Page 3 of Wrecked
“He, um, well, he . . .” my mom stutters, unable to find the right words, shifting in her seat. “He–”
“He raped her,” Brian states matter-of-factly, cutting her off and taking hold of her hand from across the table.
My thoughts stutter and come to a screeching halt as my eyes widen. “I'm sorry,what?”
“Did you know that's what he was planning on doing?” he asks, a frown marring his face and his tone gruff. “He was here right before it happened, wasn't he?”
Suddenly, that kink in my neck flourishes, the pain spreading into a full-blown headache while I try to process what the hell they're talking about.
“Okay, tell me again what you're saying. What happened to Jake?”
My stepdad shakes his head with disdain. “It's not what happened to him. It's whathedid.”
I lean back in my chair, tapping my fingers on the table in front of me at a rapid tempo, my mind spirals with all sorts of thoughts, but disbelief leaves me unable to fully grasp the reality of the situation. “And you said, what, that herapedher? There's no way. It's gotta be a mistake.”
“It's not a mistake,” Brian answers angrily, his voice rising, sounding disgusted by the so-called actions of my best friend. “He was found with her in the field a couple of blocks over.” He squeezes mom's hand again. “There were scratches on him, and his t-shirt was torn from all the struggling she did, the poor girl. And she was checked out at the hospital, too. They confirmed she was sexually assaulted.”
This has got to be some kind of joke. I sit forward again, shaking my head at the absurdity of the accusation. “Jake would never hurt a fly, let alone dothat. It's a mistake,” I repeat. “It's gotta be a mistake.”
“Mike was the one who called,” Brian says as if that means it has to be true. Mike is a cop who happens to be his good friend and apparentlyneverwrong. “They've got him in custody and will be holding him there.” I stare down at my hands, the shock of the situation slowly sinking in. I wonder what the hellactuallyhappened? “If you need to tell us anything, now would be a good time to do it.”
My head jolts up to glare at his hard green eyes. He doesn't look one bit concerned for Jacob's welfare, but rather whether or not I was involved somehow, or at least aware of it. My stepdad and I have never really gotten along, and he has never really liked any of my friends, so it doesn't overly surprise me.
“He didn't do it,” I state confidently, stabbing at the table. Then, getting to my feet, I add, “They'll figure that out, and he'll be let go.”
My parents share a look, and then my mom stands up beside me. “I think it's best if you don't go anywhere for the time being. There's a bagel on the counter if you want to eat.”
I walk over and grab the bagel in a dazed state, and close myself in my bedroom. Then, pulling out my phone, I pace the space between my bed and the couch and send off a group text to the other guys.
Me: What the fuck?
It's the only thing I can come up with to say right now. The phrase that keeps traveling through my mind. The shock of the situation is slowly fizzling away, leaving the raw severity of what's happened to lay bare. It causes a tight knot to form in my stomach while anxiety rises to my shoulders. I grip my phone and stride back and forth, waiting for someone to answer. Then finally, my phone lights up with a reply.
Mase: Dude, I know! That shit is crazy. Didn't see it coming at all!
Why would anyone see that coming? How could we think that anything remotely close to this would ever happen, especially to one of our best friends? Jacob may have had problems talking to Jennifer, but never in a million years would he resort to forcing himself on her.Poor guy.
Neil: Just got home. Mom told me. Do you know what happened?
I plonk down on the bed behind me, bouncing my leg in anxiousness as I type out a reply.
Me: No, just that he's in custody or something.
Mase: You all heard what he said last night before he left, right? About making her his?
My head rears back, and I scowl down at my phone, not liking what he's implying one bit.
Jason: You actually think he did it?
Me: Hell no!
Mase: Why would he be arrested at the scene, looking roughed up?
Me: Are you serious right now? Shut the fuck up, Mase!
My anger spikes as I read over his message again and again. My breaths come out in heavy bursts.
Neil: Chill the fuck down, guys. We just need to wait and see what happens.
