This Is Forever

by Natasha Madison

  Matthew pounces, yelling my name. “Justin!”

  “Justin!” Caroline yells from the top of the stairs. Allison holds her hand to stop her from running to me.

  At the same time, my father grabs me. “Justin, let him go,” he says in my ear, and Max and Viktor are beside us.

  “You stay away from them,” I say, and he just tries to get my hand to loosen from around his neck. “Fucking far away from them.” I finally let go, and he coughs as he tries to catch his breath. His scrawny hands go to his throat.

  “You are going to be sorry about this,” he says, turning away. “More than you know.”

  “Get away from here,” Viktor says. “Do yourself a favor, man, and don’t make your son see you like this.”

  “Fuck you!” Andrew says. “Fuck all y’all!” He laughs and then turns to look at Caroline, who is holding Dylan while he sobs. “And fuck you two!” He puts up his middle fingers and then smiles, showing off rotten teeth. “I’ll see you soon,” he says and motions with his hand a gun shooting me. “Sooner than you think.” He turns to walk away, and I push through everyone to run to Caroline and Dylan.

  She finally lets go when she’s in my arms and sobs out. Father Rolly steps outside with us. “You should take her home,” he says and then looks at her. “You go home and take care of yourself.” Then he looks at me. “It’s about time she found someone who is going to carry her instead of bury her.”

  My eyes follow Andrew as he walks away from us, and I look to my side as my father holds my mother in his arms. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Caroline

  What started as one of the best days of my life turned so violently to the worst. All I can hear is Andrew yelling for Dylan. At first, I thought I was having a nightmare, but then I saw him walking toward us, his hands going everywhere, and I knew he was high. I’ve been around him long enough to know when he’s at the top of his high. And it was now, and there was no way I could shield Dylan from this. He stands beside me, and I swear I can feel him shaking.

  My heart stops as he starts swearing, and I’m ready to just bolt into the church and shield Dylan from this. But it’s almost as if it happens in slow motion or maybe it’s just me having an out of body type of experience. Then his words hit me straight in the heart, not because I care, I’ve heard him say this every single time, but because Dylan is here and he’s watching and listening to every single word. “You ruined my life.” I hold Dylan in my arms, and I’m about to tell him to ignore him. “You and that fucking piece of shit kid you forced me to have.”

  He sobs out this time, and everything after that just happens so fast. Justin’s arm shoots out to grab Andrew by the throat, and I’m screaming for him. He finally comes to me and takes me in his arms. My knees give out, and I don’t know if I’m walking or being carried to the car.

  “You aren’t driving anywhere,” Matthew says to Justin. “You need to take care of your woman and kid, man,” he says, and we are all put in the back seat of a truck, and Matthew gets into the front seat with Cooper beside him.

  “I'm so sorry he said that,” Justin says from beside me, and then he leans over and puts his hand on Dylan. “It’s going to be okay, buddy.”

  He pulls me into his arms, and I try to be strong, try not to have Dylan see me cry, but I can’t help it. My heart hurts that he had to hear all that. That he has even one doubt that he is loved. I quietly sob in my hand, trying not to make too much noise, and the only thing I can hear is Justin’s soothing words. “It’s going to be okay.”

  We get back to Justin’s place, and when Cooper gets out of the truck, he opens the back door and grabs Dylan, holding his hand until Justin is there beside him and he reaches his hand up so Justin picks him up. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Cooper’s phone rings, and then he looks at Matthew. “Do they bring the food over?”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he says, and he has this conversation as if we aren’t here. “Maybe have Michael come over so he doesn’t have to think about anything.”

  Cooper gets back on the phone, and I suddenly just need to lie down. My head is almost spinning. “I need to lie down,” I tell Justin, who just nods his head. When we get into the house, I walk straight to the bedroom, and Dylan follows us. “I think I’m going to be sick.” I put my hand to my stomach, and I make it to the bathroom just in time before everything comes out, and I hear Dylan start to cry again.

  “She’s going to be okay, buddy.” I hear Matthew say. “Justin would never let anything happen to her,” he says, and then the door closes, and Justin is there behind me, holding out a cold rag.

  “Sweetheart,” he says softly, squatting in front of me.

  “I’m so sorry,” I say, the tears flowing now as I look at him. “I’m so sorry I brought this to you, and that your family had to see that.”

  “You have nothing,” he says quietly, “nothing to be sorry about.”

  “Dylan,” I say right before the sob rips through me, and I put my hand in front of my mouth so he doesn’t hear. “I never wanted him to hear that. Ever.”

  “Sweetheart,” he says, taking me in his arms and sitting on the floor. “Please stop.” We sit here until my sobbing stops, and my eyes feel so heavy it hurts to have them open.

  “I don’t think he means it,” I say. “I mean, the bitch part he means, but the part about Dylan.”

  “Shh,” Justin says. “The last thing you need to do is make excuses for him.”

  I get up now. “Dylan,” I say his name, and Justin gets up, and we walk out of the room and see that Matthew and Cooper are in the living room talking in whispers. “I’m going to check on him.”

  “Okay,” Justin says. “I’ll be right in.” He kisses my lips, and I walk to the game room. Dylan is lying on the couch with the television off, just looking at the wall.

  “Baby,” I say, sitting beside him and rubbing his head. “Are you okay?”

  “He hates me,” he says the words I never wanted him to say. “He called me a piece of shit.”

  “He …” I start to make excuses for him, and then I stop. “He’s sick.”

  “No, he’s mean, and a bad person, Mom,” he says to me. “You don’t treat the people you love like that.”

  “You’re right,” I say. “I don’t want you to ever have to doubt how much I love you.”

  He looks at me, my little boy who is turning into a man before my eyes. “I know, Mom.”

  I sit on the couch next to him with my feet under me, and we fall asleep. I don’t even know how long I’m sleeping, but the doorbell rings, and we both jump up, running to see who it is. Both of us hoping that Andrew didn’t follow us here.

  I walk into the living room and see that Justin’s mom, Parker, is now here, but it’s the two police officers that draw my eyes. “Justin,” Matthew says, coming into the room behind them.

  “How can I help you?” Justin says, and his eyes fly to mine. My heart starts to beat faster than normal, and I think I’m going to have a heart attack. Dylan runs from beside me to stand next to Justin.

  “We are sorry to be doing this,” one of the cops says, “but we have no choice.”

  “Do what?” Cooper asks, and if I thought I was going to die before, nothing prepares me for what is about to happen.

  “Justin Stone, there is a warrant for your arrest for the assault on Andrew Woods,” the officer says, and I feel like the floor is moving. My head is spinning, and I can’t control it. “We are going to have to cuff you,” the officer says.

  “Seriously?” Matthew says. “In front of his kid.” Dylan stands in front of him crying, and there is suddenly screaming. Someone is screaming, and the floor is coming closer and closer to me as my knees suddenly buckle, and I hear Justin yell.

  “Matthew, Caroline,” he says, and Matthew catches me right before I hit the floor, and the screaming stops. I suddenly realize that the screaming was coming from me.
/>   “You can’t take him!” I say to the officers, trying to get out of Matthew’s hold. “Get off me!” I scream at him. “You can’t take him!”

  “Don’t say a fucking word,” Cooper says to Justin. “Not a peep.”

  “I want my lawyer,” Justin says right before the clicking of the handcuffs fills the room. “Sweetheart, I’ll be back.”

  “You can’t take him!” I yell at them and fight to get free. “You can’t take him! He didn’t do anything!” I sob and fight to get to him, to hold him, to kiss him one last time. “Please,” I plead with everyone around me. “Please don’t take him.” I finally collapse in Matthew’s arms while Parker holds Dylan, whose sobs now echo mine.

  “Justin!” Dylan yells his name.

  “It’s going to be okay, buddy.” He looks at Dylan. “I need you to be strong for your mom,” he says, and Dylan breaks free from Parker and throws himself at Justin, hugging him around the waist. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “Don’t let them take you,” Dylan pleads while he sobs and shakes. “Don’t take him.” He pleads with the officer who just looks down.

  Cooper makes his way over to Dylan and has to peel him off Justin, who just yells for Justin as he’s pulled away and led out of the apartment. Cooper hands Dylan to Parker.

  “Get over here now.” I hear Matthew say to someone as he holds the phone to his ear, and Cooper runs out of the apartment, following Justin as he is led off.

  “I ruined him,” I say to Matthew. “Everything is my fault.”

  “No, it’s not,” he says. “You have to be strong for Dylan.” I look over at my son as Parker whispers to him, and he sobs out, calling for Justin.

  “Baby,” I say to Dylan, and he comes over to me. Matthew finally lets go of me, and Dylan crashes into me and the both of us sob in each other’s arms. Matthew is on the phone nonstop. The front door opens, and both of us look, hoping it’s Justin, but it’s just Max and Allison, who has her own tears running down her face.

  “Go,” she tells Matthew. “Take Mom.” Parker gets up and looks over at me, her eyes with her own tears, and I swear I can almost hear her say she’s sorry. She rushes out of the apartment with Matthew at her side.

  “Where is he?” I ask them, and Max comes to sit beside us, and the door opens again, and this time, Viktor walks in.

  “They are taking him in,” Max says. “We just heard it on SportsCenter.”

  “Oh my God,” I say, putting my hand to my stomach. “I’m going to be sick,” I say, turning and running into the bathroom. Whatever is left inside me comes out, and I close my eyes and vow to make it better for him. It’s my turn to protect him, even if it means breaking my heart in the process.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Justin

  I sit in the lock-up cell the whole night, not once closing my eyes because when I close them, all I see is Dylan rushing to me and calling out my name.

  When they placed me in the car and pulled away, I looked out the window. “We just want you to know that we had no choice,” one of the officers said.

  I didn’t say a word the whole time, and my lawyer arrived five minutes after me, and I got my hands out of the cuffs. “You know this is a bullshit case. I have seven eyewitnesses who say Mr. Woods threatened my client.”

  He pushed and pushed, but the law was the law, and they couldn’t do anything until I saw a judge, and that was only happening at eight this morning.

  They did give me five minutes with my father and Matthew, but the only thing I cared about was Caroline and Dylan. “Stay with them.” I looked at Matthew, and all he did was nod.

  “Mr. Stone.” My name is called, and I stand up. “You’re up next.”

  “Thank you,” I say and walk with him down the concrete hallway, and he stops at the big brown door.

  “I’m sorry I have to do this,” he says, and I just nod at him and turn around to have him cuff me. I would do whatever they tell me to do if it gets me one step closer to Caroline and Dylan. I walk into the courthouse, and my eyes fly to the people in the room. All the men in my family fill the first row with my parents at the end. I make eye contact with Matthew, who just nods. I also notice a couple of reporters in there, and I roll my eyes.

  “All you have to say when they ask you is not guilty. Your bail is set to be posted, so it’ll be right after he calls out the number. We have a car waiting for you,” my lawyer says. “I’m not going to lie, though. The press got a hold of the story.”

  “I don’t give a shit. I need to get home,” I say, and we stand in front of the judge. When the district attorney starts reading the charges, I almost want to snort when they call Andrew the victim.

  The judge asks me how I plead, and I finally speak. “Not guilty, Your Honor.” He sets the bail, and I don’t even hear how much nor do I care. When he hits the gavel, I look at my lawyer, and he looks at the DA, who nods his head. “Go.”

  I walk to my family, and my mother gets up and walks next to me with my father on her side, and Matthew on my other side. Max, Viktor, and Evan walk in front of us. “Caroline?” I ask Matthew. He avoids eye contact, and my stomach sinks. My mother grabs my hand, and I look at her. She tries to pretend she is okay, but she just shakes her head.

  The car is waiting, and I get in the back with my mother and father, and Matthew gets in the front behind the wheel. The reporters try to take our picture, but I turn my head, and when we are away, I ask the question again. “Where is she?”

  “At your place,” Matthew says. I look at his eyes in the rearview mirror, and I know he isn’t telling me something. The drive home takes more time than I care for, and when I get out of the car, my father calls my name before I take a step toward the elevator. I look back at him, and he stands there with my mother beside him.

  My mother has tears running down her face. “Justin, we need to talk,” my father says.

  “Dad, it’s really not a good time,” I say and try to turn around.

  “I think this is the best time,” he says. “Justin, you have to take a second.” I turn and look at my parents. “I get that you have a connection with this woman, but, Justin …”

  “What are you saying?” I look at my parents who have been by my side my whole life. By all of our sides without thinking twice. No matter how many times we fucked up, the only thing that was the same was their support for us.

  “I’m saying you need to walk away,” my father says, and now my mother talks.

  “You want to save her,” she says, and I shake my head. “I know how much you care for her and Dylan, but, Justin, this situation …” She swallows. “Justin, it’s not safe.”

  “What the fuck?” Matthew says under his breath.

  “Listen to us for a second,” my father says. “We always have your best interests at heart. Always.”

  “Obviously not always,” I say, putting my hands on my hips.

  “Justin, the guy threatened to kill you,” my mother says, almost shouting.

  “Oh, for Christ’s sake!” I yell. “He’s crazy.”

  “Exactly,” my father says. “What if the next time he comes with a gun? Justin, seriously, you are putting yourself in harm’s way, and I think you need to think about it.”

  “I’m going upstairs now to the woman I love,” I say, and my mother gasps. “That’s right. I love her. I love Dylan. I love them both, and I know that if push comes to shove, I will pick them.” I look down. “Even if I have to walk away from my family.”

  “Justin,” my father says, and I shake my head. “Maybe you think you love her, but you just want to save her.”

  “What are you saying?” I look at them. “I love her. With everything that I have. Until my last dying breath, it will always be her. I will walk with her through fire if I have to, and if push comes to shove, I will.”

  “You could be throwing away everything you have,” my mother says.

  “Everything you’ve worked for since you were little could be taken away,” my f
ather says, and I hold up my hand.

  “You can either be with me or not, Dad,” I say, “but if you aren’t on Caroline’s side, then you aren’t on my side. Now, I’m going to go up there and try to get her head out of her ass because if I know her like I think I do, she is probably already thinking of leaving. I have to tell you, if she leaves me, I’m not going to rest until she is with me. I will turn over every fucking rock on earth.”

  “I just want you to recognize the danger you are putting yourself in,” my father says, and it’s Matthew now who walks over to him.

  “Dad,” he says. “If you met Mom, and she had Allison and me, and my father was Andrew, would you walk away from her?” he asks quietly. “As a dad, I know what you’re doing. I would do the same thing, but we both know you didn’t raise your kids not to follow their heart.”

  “I blame you,” my mom says to my father. “It’s all your fault our children are like this.” He grabs her around her shoulders and pulls her close and they look at me. “You’re right about Caroline. She’s already planning on leaving.”

  “What?” Matthew hisses, and I look at her.

  “She came to me yesterday after everyone left, and she got Dylan settled down.” She looks at my father. “She would have been gone if Allison hadn’t walked into the room and grabbed her bag. She pleaded with us to just let her go.”

  Without waiting for anything else, I run to the elevator and press it five times. When the doors open, my parents and Matthew squeeze in with me before the doors close. “I need to talk to Dylan,” I tell Matthew.

  “I have it covered,” Matthew says, and when I finally open the door to my house and see both of them sitting on the couch, it’s now my knees that almost give out. Dylan jumps off and runs to me, tears running down his face, and I crouch down to grab him in my arms as he hugs me with everything he has.

  “I’m here,” I say to him as he cries in my neck. “I’m here, buddy.”