Chaps & Cappuccinos

by A. J. Macey

  Before I could get my keys fully out of my bag, a steely hold gripped my upper arms. The sensation startled me, my mind not processing that whoever it was was trying to force me away from my car and the streetlight. I hadn’t been yanked more than a foot before my instincts flared to life. Kicking backward, I tried to catch my attacker in the shin or knee.

  A deep hiss of pain filled my ear, the sound terrifying, but I didn’t stop. Kicking, pulling on my arms, anything to get him to release me, and it worked, but it wasn’t enough. Adrenaline pumped through me, my body trembling as I finally got an arm free, screaming as loudly as possible until my voice gave out, I whipped around and aimed directly at the man’s face with the keys clutched in my hand.

  Stinging pain radiated through my palm and fingers when my fist collided with his cheek, the teeth of my keys catching on the black ski mask he wore. The hit took him by surprise, his head snapping to the side as he stumbled. I heard shouting, but through the cotton filling my ears, I had no idea where it was coming from or what was being said. All I cared about was that my attacker took off, the man’s gaze landing on me one final time.

  It was cold… dead.

  And something in it held a promise. Whatever it was, whoever it was… I knew one thing.

  This wasn’t going to be the last time I saw him.

  19

  April 5th

  As if my day couldn’t get any worse. Guess I was wrong.

  #HolyWow #Ouch #ImSafe #DEFINITELYNOTSundayFunday

  “Emma!” someone shouted, the voice muffled and far away. “Lyla, did you call?!”

  “They’re on their way!”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Miss, I’m going to need to know what happened.”

  One question battered me after another, but none of it really registered. I was numb but still shivering, and I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t cold out; there was even a blanket curled around my shoulders.

  Wait… a blanket?

  Why do I have a blanket?

  “Cali girl!” Reid called, the worry in his tone pulling me from whatever semi-comatose state I’d been in.

  “Reid?” I croaked, realizing I was sitting on the edge of a large truck, cold metal flooring pressing into the back of my legs.

  “Oh my gosh.” Stella’s voice filled my senses. “Emma honey, your hand.”

  “What?” I questioned, looking down.

  Which was the worst possible thing I could have done. Everything returned. At first, it was just flashes of what had just happened, but then they grew smoother, connecting together like puzzle pieces. The numbness that had seemed to engulf my entire body pulled away, and a searing ache filled my hand and radiated up my arm. Jagged crisscross cuts covered my palm and fingers, the keys having dug in when I hit the man.

  “Ow,” I whimpered, and the EMT dabbing the antiseptic grimaced, flashing me an apologetic smile. Glancing around me, I saw flashing lights from two police cars, and I finally noticed that I was seated in an ambulance and not a regular truck as the EMTs cleaned my hand and checked my blood pressure. There was a lot going on outside of the truck, my eyes darting around to take it all in. Lyla and Rick stood nearby, both looking worried as hell as they talked to a police officer. Kaleb and Stella stood next to the ambulance with Reid, Kingston, and Jesse. “My mom?”

  “We weren’t sure if you wanted to call her or not,” Kaleb explained. “Do you want us to?”

  “Uh…” I trailed off, looking at my boys. “Not yet, I don’t want to have to deal with an argument because you guys are here.” A burning sensation filled my eyes, the five of them blurring in a watery wall of tears. As soon as the blood pressure cuff was taken off my arm, I reached out, needing to feel one of them… all of them… something to help feel grounded.

  “Are you okay?” Jesse questioned, kneeling in front of me, Kingston and Reid stepping up to my side.

  “Would it be all right if an officer comes over?” I asked the EMT as she finished wrapping up my hand in gauze. “I don’t really want to tell the story more than once.”

  “Of course, Miss Clark, I’ll go get one.”

  After packing up her equipment, she walked over, speaking quietly to the officer who had been talking to Lyla and Rick. Everyone surrounding me didn’t say anything, letting me process, but when the officer came over, a new sense of panic took hold. I don’t want to talk about this with everyone nearby… just my boys.

  “You don’t have to, Emma. We’ll be right over here where you can still see us. Okay?” Kaleb told me, hitching a thumb over his shoulder to where Lyla and Rick waited. In my dazed anxiety, I must have said my thought out loud. I nodded and tried to give them a smile but based on their saddened expressions I hadn’t made it look convincing.

  “Miss Clark, I’m Officer Conner Bennick,” the young man said. His uniform was a deep blue, the lights from the emergency vehicles reflecting on the shiny surface of his badge. In an attempt to stay grounded amidst the shock, I took in everything tiny thing about him. Blond hair, dark blue eyes, tanned skin, and a bunch of freckles sprinkled his face. His steps were self-assured, and while he frowned, his expression wasn’t harsh. Focusing on those insignificant details, I felt my heart stop rattling in my chest, slowing to a more normal pace. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  Taking a deep breath, I readied myself to try and remember anything and everything I possibly could. “I had just gotten off work and was checking my phone as I walked to the car. I realized I had walked down the wrong aisle because I never really remember where I park, though you think I probably would,” I rambled.

  Focus, Emma, you can do this.

  “But I put my phone away into my bag and was getting my keys when I reached my car. I was getting them out of my bag when… a guy grabbed my upper arms and tried to pull me back from the car. I got a hit in on his shin or knee I think because his grip loosened. Gave me a chance to yank an arm loose and turn around. I luckily still had the keys in my hand so I got him in the head, which apparently cut up my hand pretty bad. He was wearing a ski mask… oh, and black kind of shiny gloves,” I realized, remembering how there hadn’t been a single portion of him I could see other than his eyes. “He was taller than me, bulkier too, but I’m not really sure by how much. Uh… I screamed really loud which I think got Rick and Lyla’s attention but I kind of zoned at that point because he was running away.”

  “Do you know what color his eyes were?” the officer asked me. I focused, running through the memory again.

  “Uh… darker color, I think a brown. Maybe a deep brown? I don’t think he was wearing any kind of contacts or anything, but I don’t know. His skin around his eyes was painted too, kept me from being able to see any skin. I know it isn’t much—”

  “It’s a lot of helpful information, Miss Clark, I know it’s hard to remember things like that during everything. You did a great job,” Officer Conner assured me with a tiny smile. It didn’t do much to make me feel better, but I appreciated the attempt. “If you remember anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ll get you my card real quick.”

  Nodding, I watched him walk over to his cruiser, leaning in before reappearing a few moments later. I took the plain white cardstock, his name, badge number, and contact information printed neatly on the face. With one final task of getting the quickly forming bruises on my upper arms photographed, I waited to be able to go home.

  “We’re going to take some pictures of anything around your car and the parking lot if there is any, then you should be good to head home, but I highly recommend someone taking you home. Driving after such an adrenaline dump can be unsafe,” the officer explained as the EMT cleaned and bandaged a small cut on my right bicep.

  “Okay, I’ll be sure to do that. I can get my car at another time,” I told him quietly.

  “So, any ideas who this could be?” Reid asked when the EMT started to neaten the inside of their truck, giving me time to talk with the guys, Stella, and Kaleb a bit more. “Assum
ing it wasn’t something random.”

  “My first reaction would be to say Brad, but he’s still in jail,” Kaleb murmured, a harsh scowl curling his face.

  “Yeah, but you heard his parents the day he was arrested. About how she’d be ruined by the end of this, so maybe it was one of them?” Kingston offered.

  “That’s definitely something to consider. I’ll talk to some of my contacts on the force, see if anyone might know anything but until then, the best we can do is try to stay safe.”

  “I’ll go to more self-defense classes with Lyla. We’d talked about it and have gone a couple of times, but I think I’d rather go weekly now. Or at least most weeks. I don’t typically work Monday’s anyway,” I reasoned, that plan helping me stay sane, knowing there was things I could do to try and be prepared.

  “I think that’s a great idea, Emma,” Stella praised, patting me on the shoulder from where I was curled under Jesse’s arm.

  “All right, Miss Clark, we’re finishing up now so you’re good to leave whenever you’re ready,” Officer Conner informed us.

  “Are you ready for us to call your mom?” Stella asked, now that I’d been dismissed. Nodding, I gave my guys each a hug and kiss before Kaleb directed them away from me even though I knew none of us wanted to be apart.

  “I’ll call her,” I told Stella, knowing there really wasn’t a way to explain why they were there. “She can take me home and everything, try and avoid as much awkwardness as possible.”

  “We’ll wait in the car over there until she’s here and you guys have headed home, all right? We don’t want you to be alone while you wait,” Kaleb assured, squeezing my shoulder gently. Nodding for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, I watched them step back and tell Kingston, Reid, and Jesse, all three of whom looked pissed. Kingston broke away first, Reid and Jesse going back and forth with Stella and Kaleb in hushed voices.

  “You have your phone on you, right?” Kingston questioned when he reached me. I nodded, pulling it out of my bag. “Text us, we want to make sure you get home safely and everything. If you need to talk, call. Promise?” It was weird hearing Kingston, my laidback boyfriend, be so assertive, but I couldn’t stop the feeling of security that came with knowing they were there, checking up on me.

  “Yeah, I promise,” I said, squeezing his hand. After one final kiss, King stepped back, and Jesse and Reid took his place. “I’m okay, guys—”

  “We know you are, Love, but it’s still too close for comfort,” Jesse cut me off, cupping my jaw and pressing his lips to mine. His kiss was deep, holding me hostage in his grasp until he finally pulled back. “I love you, Em.”

  “I love you too,” I murmured, my eyes starting to water as the severity of what happened pressed down on me.

  “I’m happy you’re okay, Cali girl.” Reid gave me a wavering smile, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. “I quite enjoy knowing my girlfriend’s a badass who can handle her own.” The joke was ridiculous, but it made me giggle, nonetheless. The tension was still high around us, but the little joke acted as a life preserver on my quickly darkening mood.

  When they finally stepped back and went to their car, I dialed my mom. The nerves of talking to her about it was almost as bad as trying to confront her about my Cali dad not being my biological father. What would she say? Were things so broken between us that this would somehow become my fault? I knew that whatever happened now, it would either be a sign that our relationship was too frayed to fix or that maybe… maybe there was a chance my mom was still in there and things could change. After three rings, she finally picked up.

  “Hello?” her greeting seemed confused, knowing that I hadn’t called her any time recently.

  Especially after how this morning had gone.

  “Mom,” I started, my voice cracking as tears threatened to spill. We had our problems and fights, and while we were growing exponentially apart, there was still a sliver of me that was just a girl who wanted her mom. “I, uh, need you to come get me from work.”

  “Are you okay? What happened?” she questioned, the sound of jingling filling the air. Thankfully, she didn’t make any accusations or question why.

  “I got attacked walking to my car,” I whispered, forcing the words out from around the lump forming in my throat even as the knot threatened to choke me. “Lyla and Rick heard me yelling and were able to call the police. I’m okay, only a couple cuts and bruises from fighting back. I just finished talking to the police. They said I can go home, but I don’t want to drive.”

  “Oh my god, okay, I’m on my way. I’ll be there in ten.”

  “Thank you,” I murmured, “I’ll see you soon.” Pulling the phone away from my ear, I stared at my mom’s name on the screen, my thumb hovering over the end button. Except I couldn’t hang up yet. “I love you,” I said, putting the phone to my ear one more time.

  “I love you too, Emma. I’ll be there soon, okay?” she told me, and my heart squeezed.

  Please let this mean there’s hope after all.

  An hour later, after a much-needed cup of hot cocoa and an episode of a fluffy TV show, my mom and I went our separate ways to go to bed. The guys had been blowing up my phone the entire night, Lyla too, all checking in on me and making sure I was distracted. Amazingly though, my mom hadn’t made a single comment on all the messages that were flooding in.

  I changed quickly into pajamas, and I was just about to step into the bathroom when memories flared in my mind of Brad and everything he’d done. My bathroom quickly transformed before my eyes to the bathroom from the party from hell. My chest constricted and my vision tunneled, but my ringtone cut through the nightmarish vision, and with a blink of my eyes, I was back home.

  “Yeah, definitely need to take Jesse up on that therapy suggestion,” I muttered under my breath, walking back to my room to pick up the phone. “Hey, babe,” I greeted when I saw it was Reid calling.

  “Hey, look out your back door,” he whispered ominously. Jogging out to the hall, I peeked around the corner and found something that made my heart warm.

  The three of them waiting on the other side of the door.

  Hanging up the phone, I tossed it onto the couch and strained to hear if my mom was awake or not. The guys didn’t say anything as I opened the backdoor, but I gave a ‘shh’ finger just in case. Thankfully, the entire time we were in the main living area of the basement I hadn’t heard my mom. After shutting the door behind us, I launched myself at the three of them. We held onto each other, not moving for a long time. I soaked in their warmth and the safety their embrace brought me before finally pulling back.

  “Why are you guys here?” I whispered after turning on my sleepy time music to mask any of our talking.

  “We wanted to come cuddle,” Kingston told me.

  “We remember how it was after the party, and we wanted to make sure you weren’t alone,” Reid continued their explanation. Jesse didn’t say anything, choosing to squeeze my hand. He didn’t have to add anything to the conversation; his gesture said more than enough.

  “So, you guys are going to stay here then?” I asked, unable to hold back the hope filling my tone.

  “At least for a few hours, want to make sure we’re out before your mom is up just in case.” As he explained, Kingston pulled me toward the bed, Reid and Jesse following. “So, let’s cuddle, and if you don’t want to sleep, we can watch a movie or something on one of our phones.”

  One by one, they slipped off shoes and jackets, following me into bed. It was a tight squeeze, Jesse on the other side of Reid, but we somehow made it work. Reid held up his phone, a movie playing on the screen quietly but now that I was snuggled with my boys, my eyes closed almost immediately. Exhaustion pulled me into a dreamless sleep as I felt a feather light kiss on my temple.

  20

  April 6th

  I didn’t come this far to only come this far.

  #GraduationBound #ScrewDeRosa #MotivationMonday

  Standing in the parking lo
t that morning, the warming spring breeze swirling around me made me realize just how much of the year had passed. Last time I dreaded entering school, it had been ice cold and snowing, but now I had all three of my boys and a bottle of pain medication in my bag for my hand.

  It’s Monday, Emma, remember your motivation.

  With that one-liner pep talk, I started toward the door. I went to shift my bag, a hiss of pain leaving me as I used my injured hand to do it out of habit. The cuts throbbed under the gauze, my fingers feeling as if they were broken any time I moved or bent them, so I stuffed it into my hoodie pocket the best I could so I wouldn’t be tempted to use it again. Thankfully, when we entered the building, there wasn’t much in the way of staring. Most of the student body was unaware of what happened, but I knew it wouldn’t last long.

  Kind of hard to hide with a big, gauze-wrapped Mickey Mouse style hand.

  The bell rang before we could make it to our table, the four of us splitting up to go to our respective homerooms after a quick kiss and goodbye. Jesse’s hand, callused and warm, held my free hand, his thumb stroking gentle circles over my knuckles. Even in the crowded hall no one looked at me, my attempt to hide my injury working well.

  “How’re you feeling, Em?” Jesse questioned when I winced, pulling my hand from the pocket and accidentally hitting it on my desk when we reached homeroom. “Do you need to take your meds?”

  “I’m good, just being clumsy. I took meds before coming to school when I ate breakfast so next one will be at lunch if I did my math right. Though knowing me, that’s probably not the case,” I joked, hoping to ease the tension and worry lines that tightened around Jesse’s eyes.