Page 37 of Made For Me

“Jerk,” I blurt out to him as my hand is still holding on to the handle. His chest is touching mine and my other hand comes up to touch his chest. “I know we haven’t even started the date, but thank you for trying to take my mind off things.”

His hand comes up again as he holds my chin in it. “Thank you.” His face comes even closer to mine. “For not running.”

I want to laugh but I can’t because everything in me is on edge. I can almost feel his face advancing to me, every single second his face comes just a touch closer. I can literally taste the kiss. I’m holding my breath; my stomach feels like it’s going through a typhoon. He’s about to kiss me when out of the corner of my eye I see Colin walking down the street with an officer next to him. His head is down, and when he looks up at me, he gives me a look I’ve never seen before.

“Colin.” I call his name when he is close enough. Chase looks over his shoulder at him.

“Julia.” He says my name and I look over at the officer beside him, who puts his hand on his belt.

“Are you in the area for something?” I ask him, not sure why but I suddenly feel uneasy in my skin and I can’t put my finger on it.

“We are. I’m really sorry,” he says. “I’m here on official police business.” The blood drains from my body as I think something happened to my mother. “We are here to take you in.”

“Excuse me?” Chase says, almost stepping in front of me.

“You’re being arrested for child endangerment.” He says the words and I don’t think it’s really registering with me. This has to be a joke. “I’m going to have to read you your Miranda rights.”

“This is a joke,” Chase says from beside me. He takes a step in front of me, but Colin holds up his hand to Chase at the same time the officer grabs my arm.

“You have the right to remain silent,” the officer recites. He turns me and I see spots in front of me and I think I’m going to pass out. “Anything you say can and will be used against you.”

“Handcuffs?” Chase says, his voice going louder and louder. “There is no need for that.”

I don’t even hear what the officer is saying at this point as I feel the metal cuff on my wrist being snapped. Colin is saying something to the officer, who ignores him and holds on to my forearm. I feel as if my soul has left my body. It feels like I’m floating away from it all as my feet move with him toward his police car. The tears flow down my face as he bends my head to push me in the back seat.

“Don’t say a word!” Chase yells as they close the door. “I’m going to get you out of this,” he says into the back window. Colin stands there talking to Chase as the officer gets into the car and pulls away.

CHAPTER22

Chase

“You need to calm down,” the guy, Colin, urges in front of me, but nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to get me to calm down. “She’s going to be out in a couple of hours,” he says as if it’s nothing. “Call her lawyer.” He walks away from me and gets in his car.

My head is spinning as I look at him and then back at the police car that drove away. I don’t even see it anymore. The panic sets in, and I grab my phone, it rings twice before I hear my father’s voice. “Hey,” he answers and the tightness in my chest comes on.

“Dad, they took her,” is all I can say. “They just took her.” I look around, waiting to see if this is a joke or something. Surely this isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. “They took her.” My voice goes frantic.

“Who took her?” he asks, his voice going louder. “Chase!” he snaps my name.

“The police,” I reply, my whole body starting to shake now with so much rage I don’t know how to stop it.

“Chase, I need you to focus,” he redirects and I can hear movement on his side of the phone call. “Who are we talking about?”

“Julia,” I say. “We were going out and they came and arrested her.”

“Fuck!” my father yells. “Karrie, call Max,” he says from his side. “They took Julia. Where are you right now, Chase?”

“Outside her house,” I reply, looking up at her apartment with the fairy lights. “I don’t even know where they took her. The guy said that she was going to be out in a couple of hours.” I put my hand on my head. “Dad, I don’t even know where they fucking took her.”

“Chase, I’m going to need you to snap the fuck out of it,” he says, his voice tight. “I’m on my way to get Max. I need you to call Michael and see if Jillian has her work number or anyone who she can get in touch with.”

“Okay,” I say, turning around to see if the cop is there still. I rush over to his car as he sits there on the phone.

“Where did they take her?” I ask him.

“Station 46,” he answers right before he takes off.

“She’s at Station 46,” I tell my father. “Dad, we need a lawyer.”

---