AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The cop looked on and shook his head. “You’re free to go whenever you’re ready, Miss Green. Here are your things.”
He handed over her purse. Then he approached Xavier and lifted him by the arm. “Come on, hot shot, time to throw you in a cell, and by throw, I mean literally. I’m going to enjoy this.”
“Wait, why can’t I go?”
The cop gave a tiny humourless chuckle. “You’ve got to be fucking joking. Miss Green’s bail has been posted, as it seems she has connections, lawyers who use big words. You don’t. When I mentioned you to her family they said, and I quote,let the son of a bitch rot in jail. Seems they aren’t fans of yours, either.” He yanked Xavier hard. “Come on, lover boy.”
Hope breathed heavily as her mind swirled in confusion. What had he done? What was she meant to do? Blind panic engulfed her, making clear thought impossible. She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw up. The room shuddered in and out of focus. She needed more time.
In a more conciliatory tone, she asked the cop, “Wait, please! Can you give us five minutes?”
He paused. “Listen, little lady, I don’t know how they do things where you come from, but around here the law calls the shots, not you.”
“All I’m asking for is five measly minutes.” She narrowed her eyes. “I suggest you give it to us, or I’ll scream so loud every cop in a fifty-mile radius will know your wife goes around screwing other menand womenand loves it.”
The faux geniality of the cop fell away. Utter contempt remained. Before he could say anything else, Hope added, “Ask your wife. She knows how loud I can scream.”
He huffed out a breath. “You’ve got two minutes.”
“Alone,” Hope said forcefully.
The cop weighed it up. “Fine, but only ‘coz you’ve got a nice rack.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“Yeah, I’m still the one holding the keys, sweetheart.” He secured Xavier’s cuffs back to the chair, grabbed his coffee cup, and walked away whistling.
The silence swirled around them for a time. Xavier opened his mouth, ready to speak but Hope held up her hand. Her mind was finally clear.
“Xavier, as soon as my dad gets here, I’m leaving.”
Xavier’s jaw dropped. He gave a shake of his head, apparently unable to speak.
She went on before he could. “I told you I would deal with my father, but you wouldn’t listen. You should have trusted me to deal with this myself. I know the law, or did you forget that in your hurry to solve all my problems for me? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Look, I won’t be here when you get out. This thing between us, it’s done. No matter how many times I explain this, you’re never going to change. You’re just like every other man in my life, a controlling manipulative—”
Her voice cracked on the last word. She swallowed heavily. “Our time together was wonderful, but we both knew it had to end. Go to California without me. Compete. Win. You’re an amazing guy with a good heart who deserves to be happy, just nowhere near me. Think of me when you win your trophy.”
He shook his head. “I think they’re medals.”
“Jesus Christ, whatever.”
He waved his hands and continued. “Sorry, I can’t—I can’t think straight, there’s so much going on. Hope, please don’t do this. We still have time. The comp’s not until Saturday. We can still—”
“No, it’s over, Xavier.” She stood up. She’d said what she wanted to say.
Xavier hadn’t. His mouth twisted. “That’s it? A pat on the head and a hearty handshake and we’re done?”
Ice formed in her gut. “Please don’t.”
“NoEmily, you had your turn. Now, it’s mine.”
She winced at the use of her real name. His words were spiked with rage.
“You know what? Fuck it. Go back to your family. See if I care. Lately, I’d seen snippets of the real you poking through, and it was mind-blowing, but you want to throw all that away, throwusaway, and go back to your old life? Voluntarily? If that’s what you really want, fine, go.”
His pain was terrible to see, and that she’d caused it made her want to curl up into a ball and wail for a week. Old Hope would have, but she was stronger. Her own anger burned with a fire she couldn’t put out. She folded her arms and countered his fierce scowl with one of her own.
“I’m not going back because I owe it to my family. I don’t. I know that. I’m going back because you didn’t trust me to deal with them myself. Despite your protests to the contrary, it was all just words. When it comes down to it, you treat me exactly like they do. The only difference is, they love me.”
