Page 125 of What I Should Have Done

“Yes, I’m serious. I get him, or no one does.” Rachel’s hand trembled as she kept the barrel trained a couple centimeters from Scottie’s chest.

“You’re being an idiot. Can’t you hear the sirens? The cops will be here, and you’re threatening me in my own home,” Scottie explained, lowering her hands slowly to her sides.

“This is Mike’s home, not yours!” Rachel screeched, jabbing the metal against Scottie’s ribs.

Scottie didn’t even flinch. “I live here. With Mikey. As his girlfriend.”

“No. You don’t! He proposed to me! He’s mine!”

“You said no, bitch,” Scottie explained, the sass in her voice had me smiling.

“MICHAEL!” Rachel wailed again.

Two police cruisers squealed to a stop, in front of our home. They immediately jumped from the vehicles and posted up behind the doors. “Hi, officers,” Scottie shouted. “I’m unarmed as you can see, and this woman here is pointing a gun at me.”

“SHUT UP! I’LL KILL YOU! JUST STOP TALKING!” Rachel shrieked. Her body shook, every ounce of self-control coming unraveled. I remained lounged against the wall, simply watching my girl handle her shit.

“So, hypothetically speaking,” Scottie continued, watching Rachel carefully but speaking to the officers training their own weapons at the deranged woman on our porch. “If I were to say, disarm this woman and punch her in the face a few times, all in self-defense obviously, what would the consequences be for me?”

A cop chuckled. “Nothing. But there’s no need to put yourself in more danger. Why don’t you let us handle this?” His voice echoed around the cul-de-sac.

Scottie nodded slowly. “I totally appreciate you guys. But—” and Scottie’s hand shot forward, in a fluid motion, she ripped the gun from Rachel’s hand while simultaneously cracking a fist directly against her nose.

Rachel wailed, red liquid spurting from her nostrils as she staggered backwards. With a click, the magazine dropped from the black handgun. Scottie tossed the mag clearly off the side of the porch toward the cops that shot out from behind their vehicles. In a fluid motion, she racked the slide, releasing the bullet from the chamber, and quickly caught it.

Raising them slowly into the air in an obvious display of submission, she sighed. “That was so unsatisfying,” Scottie mumbled.

I pushed myself off the wall and walked toward her. “And now we have to let the police take statements, and still somehow be dressed and packed in time for when Griffin arrives.”

Scottie clicked her tongue. “At least Rachel will leave you alone.”

“You seem so happy about that,” I replied sarcastically, recognizing the grumble behind her words.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I would’ve liked a bit more of a fight or something at least.”

“You and Jane are going to get along swimmingly,” I said as the cops cuffed Rachel. Her cursing and screaming were barely noticeable as Scottie glanced at me with a wide smile.

“I’m excited for life with you, Blondie; it’s never boring,” she replied.

“And I’m terrified for my sanity,” I teased with a smirk.

Scottie rolled her eyes at me as a cop removed the empty gun and bullet from her hands. “You love me,” she said.

“Without a doubt,” I answered.

Scottie walked away with one cop while another approached me, asking to take my statement as more of a formality than necessary considering the fact that they got what really mattered on camera.

Mindlessly rehashing details about Rachel and her behavior after we broke up, I glanced to the side at the girl who changed my world in all the ways I didn’t know I needed. The spring breeze rippled through Scottie’s loose hair. Her dark skin, flattered by genetics and plenty of time in the sun, was as rich as black coffee with just the right amount of creamer that Scottie liked to add to her drink.

Finally, I thought. Just, finally.

My gaze slid to the railing just behind Scottie, the flash of movement catching my gaze. With a flap of his wings, a beautiful, black crow landed with a soft plunk against the wood. Deep shades of blue danced in a swirling rainbow beneath his feathers as he released a caw into the air and then looked directly at me.

I studied the bird. He twitched his neck, training a single eye on me. Scottie’s tale of the legend of the crow flitted through my mind.

Inhaling deeply, a wave of serenity slipped over me, pulling me away from the present for a brief second. “Hope you’re doing good, Duncan,” I whispered to the creature. “I miss you, bud, but Scottie and I, and the team, we’ll be alright. Eventually.”

For a moment, the world stilled. Nothing but this bird’s deep, black eye swirling with an infinite number of stars existed.

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