Accidentally Saved

Chapter Eighteen

Ian’s POV

“The Trial of George McCarthy will take a short recess while the jury makes their decision on his case…”

I stand up immediately and pass through the small gate separating the spectators from the people actually working the case. I walk quickly towards my dad, who is sitting on the end of the defendant table, more sober than I’d seen him in a while.

“Ian? Oh Ian James…” my dad says when my face enters his line of vision. He looks at me, his blue eyes full of guilt. I know I deserve to feel good about him feeling bad for all he had done, but all I felt was more guilt, knowing we wouldn’t be here if I had been with him that night and learned to control my anger. I still couldn’t believe what he had done….

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{back to friday}

“Tell me everything,” I cried into Nathan’s shoulder as he awkwardly patted my back and I released myself from our weird hug. He lead me into his house, which was the one right across from mine, and sat me down at the kitchen table. Pouring us both a glass of water, he handed me mine and sat down across from me as I gulped down the cup in seconds.

“Well to start off I know your dad had a drinking problem, that true?” Nathan questioned me.

“More than a problem,” I mumbled into the glass, finishing it off.

“So from what I have been told, he had been driving from who knows where back home and was very drunk. A cop saw him swerving and turned his lights on and tried to pull your dad over, but since he was so drunk, he didn’t process what the lights meant so he kept driving. This turned into a massive car chase, ending with one police car smashing into your dad’s car in front of your house, where your dad had slowed down. Since both cars were going slow, no one was hurt but the crash alerted the whole neighborhood that there was something going on. That’s when my family and I rushed out and saw the mess. I thought you were in the car or in the house and they were questioning you or something, but when a police officer was explaining the entire situation to us, he asked if your dad had any family and I told them about you.  They said they hadn’t seen you so I called and, well you know the rest. They had everything cleaned up by the time you arrived, because the wreckage was blocking the road, but all the cops stayed to give their stories to the detectives.” Nathan finished.

“Wow,” I said, shocked at how much shit my dad could get himself into in a few days without me. “So now what?” I questioned Nathan.

“I gave your number to the officer I talked to and he said he would call you in the next few days to tell you your dad’s court date.” Nathan explained cautiously, like I would explode at the words ‘court date.’

{end of flashback}

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I had gotten the call yesterday around 11 at night, telling me my dad’s trial would be held the next morning. I allowed my insomnia to get the best of me last night, which was probably not the best idea as I sat back down in court, awaiting the jury’s verdict for my dad and blinking rapidly to keep myself wake.

I checked my phone and contemplated texting Grace that I wouldn’t be at school for the rest of the day. I decided against it. She didn’t care about me enough to be worried why I wasn’t there. No, our relationship was strictly school related, even though I wish it wasn’t. I did shoot a quick text to Jace though, saying that I was out and he should swing by my house after school because I needed to talk to him. I knew I wouldn’t be entirely sane by the end of this hearing.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, do you have a verdict regarding the case of George McCarthy?” the judge boomed, taking his seat back at the front of the room.