Page 47 of Fighting Jacob

Nodding, I shadow him down the bustling corridor, my gaze only straying back to Jacob for the quickest second. His low-hanging head tells me everything I need to know. He feels as defeated as me.

When I enter a small interview room on the heels of the detective, the suspicions running rife through my veins the past two hours are proven accurate. Maggie is sitting behind a rectangular table. She’s not cuffed like Jacob, but her shoulders are sagging just as low. She smiles a weary grin when she spots me, but she keeps her eyes on the tabletop, unable to maintain eye contact.

“Why am I here, Maggie?”

With Maggie refusing to acknowledge my presence, the detective takes up her slack. He takes a seat in a chair opposite Maggie before gesturing for me to sit beside her.

“Lola, my name is Ryan. I'm a detective at Ravenshoe's Police Department. I was the one who called you earlier and asked you to come in.” When I nod, he continues, “I'm hoping you can provide me with a statement about an incident that occurred earlier today at Mavericks Bar." He checks his paperwork. "At approximately 1 PM."

Ryan’s gaze drifts up from his paperwork when I mutter, “You said you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

My words aren’t for him, but I’m too angry to keep it on the down-low. After Callum attacked me, Maggie swore she wouldn't tell anyone.

My anger gets a second wind when reality hits me like a freight train. She’s the reason Jacob turned up to Mavs in the middle of the afternoon, isn’t she? He doesn’t usually show up until well past six.

“You called Jacob, didn’t you?”

Maggie keeps her gaze fixed on the wooden tabletop while nodding. “Yes.”

I hate the tears sliding down her cheeks, but not as much as I hate being lied to. “You promised.”

“I know I did, but Jacob needs our help. He’s in a lot of trouble.” She peers at me with remorse-filled eyes, revealing the burden I’m carrying on my shoulders is just as heavy on hers. “He needs your help.”

I understand what she’s saying, and I know it’s the right thing, but I don’t want anyone to find out the secrets I’ve been hiding. Look what happened when I told Jacob. I don’t want to drag more people into the mess.

I try to walk away. I try to tell myself that Jacob is an adult who should have considered the repercussion of his actions before jumping the gun, but no matter how many times I tell myself this isn’t my fault, it is.

My gaze turns to Ryan. “What do you need me to do?”

“Maggie informed us that Callum Parker assaulted you earlier today at Mavericks and that his attack may have contributed to Jacob's frame of mind when he attacked Callum. Is that correct?”

“Yes.” Who knew one little word would be so hard to deliver?

I add proof to my verbal confirmation by tugging up the sleeve of my sweater. Air expels from Ryan’s nose when he takes in the purple, almost black mark circling my wrist, then his jaw spasms when I show him the bruises on my neck.

After standing to his feet, he gathers the papers off the desk. “I’ll have you make a statement advising what happened today, then I’ll start the process of having Callum charged.”

“What?” I question, my voice panicked.

Ryan lowers his concerned gaze to mine. “What Callum did is illegal. We’ll charge him with assault and battery, then file a restraining order so he can’t come within five hundred feet of you.” He drags his paperwork to his chest. “I’ll have a female officer take photographic evidence of your assault, then I’ll take your statement...”

His words trail off when I shake my head. “I’m not pressing charges.”

If I have Callum charged, it will only be a matter of time before everyone knows what happened. Gossip in small towns like ours spreads like wildfire, and I refuse to be portrayed as a victim the rest of my life. It’s bad enough I’ll see it every time Jacob looks at me; I don’t want to see it from strangers as well.

Maggie grabs ahold of my hand. Her hold isn’t painful. It’s more panicked than anything. “You can’t let him get away with this.”

“He didn’t get away with it. Jacob took care of it.”

“There’s a legal way to handle this.” This statement isn’t coming from Maggie. It’s from Ryan. He’s peering at me with concern, hating that I’m letting Callum get off scot-free. I hate it as well, but when forced to pick between being a martyr or remaining quiet, I’ll always choose silence.

“Will pressing charges help Jacob?”

Ryan hesitates before he shakes his head.

“Then we’re done here.”

My steps to the door slow when Ryan says, “An official statement could still help Jacob. Will you at least do that?”

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