed that she shouldn't be here. What she did to Henry-" His voice wavered, and he clenched his fists. "It's unacceptable. And as a father, it breaks my heart to say this, but she raped him."

Henry's dad stood up abruptly, his face red with anger. "Raped? My son was *raped*?"

Henry's mom gasped, her hand covering her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. "Oh my God... Henry..."

Henry couldn't move, couldn't speak. He had been terrified that no one would believe him, that they would blame him or dismiss what had happened. But hearing it said out loud-hearing the word "rape" spoken by the pastor-made it all feel real in a way that he hadn't fully processed before. His whole body felt like it was trembling.

The pastor nodded, his expression grave. "I was... I was devastated when I learned what she had done, and I confronted her immediately. I'm so, so sorry, Henry. This is not something anyone should ever experience." He sighed heavily. "I wanted to talk to you all before we decided what to do next. I know this is... beyond difficult. And while I'm trying to handle this with out police involvement, I also know that it's a crime, and I can't force you to keep this quiet if you don't want to."

Henry's dad was shaking with anger, his voice tight as he spoke. "You're saying you want to *keep this quiet*?" His fists clenched at his sides. "My son was *raped,* and you think we should just sweep it under the rug?"

The pastor shook his head quickly. "No, no. That's not what I'm saying. I understand if you want to go to the police, and I'll support you if that's the decision. I just... I want to try to resolve this another way if we can first, if possible. But if you feel it's necessary to involve the authorities, then I won't stand in the way."

Henry's mom, still reeling, looked at her son, tears streaming down her face. "Henry... I'm so sorry. I had no idea... Are you okay?"

Henry didn't know how to answer that. Was he okay? He didn't think so. But at the same time, he felt numb. The past week had been a blur of confusion and fear. "I don't know," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

His dad, unable to contain his fury, paced the room. "I can't believe this. How could she do this to him? This can't be swept under the rug."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as they all considered the next steps. Henry didn't know what he wanted. He didn't want to deal with police or courtrooms. He didn't want more people to know. But at the same time, he felt violated, broken, and the idea of just letting Amelia get away with what she had done felt wrong too.

The pastor sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "I understand how upsetting this is, and I don't blame you for being angry. I'm angry too. I just want to make sure that whatever decision we make, it's the right one for everyone involved. I don't want to make things harder on Henry. He's been through enough."

Henry's dad stopped pacing and turned to the pastor, his voice trembling with rage. "Harder? You think this isn't hard enough already? You're lucky I haven't called the police yet."

The pastor nodded. "I know. And if you choose to, I won't stop you. We can reconvene after everyone has had time to process. I just thought it was important to address this immediately."

Henry felt overwhelmed. He couldn't even begin to process everything happening around him, let alone make a decision about what to do. His mind was still stuck on the fact that the pastor believed his daughter could do such a thing, that his parents knew the truth, and that no one was blaming him. It was surreal.

After what felt like an eternity, Henry's dad finally spoke, his voice quieter but still filled with anger. "We need time to think. We'll discuss this as a family, but I want to be clear-we are not brushing this under the rug. I won't let this go."

The pastor nodded solemnly. "Of course. Take all the time you need. Just know that I'm here for whatever you decide."

As they left the pastor's office, Henry walked in a daze. He wasn't sure what would happen next, but he knew one thing for certain: Amelia wasn't getting away with this. Not if his dad had anything to say about it. And Henry, despite the fear still gnawing at him, felt a small sense of relief.