Mr Smith, Miss Jackson.

Chapter 17

The knock on my door jolts me awake. I slip out of bed, careful not to wake Charlotte. I stick my head out of the window and look to the doorway below.
"Ralph?!"
"Obviously! Let me in!" I shake my head and close the window, running downstairs.
"So what were you trying to say this morning?" He laughs, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
"Last night I made a mistake."
"Right? And what was it?"
"Well I saw something I probably shouldn't have. To do with Charlotte."
"Is she okay?" he interrupts, looking nervous. I feel a pang of guilt.
"Yeah she's fine, she is now anyway. She's asleep." He sighs in relief and relaxes back into the chair.
"But she was warned not to tell anyone and I freaked out and called the cops." I tell him. Ralph bites his lip in thought.
"You did it for her own safety, it had to be done." He tells me.
"I can't believe you'd do that." she mutters. I spin around and stare at her, feeling my face growing red.
"Charlotte I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do, I couldn't get it off my mind." I mumble. She takes a deep breath and sits down.
"All my life I was told it's all I'm good for. That's why I do what I do." she admits. Ralph sits there, confusion taking over his features. Another knock at the door makes us all jump.
"I'll get it." Ralph says, running out.
"I'll get breakfast." Charlotte smiles.
"I'll get Jason." I sigh, walking upstairs to where the now crying baby is.
"Hey baby." I whisper, picking him up, his fluffy white sleepsuit tickling my eyes slightly. He stops crying straight away and stares up at me, tiny fists clenching and unclenching. I carry him carefully to the kitchen, smiling down at him.
"Mr Smith, how kind of you to join us." A deep voice says. I look up to see two cops sat at my table, Ralph sat on the counter looking bored and Charlotte stood next to him, shaking and scared.
"Wait.." One of the cops stares into her eyes and she shrinks into Ralph, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Miss Jackson." He mumbles. Everything freezes for a second and then Charlotte is running out the door, Ralph and the two cops following her. Jason starts crying again, hot angry tears that run down his cheeks. I rock him.
"Shh, it's okay, it'll be okay." I whisper, my phone ringing on the counter.
"Ralph? What's happening?" I can hear loud sirens in the background and lots of incoherent shouting.
"It's Charlotte." He says, crying.
"What?! What about her? Where are you?"
"Jasons Bridge. She's gone." He sobs. My phone clatters to the ground and I run outside. I instantly notice my car's gone. Charlotte must've taken it. I begin to run down the road, desperately trying to remember the way to Jasons Bridge on foot. Jasons cries in my arms and I silently will him to shut up. The sun begins to rise, sending vibrant colours across the sky. They would be so beautiful if I wasn't so scared. I thud onto the bridge, sweaty and out of breath. Police tape is blocking it off but I bolt through, looking for Ralph.
"Dan! I'm so sorry." he says, wobbling on the edge of the bridge.
"What're you doing?! Get down! What's happening?!" I grab his wrist, clutching onto him, his pulse beating under my fingers.
"She couldn't take it any more and neither can I. I have to go with her. Please let me go." he begs. Tears slide down my cheeks before I even know I want to cry. I let go of him.
"Goodbye." I whisper. He falls over the edge and I feel my heart jolt. Jason screams in my arms and I'm lead away from the bridge, choking on my own tears.
"Is this your son?" Someone asks me. I instinctively hold him closer and nod. I'm pushed into a car and driven to a cafe where I'm given a cup of coffee and a thousand soothing words. But nothing helps, the tears still fall and I still cling onto Jason. I look down at him and he looks to me, both too tired to cry any longer. His eyes are just like his mums and his hair is the same colour as Ralphs. He's all I have left of them. Kyle sits in front of me, looking miserable. Janna is beside him, her eyes blank like she's in shock. Kyle takes Jason from my arms and for the first time today I let him.

"It'll be okay." he mumbles, trying to convince himself as much as me. I smile at him gratefully.
"We've still got each other." Janna mumbles, stroking Jasons head, eyes full of tears like mine.
"Yeah, we have." I pull all of them into a hug.
"Who's going to look after Jason?" Kyle mutters. I smile down at the baby in his arms and reach my hand out to his. He grabs my finger and smiles slightly, making my heart skip.
"Me." I whisper.