chapter 27

The morning light broke through the shields that were my eyelids. I was groggy and my mind was still fogged up with the tendrils of sleep. It was hard for me to remember what had happened before I had gone to sleep but I knew it was painful because I could feel the bruises all over my body.

“Is she going to be alright?” someone whispered from outside the door.

“I don’t know but I think we should tell her, don’t you?” someone else answered
I could barely get my mind to function this early in the morning but I knew I wasn’t in my house or my bedroom. But I knew this room as if I had been living in it my whole life; it was my room at Rai and Belle’s apartment. With that thought in mind, I concluded that the voices outside the door were Rai and Belle.

“I don’t know if we should put this on top of everything that has happened” Rai’s voice drifted into the room, lined with worry and frustration.

“But she will wonder and it’s her friend; I think she has a right to know” Belle’s calm and reasonable voice came from the door as well.

A was curious as to what or who they were talking about. Slowly I got out of bed and while ignoring the pain; I made my way quietly to the door.

“I know she has to know but what if Jane pulls out okay and we will have worried Adel for nothing” Rai argued

“Rai...” Belle paused for a moment “Rai, Jane has a cancerous tumor in her brain” everything went dead quiet as those words left Belle’s mouth.

I felt my heart stop and my throat tighten as if a bit were being crushed. Did I hear her right? Was it true that Jane had cancer? Could it be possible? Without thinking, I threw the door open and stared at Rai and Belle with a mixture of emotions running through my mind. Which emotion was etched on my face I wondered?

“Tell me” I demanded as I looked from one girl to the other waiting for an answer.

“Adel--” Belle tried to use a calm and patient tone

“No! I need to know” I was on the verge of tears as I pulled away from Belle’s comforting hand. The stinging in the back of my eyes was followed by the closing up of my throat.

“Jane is in the hospital” Rai said bluntly and with a stone expression on her face.

“Since when” I was already planning on going to see Jane.

“She had a rough night last night after we left with you and your mom. It seems it was too much for her and she had to be hospitalized.” Rai answered and watched, waiting for a reaction.
I rushed into my room and began to quickly change, ignoring that Rai and Belle were watching from the doorway.

“You can’t go see her yet?” Rai said as she walked into the room.

“Why not” I asked and whirled around to face Rai with outrage to hide the fact that I was close to tears.

“She is in critical condition Adel” Rai walked closer with sympathy in her voice and eyes.

“I will wait at the hospital and...And...” I could no longer hold back the distress that was clutching at my insides. I collapsed on the floor and buried my face in my hands as tears fell from my eyes in a relentless manner. Rai came to me instantly and gathered me in her arms as I sobbed over all that had happened in the last 24 hours and over what was happening to my best friend.

The realization that I considered Jane my best friend hit me like a bolder.

“Shh, everything is going to be alright” Rai soothed while Belle stayed at the door watching with sympathy in her eyes.

“I don’t want to go see her and be there for her.” I pleaded with Rai through my tears and looked to Belle for support.

“You will but not right now because...” Rai paused and sighed in resignation “You have to go to court to press charges against Scott.” Rai broke the news as gently as she could.

I sat speechless as I let the news sink in and Rai watched as so many emotions rushed across my face.

“Will I have to see him?” I asked in a calmer voice than I felt.

“Most likely” Rai answered

“How long will I be there?” I asked and stood to assimilate what I was going to have to do.

“I don’t know but once we are out I will take you to see Jane.” Rai promised as she stood as well.

“Then let’s go” I said in a calm voice as I tried to prepare myself for the moment I would see Scott again.

“It’s almost over” I whispered to myself as I wrapped my arms around my chest and looked out the window. The thought of putting Scott in jail for good was a relief and I felt a weight begin to slip off my shoulders.

The events of that first day in the police station still rung in my head as I looked out of the window of Rai’s car. Having to retell the events of that night was one of the hardest things I think I have ever had to do. As I told my experience to the cop I left out Mathew’s involvement in all of it. He may have betrayed me but I knew all too well that the ones who were going to suffer were his family. Besides he did it to protect his family. No one but Mathew, Scott and I knew what truly happened and since no one would believe Scott, it would follow us to the grave.
We were on our way home because my mother was home alone at the apartment and wanted to come with us to see Jane. With the Scott tragedy behind me I could now focus on the other things in my life that needed my attention.

My mother was close to delivering my brother and I had some questions for her that were bothering me. That memory of my father was still fresh in my mind but I knew there was something wrong with the father I saw and the one now.

When we entered the house we found there was classical music filling the atmosphere. The song was one of the first I had learned to play on the piano.

“Mom” I called out as I followed the music. I found her sitting in the kitchen with a look of wonder on her face.

"Is everything okay?" I asked her as I quickly went to kneel in front of her. She looked at me with a sad smile on her face and tired eyes looking as if the world was bearing down on her.

"He kicked” she said with wonder in her voice

“Really” I asked as I slowly and gently placed my hand on her stomach. A tingling raced through me as I felt a sudden jolt under my hand. I was shocked and retracted my hand quickly and yet a smile spread across my face.

“Your little brother” she whispered and smoothed down my hair but there was a sad look in her eyes.

“Is he really my brother?” I looked up at her and asked the question that had been plaguing my mind. She looked ready to argue but I gave her a look that said I would now if she was lying which caused her to hang her head in resignation.

“He is your half-brother. Adel, John is not your father” she confessed but didn’t look up.

I felt myself get angry and I shot up from my kneeling position in front of her.

“Why would you keep this from me? Who is my real father? Where is he?” I demanded as I paced in front of her. My raised voice had caught the attention of Rai and Belle. They now stood in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Adel...your father is dead” she hesitated but finally told me the truth with a heart retching sadness in her eyes.

“Why did you never tell me? I have been living all my life thinking that monster was my father. How could you do this to me?” I was starting to break under the realization of what this meant.

“Adel, calm down” Rai laid a hand on my shoulder

“NO! She had no right to hold that truth from me. I would have never put up with that abuse if I had known the truth,” I shook off the restraining hand Rai had on me and looked at my mother with loathing, “I won’t forgive you for this. You betrayed me...I hate you”

Without another word, I ran out of the apartment with the sounds of my mother sobbing following me like hell hounds on my heels.