Page 578 of Rock Me All Night
"I guess it started beforeTo Kill a Mockingbird. My friend, Kathryn—"
"The one who sleeps around?"
I laugh. "That one. We've been friends since kindergarten. She got bullied a lot. One day, I think it was third grade, a few of the popular kids ganged up on her and started a fight. When the teachers broke it up, the popular kids all said Kathryn started it. Nobody listened to her. They barely gave her a chance to defend herself. It wasn't fair. Everyone deserves a defense."
"What about your ex?"
"It's not a crime, being a cheater or an asshole."
His brow knits. "But if it was?"
"I guess he'd deserve a defense. I always let him get his way, never challenged him. But I didn't offer much of myself. I didn't make an effort to get to know him. I didn't love him the way Tom loves Willow. Or, uh, what was it, Drew and Kara?"
"Yeah."
"It was nothing like that. Not even close." I swallow hard. "Reasonable doubt is the cornerstone of our justice system." I sound like a textbook. I continue anyway. "The police can't just know what happened. They have to prove it. They need enough facts to convince twelve jurors."
He finds the tie holding together my French braid and pulls it out. "You're beaming."
"Really?"
"Yeah." He runs his fingers through my hair, undoing my braid. "Never thought a woman talking about the law could be so fucking sexy."
"Why did you run off last night?"
His eyes turn down. "Kept thinking that you're gonna back out of this."
"I won't. I swear."
He stares back with disbelief. "Can I get that in writing?"
There's all this vulnerability in his eyes. I want to wipe it away.
I nod. "Sure. You have a pen?"
He pulls a permanent marker from the front pocket of his skinny jeans and hands it to me.
"Hmm, where to write? No paper." I drag my fingers over the V of his v-neck. "This will have to do." I pull his t-shirt down and write my promise on his chest.
I won't back out of this. - Jess James
He looks down with a smile then takes the marker back. One hand goes to my shoulder, holding me in place. With the other, he scribbles on my chest.
"What's it say?" I ask.
He pulls back to admire his work. His lips curl into a smile. "I'll make you come every day."
"It does not."
He nods, pulls out his cell, and uses his camera to prove it.
There it is, in black marker on my chest:
I'll make you come every day. - Pete Steele
