My Detective

Chapter 12- Busted

Leah's POV

Replaying the incident over and over inside my head, thinking about it now, and I wish I did things in another way. The image is burned into my mind no matter how hard I try not to picture it. Right from the moment I laid my eyes on her at that bathroom at the party, those bruises explains everything. I should've, I should've listen to my guts, I should've noticed. The fear in her eyes was heart breaking. Right now, this was on me. I just can't help but blame myself for everything. The anger I have for Gino is out of this world. I couldn't even fathom. That bastard, he was my friend. And he keeps doing all those nasty things to Jennifer for a long period of time. How could he hurt someone like her? I swear to God-- I'm gonna put that son of a bitch in jail! My heart is shook from everything my eyes witnessed today.

The empty water bottle my hand is clutched tightly around my fist. I didn't notice that I've crumpled it completely. What anger does to you.
"It's not your fault" a voice said, I looked up and see Tess smiling at me, sitting down beside me.

We're currently at the waiting room of the hospital, where everyone's dreading to be. It sucks being here. I felt her hand on my back, "It is" I mumbled, "she could've died because of me" I continued. "Leah you didn't know! Stop putting the blame on you" Tess says, "I knew there's something strange going on. I was there to stop. But-- if only I knew it sooner" I said frustratingly. "Please arrest that motherfucker. If my anger could kill, he'd be dead" I said before throwing the bottle, walking away.

Meanwhile, I was in front of Jennifer's room. A nurse came by to update me with her condition. I felt so relieved to find out nothing major injury happened, thank heavens for that. But when she said that she has more bruises found in her body it made me feel alarmed. I couldn't imagine how hard she must go through to be able to hide that pain under her sleeves. She told me that I could finally see her now, I wasted no time and slowly get in hoping i won't wake her up.

My sight right now is-- painful. She's all bandaged up, in her head, down to her legs and arms. The more I look at her, the more I kick myself at my gut for not doing my job.

The bedroom door opened quietly as I leaped up from my seat to see the doctor came in. "She will wake up soon" she said, quickly glancing at her small clipboard in her hand before looking up at me again. "She's in pain and had a shock but she'll be fine otherwise and will need rest and quiet, you can even take her home after a few hours when she's fully awakened, just follow everything in the prescription and remember- no heavy movements" she paused for a while then talked againm "Now I must go back, they need my assistance in the other room i just wanted to stop by to tell you she'll be fine" she reminded, flashing me a small smile. "Will do, thank you doc" I said and offered my hand for a shake. Not a second minute passed, she left the room.

Jennifer's POV

Slowly blinking my eyes, to find myself staring up at the ceiling of an unfamiliar chamber. A painted ceiling
arched overhead. I lay prone on a soft bed, my aching head pillowed ok a feathered cushions. Where am I? There was no concept of time when I woke up, and my thoughts had to reorganize. My head is utterly dizzy and ready to blow up in any minute. I could feel the pain starts shooting at my body the moment as I shifted my head to look around and there was she. And then I remembered what happened, everything slowly makes sense.

I try to sit up and pull myself together and there's where she noticed me, she was looking something on her phone. "Hey, hey, hey-- you're gonna hurt yourself- just lay back down please" she said, helping my body to lay on the awful hospital bed again. I was hoping and praying that we won't ever gonna have to talk again about what happened. I feel so ashamed and embarrassed, I don't want to get judged.

I refused to look at her in the eye, afraid she'd say something that would break the ice. "How are you feeling? Do you want anything?" She asks, and in response, I shake my head no. I heard her let out a sigh and she sat back down on the chair by the bed. "Jennifer" she said, "Jennifer!" She raised her voice, I finally look at her. I bite my cheek and wait for her to talk. "You know Gino has to pay for what he's done. I should've arrest him by now" she grits, Gino. Until know, I couldn't believe what happened. At some point I feel happy but scared.
Scared because I'm back to square one, I have no house to go home to, I have-- nothing. I don't even have enough money without Gino. I'm not sure how will I survive. Like the universe is giving me hints that I'm gonna be all by myself-alone.

"Don't" I muttered, my voice cracking as my raspy voice comes out. She narrowed her eyes at me, "Are you crazy?! That mother fucker beat-" "Please Leah. Don't, Please" I begged, hoping she'd listen. I guess she finally gave up because she stopped talking for a while. "You never should've keep this to yourself. I was here, you know. You could've told me, us! The girls! Why do you have to shoulder all of this?!" She's raising her voice, "You don't understand" I whispered, "Hell yes I don't" she muttered angrily.

Not gonna lie when I told you I get a little scared, I've never seen her this mad.

"I can't promise you I won't put him behind bars" she said, "Leah please" "That's my job, Jennifer" she retorts, crossing both of her arms. "God!- I can't believe him" she let out, her first are turning white. "Don't let Loren know-- don't let anyone know" I plead, "Why?" "I-I just feel..I don't know okay? Just please" I looked down and played with my bruised hand. She let out a deep sigh.

"Does your parents know about this?-- of course not, what am I thinking!"
Leah is so frustrated right now and I wish I could explain everything but I'm not ready to talk about it. "Where is he?" I dared to ask. I know what you're thinking, why would I wanna find the man who's hands in my neck just an hour ago? Heck, I don't know what's wrong with me. He's my husband, my life was all figured out with him, I don't know what's gonna happen in the next few days.

"C-can we just please not worry about him now? Look at your neck- you nearly died! I don't think you understand what just happened there" She exclaimed frustratingly, running her fingers through her hair. I gulped, looking down at my body- at my bandaged up body. "You clearly don't get it. What will I do without him now? I have nothing! So I'm begging you- don't arrest him" I said, fighting my tears to come out. "Sorry. I can't do what you want"

I refused to respond to what she said. I know I don't have anything against an FBI detective. A brief of silence covered the whole place, no one dared to talk or even to glance at each other until a nurse came in to check up on me, informing that I'm all good to go. She just gave me a couple of reminders of do's and don't judging by my situation. Leah though, she left the room and I saw her talking to the doctor. A minute later she came back with a wheel chair.

"Can you sit up without breaking a bone?" She asked, coming closer to where I'm laying. "I guess I can" I replied, slowly trying to pull myself up from the cushion as Leah supported my back using her hand. With her help, I managed to get into the wheelchair, still waring my ugly hospital gown by the way.

She then pushes the wheelchair and I have no idea where we'll be going. I'm damn intimidated by Leah, the way she talks while she's mad, she's so straight forward. "Where are we going? I need to go home" I finally asked the question that has been bothering me ever since we left that creepy room. She didn't respond right away instead I heard her take a deep breath then answering me.

"You're staying with me"

What?