Thrust

Chapter Five- A Woman's Word

The events of the last few days proceeded to become conjured within my mind as I sat in the passenger side of the car with Shane silent at my side. Although there remained unspoken tension palpable in the verbal reticence and constant lift and fall of his silent gaze, he allowed me the time I needed to process the recent events. Immediately, my mind made up scenarios which would be catastrophic to my inflated self esteem with the thoughts of waking up beside someone like Chase in place of Shane as I understood I experienced the kinder of two fates. But as my eyes lifted to the front of the police station, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the reality before me and the depth of the potential outcomes I had narrowly escaped.

"Would you come in with me?" I asked in a sheepish timbre, low and quiet as if I held no sense of confidence anywhere within my body.

"Of course." He slipped from the car and to the passenger side of the vehicle in the time it had taken me to collectively move.

As we ventured up those steps he had walked down in recent release, he held no fault in expression or grip and instead kept to my side in a clear desire of protection that swelled my heart with gratitude. But the moment we entered those double doors, the eyes of officers and detectives alike would make note of him in familiarity.

"Can I help you?" A woman spoke behind the desk while lifting herself upwards to gain my attention. In seconds, I found my legs to stiffen as I wasn't sure if I would be able to utter the words so bitter on my tongue.

"She was nearly assaulted." Shane spoke in my place as the woman sharpened her eyes to me.

"I would need to hear that from her and she would need to fill this out…" The woman seemed completely lackluster of care in any sense as she handed a pen and returned to her computer. Somewhat relieved I would not have to give any details, I would set myself behind a small desk allowed for guests such as myself before trembling to write the words.

Filling out the statement in trembling penmanship, I would sign the bottom and return to the counter as the woman let out a sigh before setting it on a tray of similar reports.

"If anything comes of it, someone will call you-"

"Whay the f**k?! That's it?" Shane asked behind me. The woman was startled by his tone and not his words as her expression would narrow to him in an apparent reminder of the occupation she held over him.

"She is nearly assaulted and could have even have been killed-" He continued to speak on my behalf as I stood cowardly at his side.

"Is this a supposed r**e or attempted murder?" She asked in a cold hearted manner as Shane now lifted his finger in dominant aggression.

"This is so f****d up-"

"Watch your tongue, young man." She warned against him.

"Aren't you supposed to help people?! So some asshole with a narcotic can drug a girl and just walk away free because she didn't actually get…" he stopped himself at my side as he saw how the words got to me when hearing them aloud.

"For any immediate action to be taken, there would need to be evidence."

"Evidence?! Isn't her word enough?! Look at her! She is-"

"We have to be careful as you are innocent until proven guilty. If she wants to go to the hospital and get a physical done and we can verify an assault-"

"She was drugged the first night and attempted tonight! The only evidence is in the bottom of a cup probably thrown away by now and a part of drunk college kids as witnesses!"

"We will have someone look into it." She explained rather frigidly.

"So THIS is what happens when a good citizen comes to you for help-" Now realizing the nearby police gathering around us to a livened Shane, I pulled at his arm to abandon his defense for me. But he would ignore me as he was too invested in his spiel to cease at the gentle motion of my direction.

"So what if something happens to her tonight or tomorrow? What if she comes back next time but she isn't as lucky as she is now?! THAT WOULD BE ON ALL OF YOU f*****g ASSHOLES!"

"Shane!" I pulled him sharper as he would come to witness the sight of officers at the ready to pounce if he were to become completely unhinged. My desperation would bring him from his rant as he would look at me in pain.

"You better hope I never come back in here because of that same prick-"

"Is that a threat?" The woman asked, showcasing passion for the first time in this entire exchange.

"You bet your ass it is." He now took my hand and led me from the main lobby of the precinct before returning me to his car. He muttered the entire journey back to the vehicle before finally turning to me once his tone had softened enough to no longer come across as angered.

"I'm so sorry, Ribbons...You of all people shouldn't have to go through something like that-" My eyes sharpened to him.

"Me of all people?"

He nodded. "I am expecting them to treat me like dirt, hell, I deserve it. But you come in, someone who has never even jaywalked, and they treat you like you're...lying!" Suddenly, he thrust his palms into the edge of the steering wheel in frustration.

"I am actually glad it's over…" I tried to relax him by these words as his eyes shot through the darkness of the car before finding me.

"He should be on death row."

"Shane…"

"How do we know it would have stopped with just touching you?! The fucker tried it twice! He could have had plans to seriously hurt you..."

"I know…" my eyes swelled in tears. I could observe him with my peripheral vision as he would berate himself before turning to me once more.

"I'm sorry...Let me just explain one thing...If I ever see him again, even you won't be able to stop what he has coming." Before I could inquire further on his choice of words such as 'even you', the car would be set in motion.

This frustrating silence would be nerve racking as I was curious and borderline desperate to know his thoughts while also somewhat relieved I was absent this ability as it frightened me what ran through his mind. I often imagined conflicts of chaos similar to a medieval battlefield or something synonymous to the cover of a vintage iron maiden vinyl cover. But as the car would pause before the house, there lay a softness in his eyes that I hadn't witnessed until this moment.

"Do you want me to say anything to Brennan?"

"No! He would send a Frankenstein-sized mob to hunt him down…pitchforks, torches, and all..."

"Maybe that's what needs to be done."

"I really just want to move on from it." His eyes widened in clear anger before he would scoff. "I gave a statement and hopefully something will come of it for the sake of justice-"

"Justice...Yeah…" the way he spoke these words frightened me as he was an anarchist in waiting; the kind to take matters into his own hands if the situation did not fit his mold.

"Please promise me you won't do anything reckless…"

"If I see him again-"

"I can't stop you. But I am asking to not go out of your way. It will only anger him more and it might make him retaliate...please…" he hesitated before slowly taking his head to a nod of confirmation after I spoke his name for a requested answer.

"Fine. But not even God could have mercy on him if I see him again." Shane now pulled his steps into the direction of the house, ensuring I got inside, before going to leave. But seconds before he would pull his keys back from his pocket to exit, we both came upon the sight of Brennan entirely plastered.

A half empty whiskey bottle and a handful of glass bottles sat on the coffee table in front of him as he was clearly lacking a state or clear conscience. But as I began to pick up the bottles and dispose of them in the kitchen's garbage, I turned to notice Shane pull his jacket from his arms and make himself comfortable.

"What are you doing?"

"I am not leaving you alone…"

"I'm not alone." I verified while motioning to Brennan.

"I don't think he is in any state to defend himself, let alone you-"

"Defend me? I'll be fine-"

"That d**k knows where you live...so I am not going anywhere...not until I know for myself you'll be okay." Turning away from me, Shane would assist in the clean up as I was touched by his kindness. Although I wanted nothing more than to enact a feministic approach to his rather old fashioned mentality, but I would be lying to myself completely to claim I didn't favor it.

But I also knew this would further complicate things as this effect he had on me was more evident in the small actions he cast in my direction as I decided to hide away in my room in fear of casting my inhibitions to the side and throwing myself at him. But with each pace over my floor came the reminder of those cold words that now seemed easily forgivable for the ways he had stood in my defense since. I asked myself if I had misheard him as a way to find forgiveness in this eavesdropped cruelty. And yet as my hand would reach for the knob of the door to venture to him and just be around him to warm my heart, I would retract with the reminder of how painful a result it would be to belong to Shane in any way. Sure, he was kind and passionate in recent events, but in majority he was reckless and waiting to boil over at any given moment. It was a recipe for disaster and I had no interest in being a calamity on the task of being just another notch on his belt.