by A. J. Macey
“If you want, I can take you to see them. I work in the science department as one of the teaching assistants,” the older woman shared, her eyes crinkling with her bright smile.
“Is that cool, Cali girl?” Reid asked, glancing over to see that I was shivering.
“I can go with you while she and Jesse check out the student center or library,” Kingston offered, nudging Jesse’s shoulder.
“Yeah, that sounds good,” I agreed. “I want you to be able to see what you want, babe.”
“Thanks, Cali girl. You two have fun. Don’t do anything too crazy,” Reid whispered the end of his teasing statement, giving me a quick kiss before walking away with our tour guide and Kingston.
“So, where do you want to spend our time together?” I asked, curling my fingers around Jesse’s palm. He hummed, glancing between the library and the student center, then directed us toward the library. “Ah, how did I know the studious Jesse Parker would pick books,” I murmured, bumping his shoulder playfully. “Which section do you want to see?”
“I want to see what you like,” he stated simply, nudging me back. “Take me to the books you like to read.” My brows rose at the request, but I didn’t argue as we wandered through the stacks, the scent of books surrounding us as I found the novels I knew I would pick up to read. “Fantasy, romance, and mystery, huh?” Jesse whispered, looking over my shoulder at the books I had picked up to glance at.
“I like escaping. Life can be hard, boring, but these? You get to go wherever for a while,” I mumbled, embarrassment flooding me as I shrugged, realizing how silly that sounded out loud.
“I think so, too.” Jesse’s voice was much closer than I anticipated, his lips brushing against the curve of my ear as he curled his strong arms around my waist. “Maybe we can pick a book when we get back to school and read it together?”
“I’d love that,” I agreed, putting the books on the shelf and turning in his arms.
Jesse’s eyes were half-lidded, focused on my face before dipping to my lips. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I leaned in, kissing him. It was soft, chaste compared to my makeout sessions with Reid and Kingston, but as soon as I started to pull back, Jesse followed, trapping me against the shelf. Jesse’s sweet kisses contrasted deliciously to his shifting hands, rubbing back and forth until his fingers caressed the curve of my butt.
My heart raced as our tongues brushed, and he nipped at my bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth. Confident Jesse’s ability to completely take my breath away made me feel inexperienced and fumbling, but he didn’t laugh or stop, letting the moment happen. So, I did too, losing myself in the feeling of his lips and his hands cupping my curves tightly until a gush of wetness surged in my core, and a pulse of desire shot through me.
“Cough cough.” The fake coughing startled me, and I glared as soon as I saw who was smirking at the end of the aisle.
Reid and Kingston both struggled to keep their laughing contained as they watched us.
“We leave for ten minutes, and here you are, making out,” Reid chastised playfully. “Though I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same.”
“Don’t embarrass her, dude,” Jesse challenged before glancing down at me. His eyes were bright, his dark cheeks holding a slight flush as he smiled. “We actually looked at books for a bit, so fuck off,” he added, the last of his statement directed at Reid as they both laughed.
“Ready for sledding?” Kingston asked me as we walked through the library. At the reminder of our afternoon activity, I perked up with a nod. “Let’s grab the sleds. There’s a good hill across the main street.”
It only took a few minutes to grab the two sleds and walk to the base of the hill. A good hill? This thing is massive! It had three flatter parts at different heights, the littlest of the kids sledding with their parents on the smallest curve while the older kids and adults were sledding from the second tier and the top of the hill.
“Race you!” Reid shouted before taking off up the hill, Kingston and Jesse following close behind. The all ended up winded and bent over near the top of the incline.
“I win!” I shouted, having walked most of the way. While they used up their energy, I’d sprinted the last fifteen feet to pass the three tired boys.
“How did you win? You were walking!” Reid puffed out between pants, struggling to laugh and shout back.
“Slow and steady wins the race,” I teased. “I want to ride on that one.” I pointed to the thin black and silver sled.
“Do you know how to sled?” Jesse asked as he flopped on the snow next to me. I waved a hand and harrumphed.
“You hold on and try not to fall off,” I explained. “I think I can do that. Well, as long as I don’t crash or go over a ramp some kids made.” I got situated on the sled, my heels digging into the snow on either side as I grabbed onto the handles.
“This is Cali girl’s first sledding run,” Reid explained. Looking over in confusion, I found him recording me. “Good luck!” I shook my head but laughed as I picked up my feet and kicked off.
The thin sled picked up as I laughed and squealed as I raced down the hill. Adrenaline filled me as I finally reached the bottom, the buzz of wanting to go again and again growing as I hopped up and did a dance to the sound of Reid and the boys whooping and hollering from the top of the hill.
Yeah, I could totally get used to this.
Nebraska definitely isn’t so bad.
“How was it, sweetie?” my mom called out as soon as I walked through the door. Trudging up the stairs, exhaustion weighed down my arms and legs until it was hard to move without stumbling into things.
“It was good,” I said, looking into her room to find her getting ready for bed. “Early morning?”
“You know how it goes, always with the Monday morning breakfast meetings,” she huffed with a tiny eye roll. “You think they would understand early on Mondays isn’t the best time to have a team meeting, but what do I know?” I smiled, knowing exactly how my mom could be in the mornings. If there was a lack of coffee, it would be dangerous for everyone.
“At least there’s coffee,” I added. My mom’s enthusiastic nod made me laugh, but another wave of fatigue pushed down on me. “I’m actually really tired. We went sledding, so I’m going to sleep. Apparently, my Cali body isn’t used to tromping around in snow and running up hills.”
“Alright, sweetie. Sleep well.” Giving me a small hug, my mom squeezed lightly before crawling into bed.
“You, too. Night, Mom.” I made my way slowly back down the stairs, being careful not to trip on my unsteady legs. Taking off my coat, I collapsed on the bed, grabbing Mr. Fritz in the process, but when my eyes closed, I couldn’t fall asleep. Ugh. My mind was whirling with everything I knew I would have to do tomorrow. Not only school, where I would possibly face Brad and Dylan and get to hear a bunch of whispers about me. I also had to go over everything with Kaleb.
Exhaustion continued to push down on me, and my eyes started to ache, so flipping over onto my back, I counted to five, inhaling deeply before exhaling just as slowly. The meditative breathing took longer than usual to settle my mind, but finally, after another ten minutes, I started to drift off.
Hopefully, there won’t be any sleepwalking this time; my poor noodle legs would never be able to keep up.
8
December 9th
“Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, the truth.”- Buddha
#TruthWinsEverytime #BoatShoeBradIsGoingDown #MotivationMonday
“Hey, Emma.” The scent of paper in Kaleb’s law office strong, nearly suffocating me as I tried to smile. It was finally time to do the one thing I had been dreading since getting back from our weekend away.
Recounting what happened with Brad at the party from hell.
Awesome.
“We’ll be in here,” Kaleb directed me. “Would you like Kingston with you? If you don’t, he’ll be working right outside the room, where you can see him.” Swallowing, I looked
at my boyfriend. Kingston’s gaze was tight, but I appreciated his attempt to give me a reassuring smile.
“I think I should be okay. If it gets to be too much, then maybe.” It would be that much harder to talk about it if Kingston was there, listening to what happened. Kaleb nodded in understanding and held the glass door open. He left the blinds on the door’s window open, allowing me to easily see Kingston.
“Alright, to begin, do you have any questions?” Kaleb started, sitting in the chair across the table. Shaking my head, I swallowed the acid that had started to build in my throat. “I’ll explain a bit about what to expect. I don’t say this to scare you, but unfortunately, your testimony is the one keeping Jesse from going to jail. We’re unsure at the moment if he’ll be tried as an adult, but I would rather be prepared, so that’s how I’m mounting his defense.”
“Okay,” I whispered, the sickening feeling swirling in my stomach, worsening at the gravity of what I was trying to do.
“The prosecutor and I had a preliminary hearing with the judge last week. The Warland’s lawyer presented their probable cause for the charges against Jesse and a motion for a trial since I’d advised him not to take the plea deal currently on the table.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“What they offered is worse than what I think he would get if the judge is presented with why he went after Brad,” Kaleb stated, his tone clipped in anger. “Now that the prelim hearing is over, we have time to prepare our cases, meaning both the prosecutor, Steve Corsian, and I will be able to interview witnesses, and as much as I hope they won’t want to talk to you, I know that it’s highly likely they will at some point. When that happens, don’t say anything other than you want your lawyer.”
“But I don’t have a lawyer,” I countered. Kaleb looked questioningly, his lips curled downward slightly, and his brows drawn together.
“I’m your lawyer, Emma,” he explained. “Since you’re considered an adult in the Nebraska legal system, they can talk to you without notifying your parents, but I highly advise, and I cannot emphasize this enough, do not say anything until I’m there. Even then, follow my lead on what to say and not to say, alright?” His grave tone put me on edge, but I didn’t say anything as I tucked the information in ‘Emma’s do not freaking forget’ file in my head.
“What do you mean in the legal system? Am I not considered an adult normally?” I murmured, my brain latching onto that statement after committing the rest to memory.
“Well, in Nebraska, for state-regulated bills, such as signing contracts or getting loans, the legal age is nineteen. That doesn’t apply to federally-regulated laws, such as age to buy cigarettes or the federal and state legal systems. So, while you can’t go get a loan for a house or get an apartment, you can still be questioned by the police and the courts without your parents’ consent.” I mumbled a ‘got it,’ my throat tightening as Kaleb continued with his original explanation.
“It will be a bench trial, meaning only be the judge will hear the case, and I can almost guarantee, you’ll be called to testify.”
His explanation sent me farther into a state of panic, but Jesse’s bright smile flitted through my thoughts, helping me shove the nerves back.
This isn’t about you.
This is about Jesse’s future.
About making sure Brad can’t do this to someone else.
With that in mind, I sat up straighter, ready to tell him what I knew.
“I think that’s everything. When we get a bit closer, I’ll go over what both you and Jesse should expect at the trial. I don’t want to overwhelm you now. Well, any more than I already have,” Kaleb tried to tease; his grin was small, but the effort was appreciated. “Ready?” Taking a deep breath, I nodded. The motion was slight, but the truth was, I just wanted to get this over with.
“It was Saturday, October 13th. Reid, Kingston, and Jesse picked me up from my house. We went straight to the party,” I explained quietly, giving him time to take notes as I went through the night. I was doing okay until I got to the part where I’d stepped into the bathroom. “Brad was on the other side of the door, and I asked if he needed to get in the bathroom, and he said yes. So, I tried to move out of the way, but he ended up kissing me and pushing me back into the bathroom. I screamed and pushed him back,” I mumbled, coughing in an attempt to clear the lump of emotions growing in my throat. “I told him to back off, and he told me he didn’t think he would. I was able to kick him in the shin hard enough to get around him, but I couldn’t get away fast enough, so he,”—I choked back a sob, feeling his hands on me, the horrifying memory haunting me as I talked—“grabbed me and carried me back into the bathroom and tried to kick the door shut. That was when Jesse grabbed him off me.
“By the time I realized Brad wasn’t there, I saw Jesse chasing him down the stairs, and when I found them out in the backyard, Jesse was hitting him, yelling he shouldn’t force himself on someone and he’d do more if Brad tried again.” By the time I was done explaining, I was barely holding it together. Kaleb must have realized because he looked over his shoulder, nodding once. After a few moments, Kingston came in, shutting the door quickly behind him and kneeling next to me.
“Shh, Babydoll, he can’t get you here,” Kingston cooed, pulling me into his arms. As soon as I was wrapped in his arms, I couldn’t hold back. The tears flowed, and my shoulders shook as I cried. The feeling of bugs crawling over my skin intensified as the sensation of Brad’s lips and hands on me flared hauntingly close to the surface of my memories, making me uncomfortable and panicky.
“Did either of you have any previous interactions with him?” Kaleb asked quietly.
“He was working at the haunted house we went to the night before. Emma told me he made her uncomfortable when he was trying to talk to her. She had gone to the bathroom and was taking a while, so I went to check on her. She was scared, so we left, figuring we wouldn’t see him outside of school.”
“Any other times?” Kaleb continued. I mumbled a ‘no’ from my cocoon in Kingston’s arms. “How about after that? Any incidents?”
“I ran into him on the way to the counselor’s office,” I murmured, pulling back enough to wipe my cheeks. “Actually, I think it was more ‘he found me’ because it was in the middle of class.”
“When was that?” Kingston asked, his brows drawing down.
“Tuesday the twenty-sixth. The day before the issue with Mr. Derosa, remember?” I told him, a look of understanding washing over his face as he nodded.
“What did Brad say during that incident?” Kaleb’s pen scrawled across the paper. I swallowed, trying to make the words form, but I couldn’t seem to, and after a few minutes, Kaleb looked at me with a frown. “Do you need a moment?” Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and rattled off what was said when he had been cornered me.
“He kept trying to call me by the nicknames Kingston, Reid, and Jesse use. I told him to back off, or I’d scream, and he said, ‘Maybe I want to hear you scream,’” I murmured. “That’s when Ms. Rogers, my counselor, intervened. She had me file a complaint for harassment.” Kingston’s arms tensed, and his jaw was clenched in anger, but he didn’t say anything, letting me cuddle in his embrace while answering the last of the questions Kaleb had for me.
“Alright, Emma, I think that’s it for now. If anything else happens, I’ll need to document it, okay?” I nodded, giving him a thankful smile before standing up. “King, you can take the rest of the night off and spend some time with Emma. The files will be here tomorrow.” Kingston just nodded as he grabbed his coat and followed me outside.
“Are you okay?” I murmured, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. “You seem upset.”
“I should be asking you that, Babydoll, you’re the one dealing with a fucking douche. I just want to punch him in the face, really hard, with a chair,” Kingston explained, his shoulders finally deflating when I chuckled at his statement. Sighing, I curled into his side, his arm going around me once more as w
e reached our cars in the lot.
“I’m okay. Not all the time, but usually. You guys know I’ll tell you if I’m having trouble with anything to do with him.” Kingston nodded, giving me a quick kiss after we made plans to hang out before we climbed into our cars. As soon as I was alone, I felt that dark cloud descend over me again.
Storms make trees take deeper roots. No matter how much all of this sucked, no matter how frustrated, scared, and worried I was, I’d just dig my roots in and take hold as tightly as I could to what mattered most—my guys, my friends, and making sure we can keep Jesse safe.
Let’s see the storm knock me over then.
December 10th
If only Dad wanted to talk to me as much as Brad & Tyler do.
#Bradnet #DeadbeatDad #TurdtasticTyler #TickedOffTuesday
“Emma bean! Can you get the next customer?” I heard Lyla holler, her head buried in one of the cabinets as she finished cleaning up a bottle of syrup that had broken when it fell off the cabinet shelf. Darting around the counter from where I had been sweeping the floor, I plastered on a smile and got settled behind the cash register.
“What can I get for you?” I asked, looking at the man in front of me and quickly recognizing him as the man I had run into earlier that month.
“Just a black coffee, please,” he ordered. I saw the moment when he recognized who I was, his lips quirking up slightly. “Glad neither of us had a collision this time around.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. Again,” I cringed, readying his order. “If it makes it any better, I haven’t run into anyone else since then,” I tried to joke with a smile. The man laughed, his voice booming and warm as he took his coffee off the counter.
“That’s good, then.” He tipped his imaginary hat. “Nice to see you again, Emma. I’m sure we’ll run into each other some other time. I love my coffee.”
“Hopefully, not literally,” I countered. I was answered with another laugh as the man made his way outside. Shaking my head at his friendly demeanor, I turned back to watch Lyla finally crawl out from under the counter.
