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“I want to wake up and know that I never have to worry about John again. When the courts sentenced him, I thought I’d have time to live free of worry. But it never goes away. No matter what I do, he’s always going to be out there in the darkness, waiting to punish me.”
“Shug, look at me,” I commanded softly, watching when she turned toward me. “No one is going to punish you. No one is going to hurt you. We are going to find that bastard and make sure he never harms you or the boys again. I promise.”
“You can’t promise that, Eugene. No one can.”
That’s what she thought.
Leaning back against my pillow, I knew if I had the opportunity to erase John Stanley from this earth, I wouldn’t think twice about it. The bastard was as mean as a snake. Always had been. Even as a kid, he was just plain fucking mean. When Sugar started seeing John, I worried, but the bastard was good at hiding his true self from the community.
Then my best friend changed overnight.
One minute she was laughing, radiating joy everywhere she went, the next, she barely spoke, never leaving the bastard’s side. Even when I tried to spend time with her, she would always give me some lame excuse. I didn’t see the warning signs at the time, but shortly after they married, I saw the writing on the wall when I caught Sugar leaving the pharmacy with a bruised wrist. When I asked what happened, she told me she’d tripped. That it was nothing.
It was the first time she had ever lied to me.
And that’s when I knew.
He was abusing her.
I brought it to the club, and while King assured me he would look into it, he also clearly stated that unless Sugar asked for help, there was nothing he could do. I watched for three years while my best friend sank deeper into her misery. The bruises she’d once kept hidden were impossible to hide by the time she found out she was pregnant with Sean.
The entire town knew John Stanley was abusing her, but Sugar refused to admit to anything or file formal charges. With her silence, everyone stood by, powerless to do anything.
Then it happened.
We all heard the call.
Nothing stayed quiet in Rosewood, so when 9-1-1 dispatched an ambulance to her house, news spread like wildfire. By the time Scribe and I made it to the hospital, my sister had already stabilized Sugar, but the damage was done.
He damn near killed her.
When I saw the damage that bastard inflicted on her, I demanded she file charges. With Scribe and Lidi’s help, we got her to agree, and soon there was a warrant out for his arrest. But when the fucker showed up at the hospital to finish the job, Shug was lucky, because me and Scribe were there to stop him.
If it wasn’t for Sheriff McClure, I’m certain I would have killed him that day, but Scribe told me to give Lady Justice a chance. That no court would let him walk after what he did. I trusted him and the courts to do right by my best friend, knowing damn well I should have fucking gutted him right then and there.
For the last four years, Sugar and her boys have lived a life free of the torment and abuse inflicted by John Stanley. It took some time and a lot of patience, but Shug finally started living again.
The club was a big help to her back then, offering her assistance with whatever she needed. I tried to be there for her. Wanted to be the one she leaned on, but when I saw her kissing Scribe, I knew she would never see me like that. To her, I would always just be her best friend. The boy she grew up with, who knew all her secrets and always had her back.
So, I backed off and became just that.
Her friend again.
It was easier that way.
She’d already been through so much. I didn’t want to complicate her life any more than necessary.
But sometimes, I wished I’d made myself known. Told her how I really felt about her. That maybe if I had, then she would look at me differently. Want me. Need me as much as I needed her.
“Before I forget.” Shug sighed, rolling over to face me. “After I gave you the shot, I texted King.”
“What did you say?”
“That we’re going to Plan-B.”
I smirked. “And just what in the hell is plan-B, Shug?”
“Don’t know. Thought you could tell me that. Besides, if we stay here, I can watch my friends get married. I may not be able to celebrate with them, but I can watch from the shadows.”
