Insecure

Chapter 24

It was the following day when Carlos and Lilly decided to join their friends to have an update on what was happening with Russell. Jayce was sitting on the couch next to Laura with his hand in hers, her head on his shoulder with her other hands on her-over a month grown-- stomach. Carlos was sitting next to Lilly on the other couch; Lilly laying down, her head in Carlos' lap. Lilly was the first to speak.
"Laura, what's happening?"
Not lifting her head, she said, "Well, remember when I found out Russell only wanted me because I reminded him of his ex-wife?"
Lilly nodded. "Well, Miss Russell and I got them back together."
"You what?" Carolose demanded. "What were you thinking? You can't just get into his love life. This sick bastard doesn't deserve to have the satisfaction of being in love---"
"Thank you!" Jayce said, smirking and glad someone agreed with him. "Exactly my point."
"I have to agree with the guys on this one," Lilly said.
"Lilly! I thought you said for me to do whatever I have to to get him out of my life!" Laura exclaimed, pulling away from Jayce.
"I know, but I think instead of getting friendly, he goes to jail. Either way, he's getting locked up."
"I can't believe this," she said, heading for the stairs.
Jayce ran to Laura, grabbing her arm, and saying, "Babe, please. We're just trying to make you see----"
"See what? See what, Jayce?"
"That you're not handling this the right way----"
"Let me tell you something, Mr. Perfect. This is my fight. Don't you think I know that he needs to be locked up? I know that! But, what you don't understand is putting someone away is the last thing I want to do. Why do you think my dad is still a free man----"
"Laura, your dad changed though---"
"And, so can he. Russell can change. Now, he has his wife, so he can leave me alone. He wasn't like that until his wife left---"
Jayce reached for her hand, and even though she didn't resist, she didn't look at him. "Babe, he still did something wrong. He has no excuse."
"Jayce, what if he changed?"
"It doesn't matter----"
"Really?" Laura pulled away from him. "Then, lock my dad up, too." Laura ran up the stairs and left three friends calling after her.

~~~~~~~~

Russell and his sister were sitting in his house, sharing a bag of chips, deciding on what was going to happen next.
"What are you going to do?" Miss Russell asked her brother.
He shrugged. "No idea. I know I am in trouble, and I deserve to be. But...." He looked at her. "You know I don't look at young girls like that----"
"I know, you only did it because she looked like your ex-wife."
"Right."
"Look, what you did was wrong and sick. You ruined another person's life because you were broken-----"
"I know."
"You do know what you have to do, right?"
Russell nodded his head. "You have to turn yourself in."
"This sucks."
"Well, you made the choice. Now take the consequence."
A familiar voice entered the room. "Not until I have a moment."
They both turned around and saw Jeanette standing there, broken, hurt and angry. She watched him jump up and say, "What did you hear?"
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I know everything." All the sick lies.
"Jeanette," he said, reaching for her.
She smacked him away. "Don't. How could you? What the hell? You hurt an innocent girl?"
"I just kissed her, there was no sex."
"Russell! She was only 16. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" he asked, growing angry. "I'll tell you what was wrong with me."
"I'm going to go," Miss Russell excused herself. They looked at her, forgetting she was there. She apologized, walking out the door.
"Sorry, I'll talk to you later," Russell told his sister before turning back to his ex-wife.
"There. You interrupted my talk with my sister."
"About what to do for a sick act you were doing!"
He ran his fingers through his hair. "Like I told you, I'm still in love with you. The only reason any of this happened was because she looked like you, when you were that age. I was angry I couldn't have you."
"Russell---"
"She made it easy since her self-esteem was so low."
"Russell! What if things were going bad for her at home or something? That's terrible. People with low self esteem obviously have a lot going on in their life. You probably just made things even worse."
"I'm sorry, but I just didn't know what to do."
Jeanette shook her head. "That is still just sick." She stopped for a second. "Were you actually turned on by her?"
He shook his head. "Only because I thought of you. As sick as that is, I only love you. She's nothing to me. I'm so sorry," Russell said, grabbing her gently.
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. You what you have to do."
"Turn myself in?"
"That. Also, you have to apologize to her. I will go with you, so she knows that you are done messing with her."
"That makes sense."
"I believe it does. She didn't deserve any of that."
"I know. I feel terrible."
"Well, you'll have plenty of time to think about it."
He just nodded and kissed her cheek. "I hope you'll forgive me for all the stupid things I've done."
"Like I said, you're saying that to the wrong person."
~~~~~~~~~

"I don't know what to do," Jayce said, putting his head in his hands.
"She'll be fine," Carlos assured him.
"She was right, though," Lilly said.
Both heads turned. Carlos said, "What are you talking about?"
She bent her knees against her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. "Think about it. People can change, but that doesn't change the fact of their actions. If Russell goes to jail, her dad should too."
"That's different," Jayce mumbled.
"Why Jayce? Because he's blood? HE was drunk and depressed? Russell was, too. IF you think about it, it's worse with her dad. Her own father took his daughter's virginity for fucks sake!"
Jayce's fists were clenched as Lilly got up. "I'm going to talk to Laura." She was already up the stairs before anyone could say anything. She knocked on the door, and before she could decide what to do next, the door flew open. Lilly looked and saw Laura standing there with her phone against her ear.
Laura hung up the phone and looked at Lilly. "Yes?"
"Cut the crap, Laura. What's going on?"
"Look, maybe if you understood..."
Lilly pushed past her into the room, closing the door. "I do understand. After you left, I took your side."
"Good timing."
Lilly ignored that and asked, "What's going on?"
Laura sighed and looked at her and said, "Russell's coming."