Page 53 of Four Times Forever

"So, you thought you'd get low to the ground and hurry over like a thief in the night, instead of flagging down the cop car, not far behind you, to investigate it for you?" The good-looking muscular guy put his hands on his gun belt and posed like he was taking a picture. Not in the least bit convinced.

"I wasn't thinking straight. I've had a lot to drink. I didn't know if someone was being murdered and whether I needed to act right away." I started to sweat.

The police raised the flashlight to the man and woman, which released the tension in my chest a little, giving me satisfaction that they'd see the bruises and act on it, and I'd be on my merry way, and call back one of the guys to come get me.

"Oh, this is unbelievable. Murdered? Really?" The woman scoffed.

She passed me a glare and before I knew what was happening, the world started to slow down.

"This man rushed into the park, tried to attack me, my boyfriend who was on his phone, heard me scream and tried to fight him off, but he punched him in the face, busted his lip, kicked his leg in and that's when you showed up."

My mouth dropped open.

"You have a right to remain silent..." The cops started moving toward me, reading me my rights.

"You can't be serious. You can't believe her? How would I be able to do all of that in less than...what...a minute?!" I yelled, tugging against the firm grip as the cold cuffs were locked around my wrists.

"You have a right to an attorney..." One cop was dragging me away, while the other one spoke into a radio. The woman smiled at me. My feet skidded against the ground as I fought to remain standing.

"No, please. I didn't do anything. Check me for bruises. Cuts. Scrapes. Please!" I begged.

They didn't give a shit. In one last effort, I looked at the guy who I could see was conflicted.

"Tell them. Please. You know I was only trying to help!" I cried.

The cops paused. The park was spinning as he kept us all in suspense.

"Well?" The cop still hanging onto me asked. "Is he telling the truth?"

I gulped. The silence tempted me to scream.

"She's..." He started.

She glared at him and without looking at her, as if he could feel the intensity of the stare, he folded.

His shoulders slumped and he let out a breath. "She's telling the truth."

My heart hit the floor. This was fucking unbelievable. I opened my mouth to protest again, to swear my innocence as I was shoved into the cop car. But when I started to speak, I was slammed with the memory of what I did and my mouth snapped shut.

It's funny how life works. Just because I tried to do a good deed here, it didn't make me a good person. If I had not tried to play the hero, I wouldn't be going to jail, which was where I deserved to be. If I had not taken the case of beer and wandered far away from the house, I would not have encountered a cop car, my guilt wouldn't have sent me running and I wouldn't have ended up in the park, getting arrested for what felt like nothing. But all the events worked together that day to get me there.

And as I walked into the police station, I wondered if I had to take the final step. I'd already been brought this close, against my own choices. The least I could do to retain some honor was hand myself in.

Chapter 41

Eric

Unable to breathe properly, I took myself outside for some fresh air. I also needed the privacy to call Ryan a hundred times and panic over the phone to Matt and Ethan. But with the way my mind had been running in survival mode all damn day, I felt like I was losing my mind. So, I came inside for a lie down.

Falling into the brown, leather lazyboy, I just about shut my eyes when my phone rang. It was a number I didn't recognize and the hairs on my skin stood on end. My pulse started rioting beneath my skin, from all the possibilities. Ryan, found hurt or worse, dead in a ditch somewhere. Someone calling on behalf of the mob. On behalf...is that how they do things? Tyler calling from a different number to deliver even more bad news? I was watching the phone ring out until I was reminded that if I didn't answer it, I'd never know.

"Hello?" My voice scratched. A chill passed through my body.

"Eric. It's Ryan," he said.

"Oh, fuck." Air blasted out of my body, my nostrils and mouth, not big enough gaps to get it all out evenly. "Where the fuck are you? We've been trying to get you..."

"I'm at the police station. I've been arrested." He confessed and the phone dropped from my hand like it was on fire.

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