Broken (29 page)

Chapter 60

Scotty

I was at work, feeling like I was on top of the world. I was so in love with Nick, and he was with me. We were spending every spare minute together, and our lives were full of passion and fun. Every moment was a revelation between us.

There was nothing that could shake my happiness.

Or, so I thought.

The first intrusion into the happiness bubble came in the form of a phone call from the child protective services people.

“Ms. James?” the woman said. “This is Chantal Washington calling from the Office of Children and Family Services.”

My heart sank. I had tried so hard to avoid this. Why did I think that I could run from it forever? “Yes,” I said. “Can I help you?”

“I need for you to meet with me in my office at your earliest possible convenience.”

I sighed. Suddenly, my future looked very different. I no doubt would have to take custody of Aaron. And there was no way that I could maintain my full load of classes and job while caring for a two-year-old.

It finally caught up to me.

My heart in my throat, I said “I can probably make it today after work. How long are
you going to be in your office?”

“I can stay as long as you need me to. But I really need to speak with you about your brother, Aaron.”

“Of course,” I said. “I can make it to your office at 8 tonight.”

“Very good,” she said. “I'll see you then.”

I hung up and put my head in my hands. I could see my dreams being shattered after that phone call. It was as if my goals were a crystal egg that was extremely fragile, and the egg was thrown to the ground and shattered in a million pieces.

My dreams were going to be shattered in a million pieces.

Oh, well, it's just as well
. Aaron does need protection. It's time for me to be less selfish and think of him. Yes, I probably would have to drop out of school, and drop this internship as well, I thought. I could see no way out of it.

I took a deep breath. I needed to see Nick and talk to him. See if he had any ideas about what to do.

Just then, I got a phone call. From Portia.

“Scotty, this is Portia. I need to see you in my office right now.”

Just what I need. More flagellation.
“Sure, Portia, I'll be right there,” I said.

I trudged to her office, planning to find Nick after talking to her. I knocked on the door.

“Come in!” she called.

I opened the door. And almost passed out upon seeing what I was seeing in that office.

Portia and Nick were lying on the couch, completely naked. Portia's disturbingly perfect body was lying on top of Nick's completely nude form. She was stroking his hair and smiling at me like the cat who had just eaten the canary.

I immediately turned around and ran down the hallway and into the bathroom. I hurried into one of the stalls and crouched down to the porcelain bowl and threw up.

I was shaking all over. I laid down next to the bowl and sobbed.
Stupid Scotty. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Leopards don't change their spots. Idiot. How could you have trusted him? Once a man-whore, always a man-whore.

At some point I got up off the floor and made my way out of the office suite. Once again, I took the stairs down to the lobby, my tears flowing more than they ever had before.

I had been through so much in my life. At times, my depression threatened to overwhelm me.

But nothing was as painful, in my life, as what I just saw in Portia's office. Never in my life had I felt that I wanted to die.

At that moment, that was exactly what I felt. That I wanted to die.

In an absolute daze, I walked onto the sidewalk. I started to cross the street. A car was coming around the corner, too fast.

And that was the last thing that I remember.

Saving Scotty
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