Chapter 11 #2
“Jay… shit.” His tone shifts to a softer, more rehearsed one. “Why did you leave? Babe, come on. You need to come home so we can work this out. I’m sorry, okay? I overreacted.”
Heather lets out a sharp laugh. “Overreacted? Are you fucking kidding me? You beat the shit out of him. You’re lucky you’re not sitting in a holding cell right now.”
Her words land like a slap, and for a moment, I almost want to hide behind her, but I can’t do that. Not this time. I reach out and gently pull her aside.
“Ray.” My voice falters, but I don’t back down. “We’re done. I was done before Florida. But after what you did to me yesterday, I never want to see you again.”
Ray is fighting to keep his composure, especially after Heather’s threat of jail. His tone softens, but it’s hollow.
“No, babe… we can work this out. I’m sorry, you know how I get. It won’t happen again.”
I know that voice. It’s not remorse; it’s damage control. He’s not afraid of losing me; he’s just afraid of losing his grip on me.
Behind me, I feel a shift in the air—the steady presence of Aiden. He’s been hanging back, probably to prevent making things worse, but I can tell he’s ready to step in if Ray crosses the line.
Ray’s eyes dart past me, and I can see the exact second recognition hits. His expression twists, rage replacing the fake remorse. His face goes from red to something darker.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” he roars, pointing at Aiden, spit flying from his mouth. “Are you fucking him? You fucking cheating whore.”
He lunges toward me, but before I can even flinch, Aiden steps forward, his arm outstretched, his voice cutting through the chaos like a crack of thunder.
“That’s enough.” His words hit like a physical force. Aiden positions himself between us, his eyes fixed on Ray. “You don’t get to come near him ever again,” he booms, his voice steady and deadly. “You so much as try, and you’ll regret it.”
Ray freezes.
Aiden doesn’t raise a fist; he doesn’t need to.
His size, quiet confidence, and the certainty in his tone are enough.
Ray’s a bully who picks on people smaller than him.
Even though their about the same height, Aiden is packed with more muscle, so Ray’s bravado crumbles.
He takes a step back; the fight draining out of him.
“We can’t be over, Jay,” he pleads, the tough-guy act dissolving into something raw and small. “We have too much history. Too much riding on this. We love each other. What will people think?”
I stare at him. “Are you serious? That’s all you care about, what people think? You beat the hell out of me. You’d do it again in a heartbeat if I crossed you. I’m done. I don’t love you. I don’t even like you.”
His anger flashes, then falters as Heather pushes past us and stands firmly in his way.
“Ray, you need to leave, or I’m calling the police,” she demands, her voice flat and unwavering. “As Jay’s attorney and his sister, I’m telling you now: he’s filing a report and pressing charges. You should get legal counsel. You’ll need it.”
Ray sputters, “What the fuck? This is a private matter. You don’t need to involve the police.” He looks like he might lunge, but Aiden and Heather step in close, hemming me in on either side. The two of them together are a wall he can’t push through.
He snarls, “Fine, I’ll go. But this isn’t over.”
I want the last word. I need to prove to them, and to myself, that I can stand up to him.
Pointing to my bruised face. “Ray, look at me.” My voice as calm as I can make it. “You hit me. You kicked me. You left a boot print on my skin. I have photos and access to our socials. If you don’t leave me alone, I will post those pictures, and your followers will see exactly what you did to me.”
His face drains of color; the one thing he truly cares about is the leverage I need. He turns silently, walks to his car, and drives away. I know this won’t be the end; his pride won’t let it be. But for now, he’s gone.
After last night’s blow-up with Ray, I barely had the energy to stand, let alone think.
Aiden drove me back to the hotel so I could gather my things, then insisted on sleeping on my mom’s couch in case Ray showed up again.
He left early this morning to go back to the hotel to shower and get some work done while Heather and I handle the police report.
I avoided another deep talk with her last night, but now, sitting beside her—just the two of us in her car—I can feel she’s going to use this time to her advantage.
“So, little brother,” Heather says as she pulls away from the house, her voice steady but edged, “I think you owe me more than what you shared yesterday. I know you left out a lot. And don’t think I forgot that little comment about me overreacting. We’ll be circling back to that.”
I let out a tired sigh. “You’re right. There’s a lot I didn’t want to say in front of Mom. And there are still some things I will not tell you, no matter how hard you try to pry them out of me.”
She glances at me briefly before looking back at the road. “Okay. I can respect that. But if I think I need more information as your lawyer, I will push.”
“That’s fair,” I admit. “Just let me get it all out before you start grilling me, alright?”
She nods in agreement.
“You already know about the social media side of things,” I start, staring out the window. “What you don’t know is that almost a year ago, Ray opened an OnlyFans page. Do you know what that is?”
Heather snorts. “Yes, Jay, I know what that is, and what most people use it for. Are you telling me you and Ray were making porn?”
I pause before answering. “Yes.” The word feels heavy in my mouth. “At first, it was just the two of us making sex videos. I wasn’t thrilled about it, but I agreed. But a few months ago, Ray decided we should open our relationship to include other people, and film that too.”
Heather exhales sharply, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turn white. “Excuse me?” she says tightly. “You had an open relationship? And you’re telling me Ray made that decision without you?”
“Unfortunately, yeah. I had little say the first time. He invited someone over one day, and we started filming. It just… happened.” I hesitate, trying to keep my voice even. “We used condoms, and after the first time, I went to the doctor for PrEP.”
I don’t tell her that, after a while, we stopped using condoms because it was easier to go along with what Ray wanted—some details she doesn’t need to know.
“We also get tested regularly,” I add quickly. “For HIV and STIs. And I’m negative.”
Heather sighs deeply as she processes that. “Okay,” she says finally, her tone clipped. “I’m glad you at least protected your health. But we’re not done with that topic. Now, the abuse, how long has that been going on, and what exactly has he done?”
I exhale sharply and tell her the painful, embarrassing truth about how I let my relationship change me into someone I no longer recognize.
I allowed the person I’ve shared my life with to belittle me, push me around, and chip away at my self-worth until there was barely anything left, all with the excuse that he couldn’t help it because of his heritage.
When I finish, Heather huffs through her nose, gripping the wheel tighter. “That’s… really sad. I wish you’d have told me sooner.” Her voice softens briefly before hardening again. “But seriously, could he have thrown out any more red flags?”
I know she means well, but empathy and understanding have never been her strong suit. Logic and outrage, those are her languages.
“I know you see this stuff all the time, but I was in the middle of it, okay?” I snap, more harshly than I mean to.
“It’s humiliating being a grown man and letting the person you live with treat you like shit.
Arguing with him was exhausting. Everything turned into a fight.
I wasn’t living; I was just trying to survive it. ”
Heather’s expression softens, her tone gentler now. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what that was like. Is it okay if I ask a few specific questions?”
“Sure.”
“First, you mentioned Florida last night. When was that trip?”
“Right…that.” I grimace. “It was a couple of weekends ago. We went to Florida for an OnlyFans collaboration. Another one of Ray’s brilliant ideas.
We filmed with a group of guys.” I keep things deliberately vague; there are things my sister doesn’t need burned into her brain. “That’s where I ran into Aiden.”
Heather glances at me, one eyebrow raised. “That was my next question. Running into him again seems like something you would’ve mentioned.”
“I know. I meant to tell you, but it would’ve meant explaining everything, and I wasn’t ready for that conversation.”
“Did you have sex with Aiden in Florida?”
I blink at her bluntness. “That’s direct.”
“You should know by now that I don’t dance around things.”
“Yes,” I admit. “He was part of the group… situation.”
She gives a short laugh, not out of humor but disbelief. “Okay, Jay, let’s be real, because I’m not the prude you think I am. When you say group, you mean you were in an orgy, right?”
“Yes,” I sigh. “That’s exactly what I mean.”
I want to crawl out of my skin. I’m not ashamed of what happened, but having this conversation with my sister feels like being stripped bare. There are boundaries between siblings, and we are sprinting past every single one of them.
“Okay, no judgment from me,” she says after a moment. “You do you. But,” her voice sharpens, “you had sex with Aiden, and he showed up here right after Ray beat you up. So, what’s really going on between you two?”
“He’s my friend,” I answer quickly. “We spent time together in Florida; we caught up, and it felt like no time had passed. I missed him so much, Heather.”
She nods, her expression softening again. “I know how much you missed him. Having him back in your life must feel really good. But, he’s just your friend, right? You haven’t started something with him, have you?”
“Heather, we’re just friends.” I try to sound convincing, but even to my own ears, it falls flat.
“Just because we had sex doesn’t mean he wants a relationship with me.
He’s got a life in New York. And I…” I trail off, staring out the windshield.
“I need to work through everything with Ray before I even think about anyone else. Breaking up with him is a relief, for sure, but I’m not ready for anything new.
I wouldn’t want Aiden to be a rebound. And honestly, I don’t even know if he’d want that kind of relationship with me. ”
What I don’t say out loud is that I’d want it in a heartbeat. That I’ve wanted it since I was sixteen. No matter how much time passes, he still owns a piece of my heart, and he always will.
Heather gives me a sideways look, her tone gentler now. “Jay, honey, he dropped everything and flew here to be with you. I think there’s a pretty good chance he wants more than just friendship. But I agree with you, you’re not in a place to jump into something new.”
“Thank you for understanding. And for not judging me.”
She smirks. “Oh, don’t get too comfortable. I’m still judging your taste in men.”
That earns her a weak laugh from me; my first real one in days.
We pull into the police station parking lot, and my stomach tightens.
I’ve never done anything like this before.
I have no idea what to expect, but at least Heather’s with me.
She’s been through this before, walking survivors through the process, and the calm way she handles herself makes me feel a little less exposed.
Inside, the fluorescent lights hum overhead, and the smell of stale coffee hangs in the air.
We wait for about twenty minutes before an officer calls my name.
When we sit down, Heather slides effortlessly into professional mode, answering the procedural questions while I focus on breathing and trying not to shake.
The officer who interviews me is kind, listens carefully, and doesn’t rush me.
When she asks for more details, her tone is patient rather than probing.
It makes it easier to get the words out.
When I finish giving my statement, she asks a few follow-up questions to make sure she understands everything.
The photos Aiden took are clear and detailed, so they don’t need to take new ones. Heather forwards them directly from her phone, then hands over the medical report she’d insisted I bring along. Watching her manage the details lets me breathe a little easier.
When the officer finishes, they explain the next steps: they’ll investigate, review the evidence, and then pass their findings to the district attorney.
He will decide whether to file formal charges.
It’s essentially my word against Ray’s, but the bruises, cracked ribs, and the pattern of control I described should be enough.
By the time we step outside, I’m completely drained but relieved. I’m finally realizing I’m stronger than I’ve allowed myself to be.
During the drive home, I call my boss to arrange for temporary leave from work. He’s incredibly supportive and tells me I qualify for a state program offering three months of paid leave, so I can focus on healing from my injuries and my mental health. That breathing room means everything.
Now, as we pull into the driveway, I feel a strange mix of guilt and gratitude. I hate relying so much on others, like Heather’s competence, my mom’s kind heart, and Aiden’s quiet steadiness, but I know I wouldn’t have made it through this without them.