Status: Sorry I haven't been posting again.... I'm hoping in the next 2 weeks to have time to get one out!
Take My Hand, Just Hold On
Chapter 19 - Baby Don't Cry
My flight was booked for the next morning. I was to leave at 8:05 and arrive around 11:00. I sent a text to Robert late the night before but didn't receive a response until now, as I'm about to head out the door.
Hey, sorry I didn't text back last night, I'd fallen asleep. Early day today, but I'll be there to pick you up at 11, okay?
I text back while walking onto the elevator with my suitcase, I figured you had. Sounds good, I'll see you at 11.
I step into my cab, and the driver takes off to the LAX airport. About halfway through the drive I get a call on my cell. Wondering who would be calling me at 7 A.M. (yeah, screw being at the airport 2 hours early, every time it is entirely unnecessary), I look at my phone. I vaguely recognize the number so I answer it,
"Hello?"
"Hello, Miss Saunders?"
"This is her," I respond, not recognizing the male voice on the other end.
"I'm sorry for the early call, Miss Saunders, but I couldn't get through to yesterday evening and thought I should let you know. This is Jeffrey McFly, we spoke a few nights ago at the hospital..." he trails off, waiting for my acknowledgment that I remember him.
"Right, I remember," I respond, choking down the lump in my throat as memories of the night came back to me. He met me at the hospital after the rape kit was done and told me he would represent me in the trial if it came to that. Meaning, this call may put a hindrance on my going back home...
"Good to hear. I just wanted to let you know that, assuming you are happy with this, we came to an agreement where James will plead guilty and take a sentence of 3 years, with the opportunity for parole after 1 year and again in the second year if it is not granted on the first."
3 years is the maximum he will get? That doesn't seem like enough. And possibly out after 1 year? How is this fair? These were the thoughts going through my head, and I try to organize them into something I can ask, "Uhm... Why is the sentence so... little? Is this a common sentencing?"
"Well, your case is a bit of a tricky one because you and the defendant were in a relationship before this happens. Were he to plead not guilty, and he has a good lawyer, he may get off completely. It would be in your best interest to take this deal, and I would also suggest filing a restraining order against him so that when he gets out, if he comes near you again he will likely have to go to jail for a much longer sentence."
I sigh, "Uhm, okay. That sounds good. Will I have to be there for the court proceedings and everything?"
"If you would like to not come, it isn't necessary, no. Although I will need you to sign some legal documents saying that you agree with the deal and get them to me before the court date next Monday."
"I can do that. Is there a fax machine I can send them to you? I'm just heading to Canada for a couple weeks, so I can send them from the hotel when I arrive," I explain.
He gives me all the information I need to know and we exchange e-mail addresses all before I even arrive at the airport. Not long before, as 5 minutes later I was climbing out of my cab and grabbing my suitcase from the trunk. I hand the driver his fare and walk to the entrance of the airport.
After checking my baggage and walking through the metal detectors and all that fun stuff, I have to find my gate. This has always been my least favourite part of flying. I can't explain why I feel this way, but walking down a hall of numbers is just odd to me...
Finally finding my gate, I take a seat in front of it and wait for boarding. I take out my book (All Quiet on the Western Front) and start reading.
I wasn't a chapter in when I heard the announcement that my flight was boarding. I gather my things slowly and make my way to the already long line that was forming.
**
Just as the plane was getting ready to take off, a calmness seemed to spread over me. I didn't think much of it until we were off the ground, but I guess it just felt like I was leaving this mess behind and when I got back it would all be cleared up; James would be in jail, I would be feeling a bit more like my old self, and I'd be able to move on.
Two weeks can do that, right?
**
"Thank-you for flying with Air Canada," the flight attendant says to me as I walk off the plane.
I give her a small smile and a nod as I say a quiet, "Thanks," in return.
I walk to the baggage claim, digging my cell phone out as I go. I flip it open to see a message from Robert.
<i>Hey love, I may be half an hour late. The scene is taking a little longer to get right than I initially thought. Will text you when I'm there! </i>
I shrug, he sent it an hour ago, so he may be on his way by now. The flight got in a little late anyway, it's already 11:30, and I haven't gotten my bags yet.
I sit on the carousel, waiting for my suitcase to pop out. I swear mine is always the last one out. Every time I stand here thinking they've misplaced it, or sent it to some country in Asia by accident or something... But, I have yet to actually lose my luggage on a flight, so I don't know where the distrust stems from.
Once all the baggage starts popping out, I stand up and start walking around the carousel - I hate standing and watching them all go by, so I walk in the opposite direction until I find my suitcase.
Eventually it came, and it must've been one of the last few that came out. As always. Just as I was making my way to the arrivals place, I got a text from Robert saying he just arrived. Perfect timing or what?
As I walked out to the meeting area I see Robert standing there with a dark zip-up hoodie on, hood surround his face. I guess that's his diguise...
I try to put on a convincing smile as I walk up to him, "Hey Robert!"
"Brenna, hey! How are things?" he asks, meeting me half way.
"I've been better," I say, that familiar lump forming in my throat. He opens his arms up to engulf me in a hug and I reluctantly wrap him in mine. He kisses the top of my head and lets me go.
"What's wrong, love?" he asks, taking a step back and looking at me carefully.
I feel tears welling in my eyes. All I can say is, "Let's just get out of here, I'll tell you at the hotel?"
He nods, taking my suitcase from me and leading the way. We step into the back of a black car. The driver looks back at us as we get in, "Where to, Rob?"
"Just the hotel, Paul," Robert responds, turning his attention back to me.
I avoid direct eye contact with him and try to look around me as we start driving to the city. Even though most of me feels like shit, a part of me is happy to be home again. It feels like forever since I was here, but in actuality it's only been a few months. Life is hard sometimes.
"Brenna, I'm not trying to mean this in a harsh way, but you don't look so good," Robert says after a couple minutes of driving.
I look over at him and see concern on his face. It's the first look of concern with an emotional connection I've seen since the incident, and it sent me over the edge. For the first time since the night it happened, tears started falling down my face.
"Shit Brenna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you or anything. I-" he stops as I start shaking my head at him.
"I-It's not your fault," I manage to choke out. I try wiping away the tears, but more keep falling. Robert moves to the middle seat and puts and arm around me, bringing my head to rest on his shoulders. He's silent for the rest of the ride, and though the physical contact makes me a little uncomfortable, I appreciate the gesture.
♠ ♠ ♠
Song: Baby Don't Cry - Tupac. Sorry, I don't have the resources to come up with a better song choice for this chapter as my computer is still not agreeing to work with me. I have no songs on it anymore, so I was trying to search good songs out with my iphone, but it was taking a while and this one sort of fits. At least with Tupac's verse and the chorus. Anyway, I quite like this song and the title fits well!Wow, another one out so soon?! :) This is one of the few things my laptop will let me do at the moment, and it froze and I had to close mozilla down and I thought I lost the entire almost-finished chapter.... (I think that qualifies as a run-on sentence, but it's in the notes, so grammar doesn't count here, right?) But luckily I didn't! The point of that story was that my computer may not let me write another one, but we'll see! Comment, subscribe, tell your Robert-obsessed friends ;)