Truth Comes Second

The End

Author's Note: These novels have been a wild ride for me. Thanks to every person who supported me. I know these are my most popular stories, but please check out my other ones too. Because this is the last update, I made it twice as long :)

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Julie's POV:

*Five years later*

I waited outside of Hunter's school. The wind whipped my hair across my face, and I crossed my arms over my chest. The grocery store I work at, gave me a thick green sweater to wear over my uniform during the autumn and winter. It was a slow day, so my manager let me leave an hour early. It was nice not to be rushing to the elementary school at the last minute to pick Hunter up.

After that night I killed Tommy, Jimmy and I stuck to the story that we created together. The trials took months and were long and exhausting. Jimmy and I had to sit up on the stand and tell our story over and over to a room full of people. In the end, Jimmy was sentenced to ten years for being an accessory to murder because he never told anyone about Tommy or Charles. The time apart has been long and grueling, but his sentence could have been worse. During the trials, I had nightmares that they would lock him away for life or give him the death sentence.

The threatened to put me in jail, but they quickly decided that I was a victim in all of this. The court makes me go to therapy every week. Every Monday morning, I dropped Hunter off at school and then head downtown to the doctor's office. Dr. Lane is nice, so I don't mind going to her office. She helped get rid of the nightmares. She often talks to Detective Cameron about my progress. On my first meeting with her, I told her I wanted to visit Jimmy. She talked to Cameron, and they decided that when Dr. Lane decided I was ready to visit Jimmy I could. Five years later, and she told me Monday that I was allowed to go.

Detective Cameron called me that night. He told me that for good behaviour Jimmy had been transferred to a minimum security prison just thirty minutes away from my apartment. He offered to drive Hunter and I there because he said he had to be in the room. I didn't care. I got to see Jimmy.

The bell rang to the school and I waited at the bottom of the steps. A couple kids started running down the steps. I saw Hunter in the crowd with his backpack that was way too large for him, but it was the one he wanted. He had grown an obsession with insects and he loved the dragonflies decorating that bag when we were in the mall.

I waved at him, and his face light up when he saw me and he cut across the stairs. He gave me a quick hug and I pulled down his hat that he hadn't pulled over his ears.

"We get to see Daddy now?" he asked.

"Soon," I told him. "We have to go home and eat first."

He held my hand as we walked back to the apartment. My stomach was twisted into a knot, so I couldn't eat, but I made Hunter a sandwich and a glass of milk. While he sat at the table he was playing with two of his plastic dinosaurs. I was too nervous to stay still, so I went into the bedroom and changed out of my work uniform.

There was a knock on the door and when I opened it Cameron was standing there. Because of all the publicity the trials got, Cameron became busier than ever. I rarely saw him since Carrie died, but he did pop by every once in awhile to check in on me. I don't know if he had to do it, or if he did just because he wanted to do.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Hunter is just finishing dinner."

Cameron stepped in and followed me into the kitchen. The plate in front of Hunter was empty.