by S. Nelson
When the doors finally parted, I stepped out, waiting for him to follow, but he remained inside. I didn’t want to do it, but I turned around and caught the hint of a smirk as the steel doors closed.
“How odd,” I mumbled to myself, briefly wondering if the entire encounter had been a ploy for Scott to gather information on how I felt about his friend. Even as the thought formed, I wasn’t completely convinced of its validity.
I wished that the out-of-the-blue encounter with him was the only thing on my mind, but my apprehension about my upcoming visit to the Grendon house later this morning weighed heavily on me. Paul mentioned he’d have someone meet me there just in case the husband showed up again, but the comfort I should have felt at having some protection with me did little to quell the racing of my heart whenever I thought about the possibility something could go wrong.
Hitting the highway, I arrived at the courthouse in record time. I had ten minutes to spare before I was due to speak, thankful the case was a positive one for a change.
Amy Holin, a mother who had issues with drugs, had successfully completed rehab six months ago and was in the process of getting her life back on track. She’d found employment and had recently moved into her own apartment, and while she was still only allowed supervised visits with her six-year-old son, Elijah, she was doing well. I’d stopped by her residence a few times during said visits and only had positive reports to give. I was set to testify on behalf of her progress today, a court hearing I looked forward to.
As I entered the room designated for this hearing today, I focused on the task at hand and nothing else.
Not Scott’s inappropriate flirtation.
Not the incoming text I’d received from my ex right before I exited my car several minutes prior.
Not the voicemail from my mom asking if I was coming on Saturday.
And most certainly not the unannounced visit I had to make after I was finished here.
4
Nolan
The last thing I wanted to do during my shift was assist anyone with anything. I would, of course, because it was my job, but I preferred to be left alone to do my work, no matter how isolating my days had become.
I was one of the few guys who didn’t have an assigned partner, mainly because I was a surly sonofabitch and liked to keep to myself. The day-to-day camaraderie between the other men made me anxious, dreading the time they’d try and include me in with their plans after work. Granted, I hadn’t always been this way, but the man I used to be was light years away from the shell of a person I was now.
I could admit I’d changed drastically over the years, not only from people telling me so, but I barely recognized the person staring back at me whenever I looked in the mirror.
The crackling sound of the dispatcher’s voice coming over the radio startled me, tore me out of my depressing thoughts, thoughts that seemed to consume me more and more every day. Any hope I had of getting out of this funk disappeared long ago, and now I just learned to live with my desolation. I embraced it as part of me.
“The address is 875 Backner Ave, Vista Meadows Complex.” I didn’t respond right away, the woman’s voice filtering through once more, prompting me to acknowledge the information she’d relayed. “The address is—”
“10-4,” I interrupted. “En route.” Silence echoed after my curt response. Even the dispatchers knew not to press me. In fact, everyone at the station stayed out of my way, but because I was loyal and good at my job, a job at one time I’d wanted to advance out of, most people left me alone.
Beautiful weather used to enhance my good moods in the past, but seeing the sun shining brightly, high in the sky, and feeling the warm breeze on the side of my face as I drove only seemed to aggravate me. On the days when it was dark and gloomy, I felt harmony because my surroundings were reflective of the turmoil I constantly battled. I was more at peace when the world appeared desolate.
When I finally arrived at the address, I took a moment before I exited my cruiser, calling on whatever hierarchy there was in the universe to give me the strength to complete my task. It’d gotten easier over time to deal with the public, but I still struggled with the interactions, although no one ever detected such a thing. Most just categorized me as an asshole, and I was fine with the assessment.
Opening my door, I slid out of my seat and adjusted my duty belt as I rounded the back of the vehicle, flipping on my shades to shield my eyes from the blinding sun. Up ahead, I saw a woman standing in the archway of the complex. If she was aware of my presence, she didn’t show it, so I took the time to assess her, as I did everyone I came into contact with.
She was thin, approximately five-six with long dark hair. She wore a black skirt, white top, and black heels. On her left wrist was a silver-banded watch. She carried what looked to be a laptop case on her right shoulder. The closer I approached, the more I could see of her, but it wasn’t until she turned to face me that I realized I’d seen her before.
The prior evening, in fact.
Standing near her now, in the light of day, in a drastically different scenario, a pang of remorse washed over me. To say feeling bad was an oddity for me was an understatement. I hardly ever gave people a second thought, let alone harbored any sense of guilt about my interactions.
There was a chance she wouldn’t recognize me as the same officer who pulled her over last night. If that was the case, then I would remain as quiet as possible and get this over with quickly so I could get back to dealing with the rest of my day.
Any hope I had that she viewed me as a complete stranger died when her eyes narrowed into slits and the corners of her mouth turned down.
“This is just great,” she mumbled loud enough for me to hear, and I didn’t know if it was her tone or the blatant look of disgust on her face from having to stand near me, but a part of me that had been dormant for as long as I could remember flicked back to life during the unpleasant interaction.
The moment was fleeting, but I held on to it for as long as possible before it faded into obscurity. The snarkiness in her voice pricked my senses. Everyone else I encountered either left me alone completely or engaged me briefly, their tones restrained and cautious, most likely because of my body language: that and the constant scowl on my face.
But the woman standing ten feet from me piqued my curiosity, all while she treated me with an iota of disdain.
Now, if she’d only stop glaring at me, I could attempt to make amends for last night.
5
Quinn
Looking around the weathered yet architecturally beautiful apartment complex, trying not to rehash my last visit here, I did my best to ignore the cop standing close by. I was a sucker for a man in uniform, and from the quick wayward glance I cast his way, I could admit that I stole a few precious seconds to appreciate the way his biceps stretched against the blue fabric of his assigned attire. But out of all the officers, why did he have to be the one assigned to assist me today? As if my nerves weren’t already frazzled at the possibilities of another dreadful encounter with Roy Grendon, I had to deal with Officer Moody Ass.
“You were the last person I expected to see today,” he finally uttered, breaking the uncomfortable silence. He stood closer now, the deep timbre of his voice washing over me, but I couldn’t readily determine if I was more or less annoyed. His voice lacked the coldness of last night, but he wasn’t someone I would classify as friendly by any means.
“That makes two of us,” I snapped, my hostility pouring out of me stronger than I intended. “I’d like to get this visit over with, if you don’t mind.” I walked away directly after spewing my impatience, but he was next to me several strides later, his arm brushing mine before I could put some space between us.
He stood so close I could hear every time he inhaled, expecting him to say something else, but he never did. Every step I took, he was next to me, crowding me as we approached Linda’s apartment, which seemed farther away now that I had a shadow.
W
hen we finally arrived at her place, I raised my hand to knock but the door opened before my knuckles made contact. Surprised, I composed myself quickly as I gazed down at Matthew, his five-year-old eyes widening when he saw me. His mousy brown hair was messed, the curls flipping every which way.
“Hi, honey. Is your mom here?”
“Matty, I told you not to open the door until we were ready to—”
Linda appeared, startled from my unannounced presence. Or should I say our presence? Her gaze danced between me and the officer, her expression morphing into worry. I’d always shown up solo before, so I could only imagine what ran through her mind at seeing a cop at her door.
“Hi, Linda. How are you?”
“Fine.” Her eyes bounced to the officer once more before she gave me her full attention. “Did we have an appointment I forgot about?”
“No. My visit today wasn’t scheduled.” I told her a half-truth. I fully intended on showing up; she just didn’t know it. “I’m only here on a wellness check-in. See how you and the boys are doing.” I smiled as genuinely as I could, even though all I wanted to do was pout because the man next to me riled me all without saying a thing.
“Oh, okay.” She pulled her son away from the door and swung it open so we could enter. “Is there a reason he’s here?” she asked, pointing toward Officer Bennett.
With as much tact as I could muster, all while not wanting to alarm her or the boys, I responded as best I could. “Just in case he shows up while I’m here. Things weren’t too pleasant last time.” I didn’t say Roy’s name because I didn’t want to frighten the boys. Linda nodded in acknowledgment, adjusting a strand of her ebony-colored hair to rest back behind her ear.
“Can I get you anything to drink?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
“How about you, Officer?”
I didn’t want to do it, but I turned my head to look at him, and I froze for a moment when his eyes landed on mine. His expression was flat, but his gaze burned into me, and I thought perhaps I read into something that wasn’t there.
“No, thank you, ma’am.” He chose to remain close to the entrance while Linda and I walked further into the apartment.
She gestured for me to take a seat on the couch, sitting next to me, busying herself tying her youngest son’s shoelace. Henry walked into the living room, hurrying toward his mother when he saw the uniformed man by the door. He looked more like his father with his dark blond wavy hair and his brilliant green eyes. He was a handsome young boy, as was his brother, as was their father. Too bad a person’s ugliness didn’t always show up in their physical appearance.
“Mom?” His voice trembled with worry, his eyes pinging between all of us.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Quinn just stopped by to see how we’re doing.” Henry sat next to her and nestled into her side, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for him, for all three of them. They were going through a tough time right now, but I hoped for the best for them.
“Are you guys going to the park?” I leaned forward so I could make eye contact with Henry. “It’s a beautiful day outside.”
“I’m gonna play on the firetruck,” Matthew chimed in, fidgeting on his mom’s lap to get down. Once his feet hit the floor, he ran toward the officer, stopping right before he barreled into him. “Are you coming with us?”
Children were resilient, and although the little one had been exposed to his father’s abuse, he didn’t seem as affected by it as his older brother. It didn’t appear that way to me, at least. I was sure Linda saw the real effects when alone with her children.
A pained expression passed over Officer Bennett’s face. He’d removed his sunglasses, and it was the first time I was able to get a good look at his eyes. They were expressive, beautiful, but possessed a hint of sadness.
“No, buddy. I have to get back to work. Someone’s gotta catch the bad guys, right?” A tiny smile lifted the corner of his mouth as he ruffled the little boy’s hair.
Matthew’s attention span didn’t last long, as was the case with kids his age. He ran back to his mom. “Can we go now?” He shifted from foot to foot in excitement, and I was happy that all he seemed concerned about was going to play, whereas his brother appeared more reserved, looking over at the man looming near the door more than a few times.
“In a couple minutes. Why don’t you go play in your room until it’s time to go?” Linda looked at Henry. “Can you go with him? We’ll be done soon.”
Henry didn’t say a word as he reached for his sibling’s hand and led him out of the living room. It was only then that Linda blew out a breath, looking like she was going to cry.
“Are you okay?”
She shook her head. “Roy came by last night, pounding on the door when I wouldn’t let him in. He threatened to break it down. The boys were scared, of course, as was I. His temper has gotten much worse since I threw him out. And any mention of divorce sends him over the edge. He only left after I threatened to call the cops.” She swallowed nervously as she made eye contact with the other adult in the room.
“Did you get a restraining order against him?” he asked, remaining on guard near the door. “Because if he violates that, we can pick him up.”
“I think that’ll just make things worse.”
“Worse than they are now?” I asked in slight confusion.
“Yes.”
Placing my hand on her shoulder, I gently squeezed. “Think about it. Maybe it’ll be the thing that forces him to leave you alone.”
She nodded again, but I saw the resistance written all over her face. Linda’s need to protect her children was what pushed her to finally end things with her husband. It was unfortunate that he didn’t want to let go of them, however, and I feared if something didn’t make him see the light, she and the boys would come to face imminent danger. But I couldn’t force her to do anything she wasn’t ready for, including filing a restraining order against him. All I could do was my job, which was to look in on them to ensure they were all right.
Being the typical impatient little boy, Matthew appeared from around the corner. “Mom,” he whined. “Can we go now?”
Taking that as my cue, I stood and adjusted the strap of my bag over my shoulder. “I’ll check in on you guys soon.” I gave her a smile and turned toward the little one. “Bye, honey.”
Matthew waved at me before running at his mom, launching himself into her arms. He really was a happy child. I hoped he was able to stay that way.
Once outside, I headed toward my car, Officer Bennett hot on my heels. We hadn’t said much to each other, which was fine with me. In fact, all I wanted to do was get as far away from him as possible. While I could appreciate his physical attributes, I didn’t want him to say anything rude to me because I doubted my ability to hold my tongue.
I reached for the handle, but before I could open my door, he gently tugged on my arm to stop me. I was aware he was near me, but I never expected him to make contact. Instinct had me shrugging away as if his touch burned.
He had the decency to look uncomfortable. “I want to apologize for last night. I’d like to blame my attitude on a shitty day, but it’s no excuse.”
“You were unbelievably rude.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t deserve to be treated that way.”
“I know,” he repeated, the lines around his eyes crinkling with the faintest ghost of a smile. “I was an ass.”
“I’m not arguing.” The uneasiness between us waned slightly, but I was nowhere close to being relaxed.
“Let me make it up to you.” There was a small space separating us, and he decreased the area even more when he took a step forward. This close, I could see the tiny flecks of gold sprinkled throughout the pale green of his irises. The intensity in his gaze amplified, and I swore for a moment I forgot to breathe.
The proximity of our bodies wasn’t a smart idea, so I retreated a step, his expression steady, unchanged with my movement.
; “I don’t think so.”
“I promise I’ll be nice.”
“You shouldn’t have to promise to be nice to someone. It should come naturally.” I shook my head at the onslaught of my rapidly firing thoughts. “My grandmother always told me to believe someone when they show you who they really are.”
“That wasn’t the real me last night.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You won’t even allow me to buy you a cup of coffee?”
My response was immediate. “No.”
He chewed on the corner of his bottom lip, studying me during the short span of silence that followed. “Okay. My apology is sincere, though.”
I didn’t know what else to say, so I said nothing, finally opening my door and tucking myself into the driver seat. He stood next to my car for a few more lingering seconds before walking back to his cruiser, his gait confident even though I’d just rejected his offer to take me for a cup of coffee.
6
Quinn
“How was court? How was the visit to the Grendons’? Did the officer show up on time to assist? Did the husband show up?” Paul peppered me with questions before I even had the chance to place my bag on my desk, his concern for my well-being touching, even though I assumed he’d express the same worry for any of his other staff.
“Everything was fine. I was only at the courthouse for a half hour, surprisingly enough, then an officer met me outside the complex to assist with the visit. He stayed with me the entire time. No issues.”
What I wanted to divulge was there most certainly was an issue, but it had nothing at all to do with the family I went to see, but instead with the handsome and rude cop. Sure, he apologized, but that was only because he probably never thought he’d see me again after last night, and he felt embarrassed about the entire situation. Of course, I didn’t say any of that.
