by Todd, E. L.
The officer continued his questions while my lawyer answered them. I wasn’t paying attention anyway. I was a horrible liar and I needed legal representation to get me out of this. I kept thinking about my fiancé. I hoped my girl was okay. I loved her and I missed her so much. If something happened to her I would stop breathing. I couldn’t go on.
When the meeting was over, I was escorted back to my cell. I wasn’t in jail but I was in holding at the police station. They could keep me for seventy two hours without evidence before they had to let me go. If they had viable suspicion against me, they could keep me for two weeks without a trial. I sincerely hoped they didn’t dig anything up. My life was in Bill’s hand. I had to get out of here so I could get to Scarlet. I wasn’t allowed to leave the state but I could have Ryan bring her to me.
An officer came back and opened the door. “You have visitors.”
“How about a phone call instead?”
“You wanna see your visitors or not?”
I sighed then stood up. He escorted me into an interrogation room where my parents were waiting. I sat down at the table across from them. The officer left and shut the door behind him. No one spoke until we knew he was really gone.
“How are you holding up, kid?” my dad asked. He was wearing his business suit with a plain black tie, looking as professional as possible. My mom was dressed just as elegantly. She looked like the first lady. I knew they were putting on a brave front for publicity. The public wasn’t aware of my situation but they would figure it out eventually.
“Fine.”
“Are they treating you okay?” my mom asked as she placed her hand over mine.
I pulled it away. “I’m not in prison.”
“It better stay that way,” my father said.
We hadn’t had much time to speak since I was flown out here. I was only allowed a short time on the phone, so I told them all the necessities before I hung up.
My mom looked grief-stricken. It looked like someone had died. “What were you thinking, Sean?” Her eyes were wide with disappointment. I could see the obvious humiliation on her face.
“I wasn’t thinking,” I said quietly.
“You do realize how this will affect us, right?” she shrieked. “Our youngest son in jail! How embarrassing.”
“He’s not in jail yet,” my father said calmly.
She shook her head. “What the hell were you were thinking?”
I ran my hands through my hair, bottling my annoyance. “I just snapped. He was threatening and harassing Scarlet. I did what any real man would do. I took care of it.”
My mom slammed her hand on the table. “And you thought you would get away with it? He was in the hospital for an entire week. He could have died!”
“Too bad he didn’t,” I snapped.
“Sean!” my mother yelled. “Why are you doing this to us?”
I clenched my fists tightly. Now my mom was really getting under my skin. All she cared about was herself and how this would affect their livelihood and reputation.
My father placed his hand on my mother’s shoulder. “That’s enough, dear.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me.
He looked back at me. “Sean, this behavior is unacceptable.”
“I got that already,” I snapped.
“Listen to me.” His voice could command a Roman army. “I understand why you behaved the way you did. You were trying to protect Scarlet. I get that.” He paused as he folded his hands on the table. “But that was not the right way to go about it. Violence solves nothing. I taught you that as soon as you were born. It seems that you have a horrible memory.”
I shook my head. “The guy is a psycho pervert that harassed Scarlet and shoved his dick in her face. I have no remorse for what I did. Scarlet is my responsibility. I would die for her. I would even go to jail for her. I will always protect her.”
“And how can you protect her now that you are held in custody?” he asked.
I averted my gaze.
“You have unlimited resources, Sean. You could have come to me and we would have figured out the best way to approach the situation.”
“You weren’t there. You didn’t see the disgusting smile on that chubby face, the maniacal gleam through his spectacles, or the obvious bulge in his pants. He hurt Scarlet in more than just a physical way. I won’t tolerate it.”
My father stared at me. “I wasn’t disappointed in you until now. A strong man doesn’t need to throw a fist every time something needs to be resolved. If the same thing happened to your mother, I would have taken him for everything he had. Pain is momentary. It disappears after the wounds heal. You have to take away everything that means anything to him until the real suffering begins.”
I met my father’s gaze and felt the guilt pool in my stomach. I still wasn’t sorry for what I did to Carl. When I said I wanted him to die, I really meant it. But I was embarrassed that I didn’t handle the situation differently. Being emotional, I snapped without thinking. I could have gotten Carl a lot worse if I had just used my head. And if I had, I would be with Scarlet right now. “You’re right,” I whispered.
My father nodded but said nothing.
I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. “So what now?”
“They are still trying to build a case against you. I’m not going to sugarcoat this for you. According to Bill, they have witnesses who said they saw you, and they have his medical records detailing his trauma, and they have the motive.”
“Which is?”
“Scarlet.”
“Fuck.”
My mother glared at me. “Ever since you two got together it’s been nothing but drama and problems. You are better off as friends.”
I stood up and leaned toward her, making her sit back. I kept my hands glued to the table, clenching it. “I love Scarlet. I’m marrying her, spending the rest of my life with her, having kids with her. There is nothing more to this story. She will be your daughter in law. I don’t care how much shit we have to go through. She and I are meant for each other. Your opinion has absolutely no meaning to me. I suggest you stop repeating yourself.”
My mother flinched as I yelled in her face. She scooted her chair back so she could move away from me.
“Sit,” my father commanded.
After I stared her down for a moment, I took a seat.
“Dear, get Sean a glass of water,” my father said.
She left the room without looking back.
“Don’t you ever speak to your mother like that again,” he said calmly. Even though he didn’t raise his voice or change his tone, I felt the threat in the air.
“Don’t ever speak about Scarlet like that.”
“She’s just under stress right now. It’s nothing personal against Scarlet.”
“I’m tired of hearing about your obvious disapproval of her. This situation isn’t even her fault. I was the one who decided to attack Carl. She and I weren’t even speaking at the time. It isn’t her fault and I refuse to let you pin this entire thing on her. She’s the love of my life. I’ve never felt so angry. I just snapped, okay?” I rested my face in my hands, trying to calm down. I felt like I was getting nowhere with my parents. My mother would never like Scarlet. It didn’t matter if she did because I would still marry Scarlet in a heartbeat, but I wished the situation was different. Scarlet kept taking the blame for things when it wasn’t her fault.
My father grabbed my shoulder. “I love Scarlet.”
“You do?”
“Like my own daughter.”
“Why does mom hate her so much?”
“She doesn’t.”
“It doesn’t seem that way.”
“Your mother just comes off a bit—strong sometimes.”
“Well, you should tell her to change the act. I’m not leaving Scarlet. You may as well tell her to give up.”
“We don’t want you to leave Scarlet.”
I said nothing, staring at the table. �
�I wish I could talk to her.”
“Why can’t you?”
“They won’t let me call anyone.”
He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to me.
I grabbed it quickly then opened the screen. My heart fell. “I—I don’t know her number by heart.”
My father frowned. “Is there someone else you could call?”
I groaned. “No. I need my cell phone. I have all my contacts in there.”
“I’m surprised Scarlet hasn’t called us.”
I wasn’t surprised at all. I knew how her mind worked. She assumed my parents would blame here for the travesty, and she was dead on about it. My mom clearly held her responsible for the fiasco. I didn’t respond to my father’s comment.
I missed Scarlet so much. It had only been a few days but I hated not being able to talk to her. I was so worried about her. What if something already happened to her? I tried to remind myself that Ryan was just as protective of her as I was. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. And Cortland would die before Scarlet even came close to danger. I placed my face in my hands and tried to steady my breathing. I felt like I would break down at any moment. If I lost Scarlet I would take my own life. Not knowing where she was felt agonizing.
My dad rose from his seat then came beside me. I felt his arms wrap around me, holding me to his chest. Like when I was a young boy, I held onto him, resting my head on his shoulder. I held back the tears even though they were bubbling to the surface. “It’s going to be okay, son.”
“I’m worried about Scarlet.”
“We need to focus on you right now.”
I pulled away. “What if Carl sent someone after her?”
My dad sighed. “I really doubt it, Sean. And when you keep saying that to the police it makes you sound insane. It’s not helping your image.”
“I don’t give a shit about my image.”
“Well, the jury will.”
“This isn’t going to go to court, right?”
“I don’t know, Sean.”
I sighed. “Everything is so fucked up right now. I need Scarlet.”
“I’m sure she’s coming out here.”
“I hope she doesn’t. I want her to be safe.”
My dad rubbed my back with his hand. “We’ll figure it out. Just do exactly as Bill tells you. He’s a law genius. You are in the best hands.”
“I hope so.”
6
Sean
I couldn’t sleep that night. All I thought about was Scarlet. Bill told me I needed to focus on my own situation but I couldn’t. I was so scared that something already happened to her. I missed her so much that it was unbearable. I just wanted to talk to her. If I could hear her beautiful voice I would feel better. I felt like such an idiot for not knowing her number by heart. I didn’t even know what the first digit was.
I spent my time sitting around in my cell doing nothing. I was wearing the clothes I arrived in but my keys, phone, and wallet were taken away. I was bored most of the time. The only company I had was Bill or from the people who brought me food. Since I wasn’t in prison I was allowed to have privacy when I used the bathroom. When I was in the shower I considered jerking off to Scarlet but I was too upset to feel aroused.
When I was lying on my cot, the officer came to me. “You have a visitor.”
I stood up then let him usher me down the hall. My parents came to see me as much as they could. To be honest, my mom just made me feel worse. My dad was the only one that was comforting.
When I walked inside, I felt my heart drop. “Penelope?”
She stood up then approached me. Her arms were extended and her eyes were coated with tears.
I immediately dodged her then stepped back. “Don’t touch me,” I said quickly.
She looked hurt like I just slapped her. “Sean, how are you doing?”
“Why the fuck are you here?” I snapped. “You never gave a shit about me. Don’t act like you care now.”
Bryan stood up from the table, placing his hand on my shoulder. I didn’t even notice him until now. “We are just here to help.”
I jerked my shoulder away. “Just leave.”
Penelope crossed her arms over her chest. Her long brown hair fell across her shoulder and contrasted against the green color of her eyes. I used to think she was the most gorgeous girl in the world. Now I thought she was hideous. Her charms had no hold over me. Scarlet was the only woman in my heart and my erection. “Sean, of course I care about you.”
I glared at her but said nothing.
“Take a seat,” Brian said.
I glanced at his wedding ring then sat down across from him. Penelope took the seat next to Bryan but I didn’t look at her once. The sparkle from her wedding ring shined in the room. I could see it in my peripheral. “So, how’s the kid?”
Brian looked slightly uncomfortable. “He’s good. His name is Jeremy.”
“You like being a stepdad?” I snapped.
“I love him like my own son.”
I rolled my eyes. “You are unbelievable. You made such a mistake ending up with Penelope.”
“Are you mad about it?”
“Fuck no. I don’t give a shit who dates her. I just feel bad for the poor guy.”
Penelope stared at her lap, hiding her face.
Bryan placed his hand on her shoulder. “Well, we are very happy.”
“I’m sure Penelope is happy that someone is taking care of her.”
Bryan sighed. “Can we stop insulting my wife now?”
I said nothing.
“We are here for you.”
“I don’t want that whore here.”
Bryan stood up. “I know you had your problems, but no one talks about my girl like that. It’s in the past—let it go.”
Penelope sniffed. “I really am sorry about everything, Sean. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. Bryan and I both want to help you through this. Please don’t hate me.”
“I don’t hate you,” I said.
“Really?” she said with a smile.
“I’m indifferent to you.”
Her face fell.
“I have no interest in seeing either one of you. Now get the fuck out.”
Bryan leaned forward. “You realize that I lied to the police and said I saw you at work when you and I both know you weren’t?”
“Yeah. Thanks for doing that.”
Bryan nodded. “You’ll get through this. They don’t have enough on you to convict you. And Mr. Peterson will lie too if it helps.”
Sean laughed. “I quit after he gave me a second chance. He won’t do anything to help me out.”
“He would if Scarlet and I ask him to.”
The sound her name made my heart ache. God, I missed her. Suddenly, I realized something. “Penelope.”
“Yes?”
“Give me your phone.”
“What? Why?”
“Just give it to me.”
With shaky hands, she pulled it out of her purse and handed it to me. I went through her phonebook until I saw her number. My heart leapt in joy at the sight. I looked at the numbers and committed them to memory until I pressed the send button. I hoped that she would answer. It was Penelope’s number after all.
“Hello?” she asked hesitantly.
“Baby?”
“Sean?” she said with a voice full of emotion. I could hear the tears drip down her face. “Sean, is that you?”
“Yeah.” I felt my own tears bubble out of my eyes. Bryan and Penelope were staring at me but I didn’t care. “Are you okay? Are you safe?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. What about you?”
“They are still holding me.”
“How long?”
“I really don’t know. Three days. If they find enough information to take me to trial I could be here for a long time unless I pay bail.”
She sniffed. “Sean, I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too, baby. It’s okay. We’re going to
be okay.”
“I’m scared.”
“Are you keeping your promise to me?”
“Ryan never leaves my sight.”
“Good. Where are you?”
“We are coming to New York.”
“Why?” I snapped. “Why would you do that?”
“You’re there. You aren’t going through his alone.”
“It’s not safe, Scar.”
“I still want to be near you. And it’s safer here than at home. They probably know where Ryan and I live. We’ll be safer in the city.”
“Stay with my parents.”
“No,” she said quickly. “I won’t put them in danger.”
“Scarlet, do as I say.”
“Ryan can protect me.”
“What about Cortland? Is he there too?”
“No.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Monnique’s mom passed away.”
“So?”
“I didn’t want him to leave her.”
“That fucker let you go with only Ryan?”
“He doesn’t know anything.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Sean, I know we don’t have long so let’s not spend it arguing.”
I sighed. “Okay. I love you, Scar.”
“I love you too.”
“Stay out of sight until we know it’s safe, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I would prefer it if you went with my parents.”
“I already said no, Sean.”
“Now is not the time to be stubborn.”
“Ryan is perfectly capable of taking care of me. And I think being with your parents is more dangerous anyway.”
“You’re probably right.”
“Why are you calling me from Penelope’s phone?”
“Uh, she’s here.”
“Where?”
“At the station.”
“Why the fuck is she there?”
Penelope flinched as she heard Scarlet’s voice over the phone.
“Bryan testified for me and Penelope just wants to be supportive.”
“Too little, too late.”
“I only love you,” I reminded her.
“That isn’t the issue,” she said, annoyed. “She totally screwed you over. She isn’t a good person, Sean. I don’t want you to have to deal with her baggage anymore.”
