Afire Love (#Wattys2016)

26. Scavenging Work.

Chapter 26 – Scavenging Work.

We were all sitting at the huge table in the dining room having breakfast while discussing what would be going on the next few weeks and what we had to face. It had been three days since I was left out of the hospital and school would officially start on Monday. James had explained that it was better to wait for me to get out of the hospital first before getting the police involved and Nate and Jay were able to convince Dr. Moore to wait until everything was really settled and enough evidence about Marcus' illegal drug dealing was collected. Dr. Moore only agreed under the condition that I would still meet the psychiatrist he had introduced to me. She was specially trained for people who had gone through abuse and saw no other way out of it than suicide. It felt weird speaking to this woman at first, but I realized it really helped me. I was glad after I was allowed to leave the hospital and I was even more relieved that I didn't have to go to my old home. Nate invited Jay and me to stay at his and we were thankful. After we arrived at Nate's house he, Jay and James drove to the police to report Marcus to them and after realizing that this was going to be the biggest drug dealership in and around town they were about to destroy, the police acted on it right away, the obvious evidence helping a lot. Marcus and my mother got arrested on the same day and Marcus had no other chance than to give in. They went through the church that had actually been just a cover for Marcus' business and found all the drugs neatly packed and ready to sell in some hidden basement. My mother and Marcus and also all his employees and customers were arrested in the next few days until now, a few of them getting hints and trying to disappear before police could find them.

Nate and Jay had gotten all the important things from my room and brought it over before I had arrived here. I was glad that Amy and Ben helped them and I didn't have to go back to this house. Just the thought of all the things that had happened there and the things I didn't even know about made me shudder. I was so glad that Nate had Brenda get the guestrooms ready for us. I felt more at home here than I did anywhere else.

"Okay, so everyone listen." James said sitting his cup of coffee down. Brenda who had been caring for all of us lovingly since we had literally run her over sat the last plate of scrambled eggs down and took a seat at the top of the table, which was the opposite of where Rick was sitting. He had to stay with us too since he was an important witness. Nate was sitting next to me holding my hand under the table secretly like every morning since I got out of the hospital and slightly caressed it. We didn't talk about what exactly we were and luckily everyone only smiled at us knowingly not asking for an answer to a question we didn't even know how to answer exactly ourselves. It was just too much going on at the moment. Amy was sitting at my right side stuffing her face with Choco puffs before she realized who was speaking. I knew she had a thing for James even though he was around 30 and she was only 18, since she was always smiling and laughing at everything he said even though his jokes to lighten up the mood were pretty bad. Her unlikely giddy laugh just gave it all away and Ben noticed it as well. He was sitting next to Jay and James at the opposite side of the table. "Today is the first day of the interrogation starting with Jay as the first family member and Rick and I who gave the proof." He explained before whipping his lips with the white fabric napkin in front of him. "Since I'm your lawyer they'll be telling me who is going to be next and then I'll bring you. I assume it's going to be you Kelsey and then Nathaniel, Amber and Benedict." He said and I knitted my brows at him not about the information but the way he didn't say the short forms of their names. He had done this since the beginning and told us that it was easier for him to remember since he wasn't allowed to say the short forms in front of court and we understood. It was still weird though. "They won't be able to question you all today since they have a lot of work to do with Marcus' customers and staff." He said before looking at his watch and straightening up in his seat. "Jay has to be there in around an hour. I guess Rick and I will go with you right away so that we can take one car." He said taking a bite off of his croissant seemingly having ended his briefing.