Forever Strong (Book 7 in Nemi Forever Series)

Chapter 15

Nick

I'm not sure I will ever be able to erase the look on my kids faces as the police took me from my home. They will haunt me forever. I was scared as I sat in the back of this cruiser. I tried to get someone to tell me what was going on, but I got no response. They looked at me like I was the lowest life form on the planet. What the hell did I do? They had to have thought I did something really bad, with the way they were looking at me.

I was led into the station through a back door, thankfully, so I didn't have to see many people. This was humiliating enough. I wasn't wanting this to be online anytime soon. I was almost thrown into a chair inside a cold, gray room. Then, I was left alone. I was alone for quite a while, actually. Finally, two plain clothes detective came in, one of them carrying a folder. I watched enough cop shows to know I was being investigated. This wasn't questioning to help put someone away. They suspected me of something.

"You're a rock star, eh?" One of the guys said as he sat across from me. The other one stood against the wall, his hands in his pocket as he stared at me, sucking on a toothpick. He was definitely from Texas. All he needed was a cowboy hat.

I've never been so scared to answer a question in my life. And an innocent question, that I've been asked a hundred times in my life. "I guess." I said, shrugging my shoulders as I tried to read this man's face.

"You're probably used to getting your way." He smirked as he leaned back in his chair. I didn't respond. "So... you have kids. A daughter I heard." The way he talked shook me to my core. I nodded, swallowing my fear. "And your wife is pregnant." It was a statement that I wasn't sure why he made. What was this relevant to? "Do you touch your daughter?" He asked & my blood ran cold. I didn't know how to respond to that. I touched my daughter, of course. But I don't think he meant like ever? I stared at him, confused. "Do you ever touch your daughter inappropriately?" He asked & I felt my stomach turn just thinking about what he really must have meant.

I shook my head & swallowed the bile I felt coming up from my stomach. "No." I choked out.

"So you just touch other people's little girls."

I looked at the two officers & could feel myself getting nauseous. "Is that a joke?" I looked around now. "Is someone playing a joke right now?" I asked, praying in my head that this was the case.

"No joking about touching children, Mr, Jonas."

I put my folded hands on my forehead & took a few breaths. "I have never touched a child... inappropriately." I looked up at the officers. "I would never hurt a child, let alone touch one like that." I was having a hard time not throwing up right now. I was breathing & swallowing but I really needed a trash can.

The officer chuckled, deeply. "Funny. That's what predators usually say."

A predator? What the hell was happening right now? Was I having a nightmare? I looked up at the ceiling & the room started to spin. "I swear I have never touched a child.... inappropriately."

"What's the matter? Your wife not giving it up anymore to ya so ya gotta go find it with innocent little girls?"

That pissed me off. Something snapped, now, as I felt like I was in some serious trouble. My defenses were coming to a head. I leaned forward to glare at the man sitting in front of me. "You missed the part in your notes that my wife is pregnant & this is our fifth child, so she gives it up plenty."

He chuckled, making me even more angry. "So why do you touch girls inappropriately then?"

"I don't!" I snapped. "The only girl I touch inappropriately is my wife. I would never hurt a little girl like that. Do you know who I'm married to?" I asked, incredulously.

The officer opened his folder & scanned something. "Um... Demi Lovato. Ah yes, she's a singer & an actress. I bet she has no idea who she's married to."

I rolled my eyes. "My wife was molested & raped as a little girl, so it hits close to home that you are accusing me of something so heinous."

"Wow. Great cover. Hide behind the woman with a past that mirrors what you get off on."

I felt my stomach turning as I shook my head & closed my eyes. "I'm gonna be sick." I said.

The officer by the wall scooted the trashcan to me with his foot as he smirked. "Do it in there." He ordered.

I felt dizzy. "Do you care if I check my sugar?"

"You're diabetic. That's right. I think I saw that in the notes." The man chuckled as he glanced at the other officer. "We'll get someone in here to check it for ya."

"Thank you." I said in a weak voice. "Who said I was touching my daughter inappropriately?"

"No one." He replied.

I stared in confusion, shaking my head again. The other officer came to lean on the table. "You know a little girl named Karleigh Chapman?"

I swallowed the vomit that was starting to rise. Now it was starting to become clearer. "She's my daughter's best friend."

"So she spends the night at your house a lot."

I closed my eyes & took a deep breath. "Yes."

"Well, we have the doctor's report from her recent visit to the emergency room & it turns out she's been being abused, sexually, for quite a while. She told the police at the hospital that she sleeps at your house & that you touch her."

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I leaned over & threw up in the metal trashcan. Karleigh told the police I touched her? I didn't believe it. Someone else put those thoughts in her head. I sat up after I finished vomiting & looked at both officers. "I want my lawyer." I said in a firm, flat tone. I didn't want to say another word. I was afraid. Very afraid.

They exchanged a smug look & nodded. "Of course you do." One of them remarked.

The door to the room opened & I heard Demi. "Nick! Oh my God, can I please talk to my husband?" I turned in the chair to see someone holding her, as she struggled.

"Demi!" I called after her. The moment our eyes locked, she collapsed, in a fit of sobs. I ran out after her. I wasn't being charged, so I could leave. I picked Demi up & held her in my arms. I caught the gaze of an officer who looked sympathetic & helped me carry Demi into the room I just came out of. "Baby, you can't get upset. It's not good for the baby." I sat her in the chair & she threw her arms around me.

"Nick, please tell me what's going on. No one will tell me anything." She was hysterical & I wanted desperately to calm her down. If I told her what was going on, she'd lose it.

"Ssshh." I said as I rubbed my hand over her hair. The sympathetic officer came in the room & closed the door. The detectives stepped out since I had asked for my lawyer. I was sitting across from Demi in another chair, holding her hand as she cried. "I need you to stay calm." I could feel tears building now as I was about to tell my wife, my best friend, the love of my life, that I was being accused of doing to a little girl what someone did to her as a child. Was there a tiny part of me that wondered if she would believe it was true? What was this fear I felt as I looked into Demi's eyes? Why were tears stinging my eyes as I struggled to find the words? I tried to blink the tears away, but they filled my eyes & Demi's face crumbled a little more as she shook her head. She knew it was bad. But she didn't know how bad. My chin trembled as I realized I was a little afraid that for even a brief moment, Demi could ever think I would do such a horrendous thing. That would literally kill me. I took a deep breath before I said the words I couldn't believe were about to come out of my mouth. "They think that I touched Karleigh... inappropriately." I said, then sucked in my breath as I watched her face.