We haven’t been asleep long when knocking at the door wakes us. I slowly pull on a pair of jogging pants and hand Fate one of my shirts to put on. “Who is it?” she asks. I just shrug in response. Who the hell knocks on a door at this time?
When I open the door, I’m floored as to what is in front of us. Two police officers are standing there and before I even have a chance to say anything one of them speaks.
“Cameron McAlister?” I nod. “You have to come with us. You are under arrest for the assault of Kurt Bishop.” Behind me, I hear Fate cry out and the officers put me up against the door and cuff me. The whole time I can hear Fate wailing behind me and there is nothing I can do for her now.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Standing in the police station I am pacing back and forth. Nothing prepared me for that knock on the door. I thought it was Clarissa and she had taken an earlier flight. As soon as I got here I called Scott and Cecilia and they both showed up here raising hell. I couldn’t get a hold of Clarissa to tell her because she was already through security and on board before I thought to call her, but I left her a voicemail saying I was here.
An officer comes and asks me to come into an interview room. I follow without question. I go in and the officer shuts the door, leaving me alone with the officer waiting for me inside of the room. Taking my seat, I try to remain calm but being in here brings me back to when I had to do all this because my father was being arrested and charged.
“Miss McKenzie, my name is Officer Davidson. I was wondering if I could speak with you about what happened last night between your boyfriend and your father,” he asks, and I start telling him how the incident happened while he is jotting it down. “So you felt threatened?” he asks.
“Yes, my father was drunk and was making comments about killing me before going back to jail. He is still on parole, I believe, and he wasn’t to be here anyway. Cameron’s actions were a result of his fear for my safety and my father provoking him with his vulgarities of the sexual abuse I endured as a child. Then, after the fight broke apart, my father again tried to provoke Cameron by disclosing that he still had pictures of me as a child, inappropriate pictures.” The words just flow from my mouth as if it’s nothing. I feel cold.
“Your father admitted to having child pornography?” I nod my head, and he continues to write on his pad. “Well, he’s going back to jail. He broke parole by coming here and the local police will be doing a search of all of his possessions. If he has those pictures, we will find them and that will be another charge,” he says, and I feel relieved that my father is again returning to the cell he deserves.
“What about Cameron?” I ask.
“With your witness of the events in question we will be dropping the charges as I believe he acted in your defense. I’m sure your father won’t be pushing too hard for those charges to stick either. We should be able to get Mr. McAlister released in a couple of hours.” The officer brings me back out to the lobby and leaves me with Cecilia and Scott.
Without thinking, I walk over to Cecilia and hug her. I feel her stiffen at the contact from me. Softly, I feel her arms wrap around me, giving me a warm embrace. It doesn’t calm me instantly like Cameron, but it makes me feel as if I’m not alone. I fall apart and the sobs return.
“Fate.” I hear coming from behind me. Turning, I see Clarissa behind me, looking about how I feel right now. Leaving Cecilia, I walk up to her and when she sees that I’m crying it’s like I’ve broken her. Tears begin to pool in her eyes too. “Oh, Fate, honey, it will be okay.” I feel that too, this was just one more stop on the train of chaos for us, but I have this nagging feeling in my chest that it’s not that simple.
Clarissa pulls me into a hug, and I let her. “Thank you for coming.”
“Fate, you don’t have to thank me. I will always come running when you need me.” Pulling back, she looks at me, watching the tears fall from my face. “It is okay to need someone, honey.” She knows how hard that is for me, and I surprise her when I finally speak.
“I need Cameron.”
“I’m here, babe,” Cameron whispers behind me, causing me to turn around. As soon as I see him, I take off running until I’m crashing into his arms and I finally let go. The tears seem endless. “Everything is all worked out and you’re here in my damn arms again where you belong,” he says, as he gives me a tight squeeze. “We are going to be okay.”
“We should get out of here,” Scott says, and Cameron nods. Cameron never lets go of me as we walk out of the police station. It’s as if he can feel it too, so much has changed. Cecilia suggests we go to her place, but Cameron says no and that he wants to get me back home. Clarissa stays closely beside me until we reach her rental car.