Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 149510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Once I finish, my face is wet with tears and my body feels like it’s been squeezed through a lemon press. I can feel the exhaustion settling into my bones, and my eyes are heavy with fatigue as I slide my statement over to Officer Walters.
He hands me a tissue. “Thank you for doing that,” he says. “I know it was hard for you, and I commend you on your strength. It’s not easy reliving painful situations.”
“This is one of the worst things that has ever happened to me,” I verbalize my truth and use the tissue to wipe off snot that’s trying to drip out of my nose. “And that’s saying a lot because my mother has been an alcoholic all of my life.”
“You’re a strong young woman, and I’m proud of you.” Officer Walters’s eyes are kind and understanding. “And I hope there’s never a next time, but if you ever receive harassing text messages or are put in a situation you feel is unsafe in any form, I want you to contact me directly.” He hands me his card, and I put it in my purse. “Now, let’s get you back to your dorm.” He gestures for me to stand, and I follow his lead back out of the police station.
The ride in his patrol car back to Delaney is silent, but as we turn the corner onto 116th Street, the entrance door looming ahead, I can’t stop myself from asking one thing. “Are Dane and Nadine going to go to jail?”
He keeps his eyes forward and his hands on the steering wheel. “I’m giving you all of this info off the record, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Since they’re first-time offenders, I don’t think they’ll get jail time, but they might have to deal with house arrest and a few years’ probation.”
I started the semester as Dane’s girlfriend. And now, I’ve ended the semester with Dane facing house arrest and probation for crimes he committed against me and my mom. It all feels like a fever dream.
Now that I know Officer Walters is willing to share a little more than the standard byline, I venture another inquiry.
“Is Finn Hayes going to get in trouble?”
I’ve got more than enough of my own problems to occupy me into the next lifetime and beyond, but Finn is still one of the main things I’ve been thinking about since Julia told me he beat Dane up.
“The dean made some sort of pseudo-deal with Dane Matthews’s father. Evidently, a number of the major donors of this year’s endowment threatened to pull it if Dane pressed charges, and as Dane’s father’s company relies heavily on a lot of the construction and development business with the university, he found it in their family’s best interest not to risk it. Their agreement will end up giving Dane a lesser sentence than he would normally face for harassment and cybercrimes, but I think it’s the right thing to do, given the ramifications this would have on Finn’s permanent record.”
Relief’s kiss is swift and intense as Officer Walters’s words overwhelm me. Finn deserves a fair shot at everything good in this world—maybe even more than everyone else—and the thought that I might be the reason he didn’t get it was unbearable.
For as much shit as I still have to deal with, this…this is still a win.
Friday December 20th
Finn
Ty: You and Ace watching the game?
Me: It’s not looking good. Ace is on the verge of a stroke.
Ty: Ha. You should see his dad.
That message is followed up by a photo of Ace’s dad, Thatch. He’s sitting in front of his giant television—the Dickson-Buffalo Big East Championship game on the screen—and a stress vein is prominent on his big head.
Both Ace and I were invited to watch the game at his parents’ apartment—they had a bunch of people over, including my brother Ty, but Ace decided he’d rather watch at a diner that’s not far from our dorm. Normally, he’s a man of the crowd, but I guess there’s too much riding on this game that he needed to watch it with as few people as possible.
I suspect the bastard put actual money on it.
Zip’s Diner is practically empty, everyone else choosing hipper places like bars or frat parties than a mom-and-pop spot to enjoy the game. When I look over at Ace, it’s almost disturbing how much he and his dad look alike, protruding forehead veins and all.
“Son of a bitch,” Ace groans and slams his hand down on the table when Blake gets sacked for the second time in a row. “What is our O line doing?”
We’re down by a touchdown, already on our fourth down, and there’re only fifteen seconds left in the game. The way I see it, there’s no way they’re going to be able to pull this one out. Boden would have to manage one hell of a Hail Mary pass to tie it up.