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“But you can’t see your future without her in it, right?” Gabe questioned as he and Alec positioned themselves next to Rico.
“I willnotlose her,” I growled.
“You’ve got less than a month,” Rico said.
My head tilted to the side and my brows furrowed. He must have read the confusion on my face because his next words were crystal clear.
“You don’t want to lose her when the shit hits the fan? Make her fall in love with you.”
EMORY
THE PAST WEEKat work had been the worst and I’d had some doozies before, but there was no comparison. First thing Monday morning, Principal Michaels and I met with two workers from Child Protective Services.
They’d started their investigation into Seth’s homelife over the weekend and apparently discovered enough to remove him––temporarily––from his father’s custody. He’d been placed with his grandmother, which was excellent news, however there had been quite a scene at the Jacobs’s home beforehand.
“Martin Jacobs was placed under arrest after attempting to assault one of our employees and the Mountain Grove police officers who were there to assist,” the CPS worker, Paula, stated. “He also made several threats against the school and you, in particular, Ms. Daubson.”
Extra precautions were taken as I was escorted to and from the building every day by one of our security guards. Honestly, I thought Mr. Jacobs was simply blowing smoke, however Principal Michaels refused to take any chances.
Seth returned to school on Wednesday with noticeable changes. His clothes fit, for one, and he seemed lighter, like the weight of the world was no longer bearing down on his young shoulders. I also noticed he and Sophia seemed to be hanging out in the hallway between classes, which in my opinion was a very good development.
By the time Saturday rolled around, I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. So when my doorbell rang at eight thirty in the morning without warning, I contemplated ignoring it. However, when the ringer of the bell had a key, it was a little hard to do.
The front door swung open two seconds later as my two best friends let themselves in.
“Get your cute ass moving,” Quin demanded. “River’s got a shiny black Amex card and the authorization to spend money. Get your behind in the shower and let’s roll out. Mall opens at nine.”
“Um…what?”
My question was directed at River because it was apparent Quin had lost her freaking mind.
“We’ve been given instructions to outfit you for your date,” she replied with a gigantic smile on her face.
“Again…what?”
Quin had ventured to my kitchen where she was rummaging through my cabinets.
“Where do you keep your trash bags?” she hollered over her shoulder.
“I’m so confused.”
“Ems.” River grabbed my hand and pulled me to the sofa where we both sat. “We’re worried about you.”
“Other than a little twinge every once in a while, my wrist feels pretty good. There’s no reason to worry.”
“I’m glad to hear it, but that’s not why.”
“Your clothes used to be hot, Ems, and now they are very much…not.”
“Christ, Quin. A little tact goes a long way,” River scolded.
“Emory doesn’t need to be coddled. She needs a swift kick in the ass. Possibly even a couple shots of Fireball.”
“Oh! I’m always down for Fireball.”
“Focus, River.” I snapped my fingers in her face. “Why do I need my ass kicked? Why are we going to the mall? And for the love of all things holy, what does Quin want trash bags for?”
She hesitated a bit long, leaving the redheaded tornado in my kitchen an opportunity to open her mouth again.
