A Couple is Three: The Beginning (book 1 & 2 Completed)

Chapter 59 - Aftermath

Sherry looked around the table. The hurt, disillusionment, and horror still visible on all their faces. She knew that the same things were probably visible on her own. In the past she had often felt like an outsider despite how welcoming everyone was, but now she was thankful for it. She knew that she needed to step up and be the one who helped them to find the path that they needed to follow even if it was one that none of them would like. "So, what do we do now?"

"What do you mean?" John looked up from where he had been watching the tearful reunion of his wife and children.

"I mean, who is the one that will be calling the police? When do we call? How do we access help for Lily?" Sherry noticed that Samantha had pulled her head away from Jake's shoulder and was looking at her intently, a small, sad smile forming on her face.

"Police?" The cry was echoed by numerous people around the table.

Sherry looked at the grief stricken face of her best friend. "I know that this will be hard for you Sharron, but we have to call them in. Cheryl has broken numerous laws."

"But I can't let anyone know." Lily's soft, quiet voice cut through the tension. "She will tell everyone. She'll ruin Dave." Lily dropped her head onto her mother's shoulder while still nestled safely in her father's arms. The silent sobs shaking her body.

"Lily." Samantha waited until Lily raised her head. She felt Jake's arms tighten around her waist. His hands stroking her sides giving comfort. "Lily. Sherry is right. The only way to stop from hurting you or Dave is to get the police involved."

Lily opened her mouth, but it was Sharron's voice that filled the air. "We can't. I'm sure that all she needs is just some help. How can we turn her in after all that she's been through? She was like another daughter to me." Sharron eyed each person at the table as she spoke. Her gaze came to rest on her husband. Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.

John's heart broke even further. He knew that his words would destroy his wife, but they needed to be said. It's the only way. I need to make sure that she doesn't harm my children or extended children. His eyes drifted over to Jake and Samantha before returning to his immediate family. Lily needed to be protected and made safe first. She was their own. Yes, Cheryl needed help, but she needed her help to come through the court system. "Sharron, we have to do it. We need to protect Lily and the others. The only way to do that is to involve the police."

"But--"

"There aren't any buts. Lily is more important than Cheryl." John waited patiently for Sharron to nod her head in agreement.

He looked around the table. "I think that we should call Steve." He looked down at Lily. "Would you be comfortable talking to him or would you like him to find a female officer for you to talk with?"

"I-I-I d-don't want..."

Samantha pushed off of Jake's lap and moved to crouch in front of Lily. Josh's arm let go of Lily and wrapped itself around her. She placed her hand on Lily's knee. "Lily, I know that you don't want to, but do you want her to be able to threaten you for ever? What about the other girls that were there that night? Did any of them pull away from you before you received videos of you with them?"

Lily reviewed the timeline of the past year in her head. Her eyes popped open in amazement. "You're right. Some of them did stop talking to me first. Some of them stopped talking to the others at the same time I did." Her eyes drew together. "What does that mean?"

"It means that she was blackmailing the others, too." Samantha's soft voice carried the revelation to everyone sitting at the table.

There was a sharp inhalation as everyone realized the implications at once. Cheryl was not only blackmailing Lily to try to get closer to Josh, she had bigger plans than anyone of them had realized.