Page 76 of Fractured Mind
Jade’s arms drift over my shoulders and around my neck, and she pulls me down and squeezes me. “I’m sorry that happened to you.” She struggles to keep her voice even.
I soak up the loving hug she gives me as she holds me, and when I peer up at Mom, she has tears in her eyes again. When Jade releases me, I wipe my burning eyes.
Everyone goes back to their seats while Mom and I approach the front desk, where a woman in a police uniform is sitting.
“How can I help you two?” she asks, looking between us.
There’s an empty silence, though my heart is in my ears. “My name’s Mia Monroe. I was drugged last night at a party, and I’ve come from the hospital to make a report.”
“Take a seat over there,” the lady says, signaling in the direction where my friends are seated. “An officer will be with you shortly.”
“Is Ashton okay?” I ask Jade when I sit. Mom takes a seat next to her.
Jade’s lips press into a thin line. “No information has been shared. We were asked to leave last night, and we returned when Ashton’s father arrived this morning to talk to the police.”
A large bald man walks toward us with a writing pad in his hand and scans everyone sitting in the waiting area. “Mia Monroe?”
I raise my hand a little. “Yes, that’s me.”
Mom stands. “I’ll be okay,” I say softly to reassure her. She stares at me and sits back down.
I follow the man into an interview room and tell him everything I know, even if it isn’t much because I can’t remember.Story of my life!He takes notes and a photo of my back where I felt the sharp pain.
“There is an investigation underway. We’ve had six reports of needle spiking. Most of the victims experienced similar symptoms and a consistent puncture wound where an unknown substance could have been administered. Most returned a positive test for ketamine.”
At first, I’m unsure of what to say. He doesn’t rush me and waits patiently for me to speak. “How could they have used a needle? Someone would have seen them bring out a syringe.”
“Women have become more aware of their safety when going out, so the perpetrators have gotten more brazen. Incidents worldwide have increased. It’s unclear what they’re using, but before you lost consciousness, you told your friends what happened. They’ve given their statements, and we’ll provide you with more information about the people in custody.”
As I walk out of the room, my breathing slows. The talk with the police officer provided some reprieve.
Mom furrows her eyebrows when I approach her. “How did it go? Is everything all right?”
“I’m fine, but I’ll be better when Ashton gets out.” That’s my focus. If I think about everything at once, I’ll drown.
We sit in silence. My eyes drift to the clock every so often. My head’s still pounding, but I’m pushing through the pain. When I look around, everyone appears sullen.
A police officer walks out, and Ashton walks behind him with who I guess is his father—who’s looking professional, wearing a dark-gray suit and carrying a briefcase. We all stand, and when Ashton sees me, he shoves past the others and closes the distance between us.
When I’m in his arms, my body trembles. Tears fall again.
He draws back, wiping my tears before cradling my face in his hand. “Are you okay?”
There’s dry blood on his shirt, his hair’s disheveled, and his eyes have dark circles under them. “I should be the one asking if you’re okay,” I reply.
Levi barks out a laugh. “Yeah, Ashton, you look like shit.”
Ashton doesn’t take any notice; his eyes don’t stray to anyone else. He leans in and we stand forehead to forehead. “I love you,” he says before his soft lips touch mine and the worry I had for him drifts away.
When we leavethe police station, Ashton goes to his house first. When I get home, I take a shower and scrub every bit of skin on my body until I’m raw. What happened made me feel dirty.
When Ashton returns to my nana’s house, I grab some much-needed alone time with him. We’re on my bed and I’m resting my head on his chest, grateful he’s here with me. I trail my fingers over the scabs on his knuckles, then I bring his hand to my lips and place a small kiss on each wound.
“What happened? Did you get let off or...?”
“Yeah, Dad worked his magic,” he replies bitterly. “I got a fine and some community service.”
“You don’t talk about him.”