Page 115 of The Longshot

Whatever she shows them, it’s enough to silence them instantly.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Ruby walks back towards the two of us, showcasing to my parents exactly what she’d shown them, and as I lean in, I catch a glimpse of it myself.

It's security camera footage from inside of Ruby’s bakery, dated back to the day Simon came in and forcefully pinned me back against the display.

The video is a haunting reminder of only one of his many crimes, but enough to fuel a sense of revenge.

“And if we want to explore additional ‘proof’,” Ruby carries on. “Well, I’ve got countless photos of what Simon did to her that night in the greenhouse, not to mention Chelsie’s roommate to serve as a witness who has also been a subject to Simon’s abuse. So, don’t fuck with me because, frankly, I’m not afraid to ruin your life, just like you tried to ruin my sister’s.”

I’m left completely dumbfounded. Silenced. I had absolutely no idea that all along, Ruby had been building a case against Simon, one that reminds me that I’ve got the best sister in the world.

“It’s uh… not what it looks like,” Simon sputters like an idiotic fool. “That day at the bakery, Chelsie and I were just talking, things got heated and?—”

“Leave. Now,” Dad speaks up, making his way towards Simon and his family. “All of you. Or I’m calling the police.”

“Mark…” Simon pleads, hopeful that his attempt at using his first name will sway him.

It doesn’t.

“Get out!” Mum steps in next, her attempt to guard me is soon followed by Ruby, and finally accompanied by Gary as he joins them.

“You heard what they said,” Gary commands. “Get the fuck out of here, or else.”

Simon and his family are left frozen in place before finally making their way through the crowd and exiting out front.

Now, with them gone, everyone manages to look over at me, waiting for me to speak. To say something, but in reality, I refuse to say another word.

Just like I’d anticipated, now is the perfect time to leave myself…

THIRTY

W I L K S

“Chelsie!” I can’t help but run after her as she pushes her way through the crowd, through the back doors, and down the garden. “Chelsie, please. Stop. Wait up!”

It takes me a few more attempts to catch up to her, but finally I’m able to, and as soon as I do, she collapses into my arms.

Her body is weak, tired, and as she steadies herself against my shoulders, I take the liberty to bring us both down to the grass, pulling her into my lap as I delicately kiss on top of her forehead.

I can’t believe what just happened—I can’t believe how all of that happened. I never intended to get so mad, so heated, but seeing her with him as I walked in through the entrance made my blood boil.

The game ended on time, but it took forever for me to pile the boys back onto the bus, call for a ride myself, and make my way over to the venue.

Turns out your average driver doesn’t want to make the commute across the country—I don’t blame them. Then my phone died before I could secure anything, leading me to call for a taxi on a payphone instead. I would’ve called Chelsie, but I’d failed to remember her number. That’ll be my job for the next few days, memorizing those eleven digits like my life depends on it.

There’s genuinely nothing worse than feeling the way she sobs into my chest. It pangs me with an immense amount of remorse—guilt. I should have been here from the beginning. I made her a promise. A promise I couldn’t keep, and now look at what happened.

All of this is my fault.

All of it.

“Baby girl, I’m so sorry.” I rock back and forth with her as we sit in the dew of the grass. “I’m so, so sorry.”

It takes her a second, but finally, she pulls back from my chest. Her eyes are red, and her face is swollen as she speaks. “Where… where were you, Gary?” She hiccups as she tries to catch her breath. “You said… you said that you’d be here!”

“I know, baby. I know I did.” I wipe away the tears as they run down her cheeks. “And I’m so sorry I wasn’t. Everything was looking good. I was going to be on time, but then Delaney went into labor. Coach had to leave and I was left with no other choice than to fill in as coach. One thing led to another, and…”

“Fuck…” Chelsie cuts me off. “I can’t believe I was stupid enough to believe him.”

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