Your Guardian Angel
Chapter 25: Memories Reawakened
The next morning, I woke up and found myself back in the guest room. I sat up, rubbed my eyes, looked around the room, and noticed that Jesse was asleep in a chair by the side of the bed, which surprised me at first, but then the memory of last night came back to me quickly. Maybe even a little too quickly. In fact, it came back so quickly that I had to jump out of bed and run to reach the toilet (conveniently, the guest room had a private bathroom). The disgusting sound of me being sick awoke Jesse and he rushed to my side and held my hair back as I threw up my mistakes from last night. When I was finally done, he helped me back in to bed. I could tell already that this would not be one of my better days.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, concerned.
“My head feels like it’s on fire,” I responded, holding my forehead in my palm. “I can’t believe that I actually got that drunk last night. What an idiot I was!”
“To be honest, last night was not one of your finer moments, but you were hurting and everybody makes mistakes once in awhile. Besides, after today, I don’t think you’ll be drinking again for a very long time.”
“Or at least not as much as I did last night. I have a major hangover and it’s not fun.”
“When are hangovers ever fun?”
“Never. Now I need you to fill in some blank spots for me because I’m still a little fuzzy about what happened last night. I remember that we made up, but I don’t remember what happened after that. How did I end up here?”
“Well, I picked you up and carried you inside. Amanda told me where you were sleeping and I brought you up here. Amanda got you changed into your pajamas and then I came back in and helped her tuck you in. I asked her if I could spend the night because I wanted to make sure you were ok and I wanted to be here when you woke up.”
“Jesse, you didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes I did. You’re my girlfriend and I love you. Besides, I would not have been able to go home without knowing that you were ok.”
“You are too sweet.”
“Are you getting hungry?”
“A little bit.”
“Ok well then I’m going to go downstairs and get you some breakfast.”
“Baby, you don’t have to do that. I can get it myself.”
“But I want to do this for you and I don’t want you getting out of bed. It’ll only make your headache worse. While I’m down there, I’ll make something that should help your hangover. For right now, here’ the remote control. You can turn on the TV and surf the channels.” He gave me the remote and left the room.
I turned on the TV and started flicking through the channels. Nothing was on, so I just settled on watching the news for now. A few minutes later, just as I heard feet coming up the stairs towards my room, a reporter came on the TV and said the following words:
“In other news, police have just reported new evidence on a hit and run case of a 16 year-old boy that happened on Christmas day 2 years ago in Westchester, New York.”
Jesse came in to the room with my breakfast tray.
“Here’s—“
“Shhh!” I put my finger to my lips and used my other hand to point to the TV. Suddenly I wasn’t so hungry anymore.
“It seems that what police previously considered to be an accident is, in fact, not an accident at all. They examined the brake marks left behind and were able to figure out the type of tire the car used. They then went to the nearest car dealerships in the vicinity to get a list of all cars that had that type of tire. They found and investigated every car on the list, but found nothing. But, when they visited the very last name on the list, they found traces of blood on the license plate that matched that of the victim’s blood. They now suspect the boy’s previous best friend, Matthew Turner, committed the murder.”
“Oh my God!” I screamed and covered my mouth with my hand. “It can’t have been! How could he have done that to his own best friend?!”
“Reportedly, the two boys had a big fight just weeks before the murder. Turner was seen at a party acting in a violent manner with a beer in his hand just hours before it occurred. ‘He was completely trashed and capable of anything,’ claims a source that wishes to remain anonymous. ‘He was really scary to be around on that day.’ The suspect is now being held in custody and awaiting a trial date to be set. Back to you, Jim.”
Jesse turned off the TV and I just stared at it. How could this be happening?
He looked at me sympathetically. “Are you ok?” The look on my face clearly told him that I was not ok. Not at all. “I don’t even know what to say. This must be terrible for you.”
“All this time, I thought Matt was a good guy who didn’t mean any harm. He and Josh were like brothers most of the time. I just don’t understand how someone could wish that much harm on someone they used to love. Josh was always such a great guy. He did not deserve to be murdered like that; he was robbed of the rest of his life. It’s just…it’s not fair.” Tears poured down my face as I started to recall that awful night when he died. Jesse held me tightly as I cried on his shoulder. After awhile, I said, “It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it?”
“What’s ironic?”
“He died on Christmas, which is one of the most celebrated holidays. Christmas is supposed to be a day when everyone rejoices, but it really was just the opposite because he died and I can safely say that that was the very worst day of my life. Now, every year, I dread Christmas because that means that I have to be reminded of those horrible memories of pain and loss; I always go back to that night and relive everything in my mind: us dancing in the middle of the street, seeing those blinding headlights, Josh pushing me out of the way, and then him dying in my arms. He was dead by the time the ambulance got there; they were too late to save him. And it all happened on Jesus’ birthday. And now, just as we are starting to get back together and be happy, this has to happen. It seems like that night just keeps chasing me wherever I go and no matter what I do. I will probably be forced to testify at Matt’s trial, since I was there.”
“Well, if you get subpoenaed, then you know I’ll be right there by your side. I’m not going to let you go through that alone.”
The phone rang. Amanda screamed up the stairs to say that it was for me. Jesse got the phone and handed it to me.
“Hello?”
“Is this Riley Miller?”
“Yes. Who is calling?”
“This is Diane Howard. I’m a lawyer for the state of New York in the case of your ex-boyfriend Josh’s murder. I’m so sorry to do this to you, Miss Miller, but I understand that you were a witness to his death. Is this true?”
“Unfortunately yes. You need me to testify, don’t you?”
“I’m afraid so. The court has already issued a subpoena for your testimony at the trial.”
I sighed. “I knew it. All right, when is the trial?”
“Next week on Wednesday, February 25 at the New York City Courthouse. The trial will be starting at 2:00PM.”
“Ok, I guess I’ll be there. I mean, I guess I don’t have a choice, right?”
“No, you don’t. Thank you very much for your cooperation, Miss Miller. I will be in touch.”
I hung up the phone and looked over at Jesse. “Well, I knew it. She wants me to testify. I don’t know what kind of information I’ll be able to give them, but I guess it’s worth a shot, since it means getting to the bottom of this.”
“I’m going to be with you every step of the way. It’s going to be ok.”
He hugged me and held me close for what felt like forever and I almost believed him. Almost.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, concerned.
“My head feels like it’s on fire,” I responded, holding my forehead in my palm. “I can’t believe that I actually got that drunk last night. What an idiot I was!”
“To be honest, last night was not one of your finer moments, but you were hurting and everybody makes mistakes once in awhile. Besides, after today, I don’t think you’ll be drinking again for a very long time.”
“Or at least not as much as I did last night. I have a major hangover and it’s not fun.”
“When are hangovers ever fun?”
“Never. Now I need you to fill in some blank spots for me because I’m still a little fuzzy about what happened last night. I remember that we made up, but I don’t remember what happened after that. How did I end up here?”
“Well, I picked you up and carried you inside. Amanda told me where you were sleeping and I brought you up here. Amanda got you changed into your pajamas and then I came back in and helped her tuck you in. I asked her if I could spend the night because I wanted to make sure you were ok and I wanted to be here when you woke up.”
“Jesse, you didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes I did. You’re my girlfriend and I love you. Besides, I would not have been able to go home without knowing that you were ok.”
“You are too sweet.”
“Are you getting hungry?”
“A little bit.”
“Ok well then I’m going to go downstairs and get you some breakfast.”
“Baby, you don’t have to do that. I can get it myself.”
“But I want to do this for you and I don’t want you getting out of bed. It’ll only make your headache worse. While I’m down there, I’ll make something that should help your hangover. For right now, here’ the remote control. You can turn on the TV and surf the channels.” He gave me the remote and left the room.
I turned on the TV and started flicking through the channels. Nothing was on, so I just settled on watching the news for now. A few minutes later, just as I heard feet coming up the stairs towards my room, a reporter came on the TV and said the following words:
“In other news, police have just reported new evidence on a hit and run case of a 16 year-old boy that happened on Christmas day 2 years ago in Westchester, New York.”
Jesse came in to the room with my breakfast tray.
“Here’s—“
“Shhh!” I put my finger to my lips and used my other hand to point to the TV. Suddenly I wasn’t so hungry anymore.
“It seems that what police previously considered to be an accident is, in fact, not an accident at all. They examined the brake marks left behind and were able to figure out the type of tire the car used. They then went to the nearest car dealerships in the vicinity to get a list of all cars that had that type of tire. They found and investigated every car on the list, but found nothing. But, when they visited the very last name on the list, they found traces of blood on the license plate that matched that of the victim’s blood. They now suspect the boy’s previous best friend, Matthew Turner, committed the murder.”
“Oh my God!” I screamed and covered my mouth with my hand. “It can’t have been! How could he have done that to his own best friend?!”
“Reportedly, the two boys had a big fight just weeks before the murder. Turner was seen at a party acting in a violent manner with a beer in his hand just hours before it occurred. ‘He was completely trashed and capable of anything,’ claims a source that wishes to remain anonymous. ‘He was really scary to be around on that day.’ The suspect is now being held in custody and awaiting a trial date to be set. Back to you, Jim.”
Jesse turned off the TV and I just stared at it. How could this be happening?
He looked at me sympathetically. “Are you ok?” The look on my face clearly told him that I was not ok. Not at all. “I don’t even know what to say. This must be terrible for you.”
“All this time, I thought Matt was a good guy who didn’t mean any harm. He and Josh were like brothers most of the time. I just don’t understand how someone could wish that much harm on someone they used to love. Josh was always such a great guy. He did not deserve to be murdered like that; he was robbed of the rest of his life. It’s just…it’s not fair.” Tears poured down my face as I started to recall that awful night when he died. Jesse held me tightly as I cried on his shoulder. After awhile, I said, “It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it?”
“What’s ironic?”
“He died on Christmas, which is one of the most celebrated holidays. Christmas is supposed to be a day when everyone rejoices, but it really was just the opposite because he died and I can safely say that that was the very worst day of my life. Now, every year, I dread Christmas because that means that I have to be reminded of those horrible memories of pain and loss; I always go back to that night and relive everything in my mind: us dancing in the middle of the street, seeing those blinding headlights, Josh pushing me out of the way, and then him dying in my arms. He was dead by the time the ambulance got there; they were too late to save him. And it all happened on Jesus’ birthday. And now, just as we are starting to get back together and be happy, this has to happen. It seems like that night just keeps chasing me wherever I go and no matter what I do. I will probably be forced to testify at Matt’s trial, since I was there.”
“Well, if you get subpoenaed, then you know I’ll be right there by your side. I’m not going to let you go through that alone.”
The phone rang. Amanda screamed up the stairs to say that it was for me. Jesse got the phone and handed it to me.
“Hello?”
“Is this Riley Miller?”
“Yes. Who is calling?”
“This is Diane Howard. I’m a lawyer for the state of New York in the case of your ex-boyfriend Josh’s murder. I’m so sorry to do this to you, Miss Miller, but I understand that you were a witness to his death. Is this true?”
“Unfortunately yes. You need me to testify, don’t you?”
“I’m afraid so. The court has already issued a subpoena for your testimony at the trial.”
I sighed. “I knew it. All right, when is the trial?”
“Next week on Wednesday, February 25 at the New York City Courthouse. The trial will be starting at 2:00PM.”
“Ok, I guess I’ll be there. I mean, I guess I don’t have a choice, right?”
“No, you don’t. Thank you very much for your cooperation, Miss Miller. I will be in touch.”
I hung up the phone and looked over at Jesse. “Well, I knew it. She wants me to testify. I don’t know what kind of information I’ll be able to give them, but I guess it’s worth a shot, since it means getting to the bottom of this.”
“I’m going to be with you every step of the way. It’s going to be ok.”
He hugged me and held me close for what felt like forever and I almost believed him. Almost.