Page 81 of Make Me Whole

The house was within sight. I had little time to reassure her or myself. So, I let go of her hand and touched her cheek. “Do you love me?”

Her eyes softened, and she turned her face slightly to kiss my palm. “Yes.”

“And were you honest this morning when you said that we are in this together? For better or worse?”

She kissed my palm again. “Absolutely.”

“Then I will never fear him. I trust in us, Sky. Whatever bullshit he comes up with, we’ll find a way through.”

“We’ll find a way,” she repeated as I turned into the driveway. The police car followed and stopped behind our car, locking us in place.

Despite my cool exterior, my heart pounded as I killed the engine. Through the rearview mirror, I saw the police officer exit his car. Not caring whether the kids were awake or asleep, I leaned over to Sky and kissed her.

It was a soft kiss, mouth closed and no tongue. It wasn’t a display of passion or desire. It was just a reassurance, a memory, a silentI love you.After I pulled away, I filled my lungs, opened the car door, and exited into the crisp November night.

“Max Preston?” The officer asked as he walked in my direction with a hand on the gun at his hip. He had a thick mustache, thinning hair, and a figure that showed both muscles and fat.

I nodded and kept my face and tone as nonthreatening as possible as I replied. “Yes. How may I help you, officer?”

“You can stop where you stand, turn around, and put your hands behind your head. You’re under arrest,” he said as he continued walking toward me. Even though I was clearly unarmed and nonviolent, the man continued to grasp his pistol.

Confused as shit, I stopped walking but didn’t raise my hands or turn around. “What?”

At my refusal to comply, he unsnapped the button that latched his weapon in place. “You’re under arrest, Mr. Preston. Put your hands behind your head and turn around before I’m forced to escalate things.”

If the first part of his sentence confused me, the second downright shocked me. Realizing this man was clearly ill-intentioned, I obliged. With fingers clasped behind my neck, I turned around and waited.

The sight of the kids awake and watching a policeman put handcuffs on their dad scared me more than the arrest itself. I looked at Sky, but she was facing the back seat, talking to the kids. Of all the times I thanked heaven for her, this was number one.

“What are the charges?” I asked as the officer secured the handcuffs on my wrists.

Instead of answering my question, he recited my rights. So I asked again, this time louder. “What are the charges?”

Still no answer.

My eyes remained on the car. Ella cried while Aiden climbed to the front seat and fought Sky to open the door.

“Dad!” my boy cried, terrified, as he jumped off and ran toward me.

Sky got out and followed Aiden, leaving Ella crying alone in the backseat. Officer Asshole continued to drag me toward his car despite the clear scene of familial distress. It took all my strength and willpower not to headbutt him, which was a good thing considering that without knowing the charges, only God knew how assault would aggravate it.

“It’s okay, buddy,” I assured Aiden with a fake smile, hating myself for lying to him. There was nothingokayabout a ten-year-old boy seeing his dad being taken away in handcuffs by the police without even knowing why.

Still, as a dad, it was my job to assure and calm him, so I continued, “Sky will take care of you while I go figure this out. When I get back, the four of us will have pizza.”

“No, Dad,” he wailed back.

“Just let me talk to my boy for one minute,” I begged the officer. “He’s ten and I’m his only living parent.”

Clearly, the man had no heart because instead of allowing me one minute with my son, he put his hand on my head and shoved me into the back seat of his car.

I focused my gaze on Sky, who had caught up to Aiden and was holding him tightly in her arms, and yelled, “Your dad will know what to do.” Then, as Officer Dipshit closed the door, I added, “I love you.”

34

SKY

Guilt and fear overwhelmed me as I clutched Aiden and watched the police car drive away with Max. The little boy’s tears soaked through my shirt as he sobbed in my arms. Despite how badly I wanted to comfort and reassure him, I didn’t know how.

---