Page 57 of Shattered

“At least we’re in the right place to keep you from popping a boner,” I say from inside the jail cell.

“You’re so not funny.” He lifts his head from the wall to give me a dirty look.

“Hey, this is all your fault. You shouldn’t drive without a license.”

“And you shouldn’t drink in a car, have your ass up in the air, or pour out good booze.” He lists them off on his fingers.

“Jovi?” an officer asks, walking by the cell.

I jump up. “Yes! That’s me!”

“You’ve made bail. Payment just came through.” He opens the cell, allowing me to step out. River stands. “What about me?”

“I’ll bail you out, babe. But it’ll cost ya,” I tease with him, still feeling my buzz.

He rolls his eyes before running his hand through his hair. “Never mind. I’ll hang here.” He sits back down.

I laugh and blow him a kiss before walking away with the police officer.

After my belongings have been returned, I pay the one-hundred and fifty dollars to bail River out.

It takes them almost an hour to process him, but finally, we’re able to leave with a promise to appear in court in a few months.

The first thing we do is head over to the impound lot and bail the car out of jail. By the time we get home, we’re both so exhausted, we go right to bed, too tired to even think of trying to cross off anything else on the list.

* * *

I’m lounging across my bed, doing homework and listening to music when Katie bursts into my room. She looks pissed as hell as she slams the door behind her and paces the floor.

I pull my earbuds out and drop them onto the bed as I sit up, watching her. “What’s going on?”

She spins around to face me. “I think my parents are going to get a divorce.”

“What? Why?”

She walks across the room and sits down beside me. “Do you remember last year when my dad came home and him and my mom got into a fight in the kitchen?”

I nod.

“Well things have been strained since then. They’re hardly ever in the same room, when they are, they don’t talk, and sometimes at night, I hear them fighting. They never used to fight before that day.”

“So what are they fighting about?” I ask, pulling my legs up underneath me.

“I don’t know. All I can get is that a man named Josh showed up, asking for money.”

“Who is Josh, and why would he show up asking for money?”

She shrugs while picking at the skin around her fingernails. “I don’t know. But my dad wants to give him the money, and my mom doesn’t. I heard her say that my dad made his choice, and he can’t take it back now.”

“Then what happened?” I ask her.

“He stormed out of their bedroom and left. I tried to sit up and wait for him to come home, but I fell asleep before he made it back.”

I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “I’m sure everything will be fine, Katie. You’re parents are just going through something. They’ll work it out.”

“I hope you’re right.”

* * *

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