Chapter
22
The next day,
Brian took Katelyn to the local police station.
"We have
to go press charges on your mother," he said.
"Listen,
Brian, I told you before, I don't want her to go to jail and be in a lot of
trouble. I just don't want to live with her anymore," Katelyn told him.
"My goal
is not to send your mother to jail," Brian said. Then he took a deep
breath. "What I want it to get custody of you until you turn
eighteen," he said.
Katelyn's eyes
widened. "You want custody of me?!" she asked in shock.
"Yeah,
either me or my parents," he replied. "You're already seventeen. It
would be for less than a year."
"Wow,
Brian. I can not believe you are doing all this for me. How can I ever make it
up to you?" she asked.
"You
don't have to," Brian said. "I'm doing this because I want to help
you. At first, it was just because I felt really bad for you, but now that I've
gotten to know you better, it's more personal. It's more like helping a good
friend now." Katelyn just gazed at him, unable to say anything.
"Brian,
you are the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful person I have ever met," she
said.
He grinned.
"Really? That's pretty cool. I'm glad I can help you."
She smiled.
"So am I. Without you, I would still be living in that house with my
mother." She shuddered.
"That's
why I want to take you to the police. So you don't have to go back there. I'm
sure your mother knows you're gone now, and if she hasn't called the police
yet, I'm sure she will soon," Brian said. "If she reports you
missing, it's only a matter of time before they find you and make you go back
there. But if we tell them that she was abusing you, they can take custody of
you away from her."
Katelyn
nodded. "Okay, then. Let's go."
They climbed into Brian's car and headed for the
police station.
***