Author's Note: The final chapters are here. Please comment and let me know what you think! Thank you.
***
Chapter 21
A week later, Karen appeared at Ben's doorstep with a smile on her face. Ben was surprised by her visit, but he invited her in.
"Where's River?" she asked as soon as she took a seat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of her.
"Elle took him out to get a treat for getting an A for his Math test," Ben answered.
"Oh, she shouldn't have had to reward him," Karen said. "She's done more than enough already for him."
He laughed once and shrugged. "She adores the kid and wants to do it. I trust her not to buy anything excessive for him."
"If you say so," she said in a slightly exasperated tone. "Anyway, the reason why I dropped by is because I want to apologize for last week; I behaved like a brat and for that I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize for being human, Karen," he said. "I understand where you came from."
"I appreciate that," she said with a smile. "So I've done some thinking and you're right: I should get help. My behavior was unhealthy and I know that I might lose River if I choose to ignore it. I found a therapist and I will start seeing her in two weeks."
"I'm glad to hear that," he said and gave her a quick hug.
"Maybe the three of us could do lunch one of these days and I can update you on my progress," she suggested.
"The three of us?" he asked.
"What, you don't think I want to be friends with the woman who has been spending a lot of time with my son?" she said teasingly. "I've never seen you allowing your previous girlfriends to spend time alone with him, so I know this one is certainly special."
"She is," he agreed softly.
Karen nodded. "I figured she's going to be a permanent part of your life as well as River's so I guess it doesn't hurt to get to know her." They talked for a few more minutes and she finished off her coffee. "I should be going," she said. "I needed to run some errands, but I figured I should drop by and give you my news."
They hugged each other goodbye and Ben stood on the porch to watch Karen backed her car and drove away. He was sitting on the porch swing with Colt lying beside his feet when Elle and River turned the corner and walked up the driveway. River immediately ran up to greet his father before going into the house with Colt, leaving Ben and Elle standing on the porch.
"How's shopping?" he asked casually.
"It was great. We went to get chocolate sundaes," she replied before tilting her head to look at him. "Now you seem like you're excited about something. What is it?"
Ben put his hands on her waist and pulled her close. "God, woman, you read me like a book."
"I hope it's a good thing."
"It's a sexy thing," he said with a smile. "Karen was here just now. She came to tell me that she's going to see a therapist. She's getting help," he said.
"Wow, that's the greatest news," she said brightly. "I'm so glad to hear that."
"Yeah, me too," Ben said.
***
The fight Elle had with Ben brought them even closer and the next three months passed by like a dream for her. She went to work during the day and spent her nights in Ben's arms. Halloween was around the corner and the three planned to go trick-or-treat together. Elle had bought some poinsettias and English primroses and they were thriving in the flower pots in her balcony and she planned to plant them on the weekend after.
Karen was also making excellent progress with her therapy and River had resumed living with her again. She even had lunch a couple of times with Ben and Elle, updating them on what she had learned from therapy. Elle was glad that Karen was slowly coming out of the depression caused by her father's death.
Elle still babysat River on occasions, mainly because River requested Elle's companionship and she simply indulged his requests. She was supposed to be on babysitting duty that Friday night when Ben called her.
"Hey, baby, I'm on my way over there," she said. For a moment she thought the call was dropped because Ben was quiet on the other line. "Hello?" she said and a sob greeted her ear. "Ben, is that you?"
"It's me," he said softly but Elle could hear the strain in his voice.
"Ben, what's wrong? Is everything alright?" she asked, immediately concerned.
"Yes, everything's wrong. The biggest wrong was that I thought I could trust you," he bit out.
"What are you talking about?" she asked confusedly.
"I talked to River just now. He told me everything," he said.
"Told you what?"
"Quit pretending, Elle!" he shouted so loudly that she jumped. "Stop this bullshit! You know what I'm talking about!"
Elle's heart was beating so hard in her chest that she could hardly form words. "Please stop shouting and tell me what's going on."
"Did you touch him? Did you fucking touch my son?" he shouted the questions.
She could not understand him; her panic caused by his shouting was making her confused. "What do you mean, 'did I touch him'?"
"River told me that you have touched him inappropriately on several occasions when you two were alone in my house," he said, his words almost like a punch to her face. It shook her to the core yet she could hardly believe the accusation.
"No, I did not," she said adamantly. "Why would he say such a thing?"
"A very good question which I would like an answer to myself unless it did happen," he said.
"It didn't happen. I did not and will not do such a thing," she said. "I don't know where that accusation came from."
"Are you saying that my son is a liar?" he challenged.
"I'm telling the truth when I say I won't do such a heinous thing," she shouted.
Ben was quiet and for a moment she thought she might have gotten to him. But then he said, "You're officially fired from the diner. I will mail you your severance pay and all your shit you left in the locker. I don't want you to come near my family. And I've called the cops. They will be at your doorstep any minute." The call went dead and Elle stood there for a full minute with the phone in her hand as she stared unseeingly at the wall in front of her.
What had just happened? That question played repeatedly inside her head as she sat on the kitchen floor with her back against the cabinet. Then, as if on autopilot, she went into her room to get dressed and get her purse. Her mind was blank, but a part of her brain that controlled her muscle movements knew what she would need: to dress warmly and to check that her driver's license was in her wallet.
She moved to the living room and sat down on the couch. Not fifteen minutes later there was a hard knock on the front door as if someone was slamming their fists against the wood.
"Rochester Police Department. Please open the door," a deep voice boomed from the other side. Elle stood and went to open the door to see three police officers standing there, hands on their holsters. "Are you Elle Bronwyn?" the male officer asked. Wordlessly she held out her hands and he grabbed them firmly before placing the cuffs on her wrists.
"Elle Bronwyn, you're under arrest for suspected assault on a minor. You have the right to remain silent..."
Everything else was lost to Elle as she allowed herself to be led away from her apartment. Her neighbors opened their doors to see what the commotion was and her face heated when she caught the scandalized look on some of them but she refused to duck her head. She refused to let them think that she was guilty.
At the police station, Elle was led into a room after having her body checked for weapons and her purse locked away. Throughout the ride and the body check, she had felt strangely detached from it all, as if it was something that was happening to another person.
There was no clock in the interrogation room and there was no window showing the outside world so she didn't know how long she sat there. The only indication of time passing was the growling in her stomach and the dryness in her mouth and throat, telling her it had been a long time since she had eaten and drank.
Suddenly the door opened and a tall man walked in with a file in his hand and Elle raised her eyes to look at him. He was wearing a white shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of black slacks.
"Ms. Bronwyn, I'm Detective Carlson," he introduced himself and she was surprised that he sounded weary instead of intimidating. "Do you know why you're here?"
"I am suspected of assault against a minor," she replied robotically.
Carlson raised an eyebrow. "And you seem so calm about it."
She met his eyes. "Because I didn't do it."
He nodded slightly as his eyes ran over her face, studying her. "How do you know River James Garrett?"
"He is my boyfriend's son," she answered.
"And how long you have been seeing the father?"
A lump formed in her throat, making it hard for her to talk. "A little less than eight months," she replied. Had it only been eight months? It seemed like she had been with Ben forever. It certainly seemed like she had loved him forever.
"And did you know he has a son when you two started seeing each other?" Carlson asked.
"I did. Ben was my employer and River was four when I started working at the diner," she said.
