How He Saved a Life

“Grab my hand.” I whispered to Jack, whose head remained nestled against my shoulder. Slowly he raised it to look into my worried eyes, wondering what I was on about. Even though he was confused, he followed my command. Almost immediately after his warm palm met mine I ran for it. He stopped me
I was half expecting him to follow being the ambitious, impulsive man that he was, but I knew that what he was doing wasn’t selfish.

Jack

I wasn’t going to run away anymore. It was time for the police to find out what they did to Ellie and what I was never going to do to her. Lies had been consuming us for too long now, we needed freedom before we both drowned in insanity.
“We aren’t going anywhere officers,” I began in a stern voice, letting them know that I was no threat, “I just need to talk to you. Please.” Reluctantly they nodded their heads and lead me away from my angel into the car.
“What do you want?” The disgusted policeman that had walked with me questioned. There was a sense of hate in his eyes as he sat on the seat opposite mine. I didn’t want to be looked at this way but I had no choice.
“Ellie has had a lot of stuff happen to her. I know that she wouldn’t want me telling this to you but she was raped. She was raped by so many people and nobody came to help her. And you know what those rapists did? They got her pregnant. Sure she aborted the baby, but that doesn’t mean that scars weren’t left afterwards. Those beasts… that baby… all left her heart broken. I was the only one that could help her.” It was hard to maintain fluency in my speech as I was sobbing. Creating those events in my imagination ravaged my heart apart; much like it did hers.
“But then… I understand how she is feeling.” I took a deep breath, ready to begin my side of the bargain. If I told them her story, I would also need to tell them mine. “I was abused by my step father. He used to hit me, slap me, and call me all the unimaginable names under the sun. I think that’s why I fell in love with her. She shares my pain. You have to believe me when I say I will never be like him. Yes, Ellie is 16, but we all were once upon a time.”
For what seemed like eternity the police officer was silent. Suddenly he stormed out of the car, annoyingly leaving me inside, and ran immediately towards Ellie. For awhile they just stood mouthing whispers that weren’t loud enough to reach my burning ears.

Ellie

“Yes it’s all true…” I admitted looking at the ground. It was a struggle not to cry. Hearing the events recited out loud were even worse than imagining them in my own head. They seemed much more real.
“And Jack’s?” This question I was unprepared for. My eyes widened in astonishment when I realised that Jack had also told them about what happened to him. I was so proud. A smile danced upon my lips as I nodded to the police officer, that moment I knew age was no longer a factor in this relationship. The only thing that was on that cop’s mind was the criminals. All the secrets were finally out and it felt good.
It was time we both faced this. They needed to be caught. Now they were going to be.

---

Jack

Eight years and we have never seen a turn out like this.

It had been months since we had cancelled the show in the town where I’d met Ellie, the town where everything changed for me. Now we were back to make it up to them.

All of the kids were lining up as usual, but there was a different presence about them. They weren’t just here to see us; they were here to see Ellie.

“Is it true that you helped Jack get over his depression?”

“Did he really save your life?”

“I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you!”

These were only a few of the things being thrown at my beautiful girlfriend as she scrolled up and down the cue like a loose cursor. If that were me in this situation, I would have been too embarrassed to answer, but she was handling it like a professional. Every single Hustler knew who she was. However that wasn’t only because they’d seen me confess my love for her on live television… No. She’d done so much more than that. A couple of weeks prior to the concert, I’d proposed an idea. I asked her if she would be willing to open up a section of The Hustler Club where she would speak to other Hustlers who needed advice, particularly in situations such as hers. Of course she agreed, and it was a success.

She now could see that she was a hero. She had saved their lives.

What she didn't know though, was that she'd already saved mine.