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“Charming bastard? Lovable arsehole? Am I getting close?” CJ answers.
Allie snorts, the sound echoing down the hallway, and CJ chuckles, giving Allie a wink.
“Son, stay out of it. It’s none of your business,” Mick snaps.
“You’re wrong,” Cole rumbles, his voice deep as he takes a step forward. Mick takes a hesitant step back, and I have to bite back a smile.
“About?”
“About your son. He’s not only a rapist, but a drug dealer. He’s been selling on campus for over a year. Last year, he sold drugs to some high school kids, and they OD’d. A friend of mine is brain damaged because of your son,” Cole grits out.
“Do you even check in on him? He’s also been arrested on more than one occasion for assaulting other girls,” CJ adds.
“All of which were not proved,” Mick states coldly.
“No. But you just proved you’ve known about your son’s exploits and did nothing about it. Everyone he has hurt, including that girl right there…” Cole states, pointing to me, “is on you. You could have done something about it, got him help, yet you sat back and paid everyone he hurt off. You would have saved yourselves a lot of time and money spending it on a psychiatrist.”
“This has nothing to do with you. They’re false allegations, and after they’re done questioning him, they’ll drop the charges once again. You might want to think about getting your own lawyer. We’re pressing charges.”
Cole shrugs, seeming unbothered, whereas my heart picks up. Fear that he’ll get into trouble because of me makes me feel sick.
“I don’t care. He deserved it. And if you won’t let the law punish him, I will.”
“How dare you!” Amanda snaps.
“No, how dare you,” I shout, stepping in front of Mum and Sam. “You knew all along what your sick son was capable of. You put gag orders on my family and friends so they couldn’t even warn me, yetyoucould. You could have told me or even told Logan to stay away from me, but you didn’t. He raped me. I might not remember it, and I’m actually thankful for that, but I feel it. I feel it here every time I take in a breath,” I scream, pounding at my chest. “I feel disgusted, ashamed, dirty, and all because of your fucking son. He did this to me. Open your eyes for once. What if Logan was a girl, huh? What if this situation was the opposite and it was you coming here because your daughter was raped? Would you make her drop the charges because his parents were cowards?”
“Wait a minute—” Mick starts, but I interrupt.
“Go, now! And if Logan presses charges against Cole, I will do everything in my power to get proof of every crime he’s ever committed. I’ll round up everyone he’s ever hurt or sold drugs to and get them to testify. I will follow him around like a fly on shit and record every waking moment until I catch him in the act,” I promise, my voice dead and calm.
“Come on, Amanda. We should have known the riff-raff wouldn’t be reasonable.” Mick scoffs, placing his hand behind his wife’s back.
We all watch in silence as they leave, looking disgusted about taking the lift. I want to laugh at Logan’s mum’s expression, but I hold back, trying to calm my racing heart.
“You are the bravest girl in the world, young lady,” my mum chokes out, tears running down her cheeks. She’s still leaning into Sam, his arm around her shoulders.
“You have to say that; I’m your daughter.”
“No, she’s right, Willow. What you just did takes courage and bravery. I’m very proud of you,” Sam states. Allie nods in agreement, a small smile on her lips.
“Me and you are gonna be best friends,” CJ states, beaming. When I turn back around, I give him a small smile. “As much as I love you all, and enjoy seeing you in those,” he winks at Allie before giving Sam an apologetic look, “I’m starving, and I have a Pot Noodle cooking.”
“Cooking?” Allie whispers when he disappears, shaking her head before going back inside.
“I’ll only be a second,” I tell Mum and Sam, and they nod, heading back inside.
“So…” I say once Cole and I are alone. I’m aware I’m still wearing his hoody, and I begin to blush.
“So…” he says, before clearing his throat.
“You hit him?” I whisper, wondering whether to thank him or apologise for getting him into trouble.
He grunts. “Yeah,” he says shortly.
“Are you going to be in trouble?”
“No. He’s not pressing charges. The cops have already told me. Though, even if he were, I wouldn’t care. He deserved it.”