CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX TABATHA

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

TABATHA

I lay in a hospital bed as a nurse stands next to me stitching up my face. I have twenty stitches so far in my forehead. When my body finally hit the bottom of the stairs, I could barely move, let alone breathe. I had hit my head on the bottom of the banister, and the fact that he had already taken a few swings at my face didn't help. Rodger was out cold. I was trying to get up from the floor to call the police when my front door swung open. It was Jackie. After dropping me off, she had gone over to Dash's party where she had found out that Dash had come to see me. She came back to see if I was okay. Thank God, she did. She called 911, and I clung to her while we waited for them to arrive. I felt safe with her there as we both sat there and waited for Rodger to wake. Thankfully, he hadn't woken up by the time they arrived and placed him on a stretcher. I admit that I felt proud of myself at that very moment. Until it was ruined two seconds later when I threw up all over a paramedic.

My father was called and the police have shown up at the hospital to get my statement. I expect to be escorted to the county jail the moment I'm finished. I did almost kill my ex. And the fact that the cops are right outside of my room waiting to talk to me has not calmed my nerves.

"All done," the nurse says as she throws some stuff onto a tray and starts to leave. She walks out and the cops walk in. The one on the left has gray hair like my father and a beer belly that could be the results of too many donuts. The one on the right looks to be about my age. His dark brown hair is slicked back, and he has his hands on his hips. "Miss Knight. I am Officer Jones and this is Officer Thomas. May we ask you some questions?" asks the one who looks to be my age.

I nod. "Yes, sir," I say softly, and he smiles gently at me.

They ask what Rodger was doing there and how long we have been together. I inform them of our breakup and my relationship with Dash. I tell them they can check my phone records and that I have had no contact with Rodger whatsoever. That he is the one who keeps contacting me. I tell them about Dash's wreck, and about how Rodger admitted to it.

"Has he filed a report?" he asks regarding Dash.

I shake my head. "Not that I'm aware of," I say truthfully.

"Go on," he says before he writes a few things in his notebook.

Their eyes get bigger and bigger with every sentence that I speak. I think they considered this a domestic dispute between two lovers, but that was not even close to what it was. I was trying to save my life. I was trying to protect Dash and myself. Even though he hates me. Shouldn't he? I couldn't even tell him what I was feeling. I couldn't even tell him how much I have fallen for him, and I blame Rodger for that. He taught me that people can use that against you, and I didn't want Dash to use me like that. I wanted what we had to be special. Now, it's just ruined.

"Thank you, Miss Knight," the heavyset officer, Thomas, says as he writes down in his little notepad. "After what you have told us, it's clear that it was self-defense."

"You're not going to arrest me?" I ask stupidly.

"No," he says crossing his arms over his chest. "But I do highly suggest that you come down to the station." I frown. "You need to file a restraining order."

"A restraining order? But we go to the same college. How would that work?"

"Ma'am," he says before he licks his lips, "you need to protect yourself. Next time, it could be worse."

"But a restraining order is just a piece of paper," I inform him, and he sighs.

"As true as that might be, it legally protects you. And if he violates that paper, he will see jail time."