by Parker, Ali
“That woman!” she shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at me. “She hit me! And now she’s coming after me! Please, someone help me!”
I stood there as a few passers-by intervened, pulling her off the road. I suppose one of them must have dialed 911 because moments later, the police had turned up at the school. I was still in such a total daze at what had happened that it took me a good long moment to realize they were there for me and not her.
“Miss, can you come with us, please?” An officer stepped toward me. Karla was cowering on the other side of the road, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. How had she pulled this off? How had she managed to make this happen? How had I been dumb enough to fall for her manipulation, to let myself believe I had no choice but to do that to her?
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered. As soon as I got down to the station, I could explain this, explain that I was protecting Holden’s son, the kid who was starting to feel like my own. But what if they took her side? What if Holden had given her permission to come down there, and I had walked into the middle of it and caused an enormous mess?
“Autumn!”
Another familiar voice. I turned to see Holden clambering out of a car, hurrying toward me.
“Hunter’s okay,” I called to him. “He’s inside with Zoe.”
“Autumn—”
“Sir, please step away.” One of the officers pushed Holden away from me firmly as he got closer, and he stared, wide-eyed, as they clapped handcuffs on me and pushed me down into the car. My body was numb, my brain switched off, my soul so far gone, I would be surprised if I ever found it again. But none of that mattered. What mattered was that I had defended Hunter when he’d needed it, that I’d let him know I was there for him and that nothing his deadbeat mother tried to tell him was true. As they slammed the door behind me, I looked out at Holden’s face beyond the window, shell-shocked, and I knew I would do it all again if I had to. Anything to ensure that my two boys stayed safe. Anything to ensure that woman stayed well away from them.
65
Holden
I paced up and down outside the police station. I prayed it would be the last time I had to be anywhere like this for a long while. I couldn’t believe I was there to keep my girlfriend from going to jail. How crazy was this?
This entire day had been batshit insane from start to finish, and I was glad the worst of it was over. Karla was in the hospital, probably swooning around acting like someone had attacked her with a baseball bat instead of throwing one measly punch. Hunter was with Raymond, where he was helping him decompress and relax after the seriousness of what had happened. And Autumn was in the cell at the local police station, but they had promised me she would be out soon enough, as soon as they could get the statements from the witnesses to confirm what they’d seen that morning.
I was still kind of in shock from seeing Autumn getting put into the back of the police car, but as soon as I spotted Karla wailing from the other side of the street, I guessed what had happened at once. It touched me more than Autumn could know that the first thing she had told me when she’d seen me was that Hunter was all right. Despite what was happening to her, she still had my son as a priority. That was the most important thing in the world to me.
Suddenly, the doors flew open, and an exhausted-looking Autumn crashed out onto the steps.
“Oh thank God, you’re here.” She waved to me. “I thought I was out here on my own.”
“Not after you defended my honor like that.” I grinned. “You punched someone for me. I don’t think I can say that about anyone else.”
“Well, don’t get used to it,” she warned. “I’m not exactly planning on making a habit of it anytime soon.”
“No, no, of course not,” I agreed. “Last thing I want is an amateur boxer on my hands.”
“Who knows? Maybe I’ll start craving it,” she teased me. “Get the bloodlust, have to go out on the street to fulfill it.”
“Yeah, I doubt that.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the car. “You want to go back to my place?”
“Yeah, I could do with a long rest.” She sighed and let out a long yawn. “I thought I was going to be in there a hell of a lot longer, though. I mean, I did punch her.”
“I heard some of the cops talking, and it seems like most of them were on your side.” I shrugged as we climbed into the car. “The witnesses, I mean. They all said she started it, more or less, and that you were inside the school gates doing what you had to in order to protect your students.”
“Well, that’s true enough,” she agreed, and she rubbed her knuckles. “Still, I didn’t think I would ever be the kind of person who would do something like that.”
“What did she say that got you so mad?” I asked. “Hunter wouldn’t tell me what it was.”
“Hunter said he didn’t want anything to do with her,” she admitted and then hesitated before she came out with the next part. “And she told him she didn’t even want him anyway.”
“Damn.” I shook my head. “I think I’d have done the same thing if I’d been in your situation.”
“Yeah, I just saw red.” She shook her head. “I don’t really remember it happening. I’m not surprised someone called the cops.”
“Wouldn’t be surprised if she called them in advance or something, hoping to get someone to lash out at her so she could play the victim,” I remarked. “She called me first, after all. Clearly wanted to get me riled up.”
“Yeah, but I think that was so she could tell me that you knew she was there,” she said with a sigh. “It made some twisted sense in her mind, I suppose.”
“That’s crazy.” I turned on the engine, flicking down the radio so we could talk. “How was jail?”
“Boring.” She shrugged. “Mostly boring. I guess I’m not cut out for the life of a hardened criminal.”
“One punch does not a hardened criminal make,” I teased her.
“Come on, you telling me the thought of a sexy ex-con girlfriend doesn’t turn you on a little bit?” she asked. I laughed.
“Okay, maybe it’s a little sexy,” I agreed as the wind whipped through the car, washing the rest of the day thus far away at last.
“Yeah, I think so.” She reached over to squeeze my leg.
“Hunter told me everything that happened. You were so brave, standing up to her like that.”
“It was nothing on how brave he was,” she replied at once. “I couldn’t believe how he stood up to her.”
“It was because you were right beside him helping him,” I told her. “No way would he have had the nerve to do something like that if you weren’t there to help.”
She made a face. “I don’t know. I was pretty fucking terrified. He was probably coming out there to provide some moral support, help me get through the worst of it.”
“Well, you sure did that,” I agreed. “Are there going to be any charges?”
“Not that I know of,” she replied. “Everyone there seemed to go in my favor, and I don’t think Karla wants to draw any more attention than strictly necessary to what the fuck she was doing at the school in the first place.”
“That’s a good point,” I agreed. “You think she’s going to try to come by there again?”
“I don’t think so.” Though she shook her head, uncertainty crossed her expression. “She’d have to be seriously dumb to try that again. I’m going to speak to the school about what happened, make sure they know what’s going on. I don’t want to land in any trouble from them after this.”
“I’m sure you won’t,” I promised her. “I’ll vouch for you if you need me to.”
“I might,” she agreed. “Maybe bribe them with the program you’ve been working on?”
“Oh, yeah, it looks like they’re going to be testing it out soon,” I replied. “I was on the phone with the head of the resource allocation for the area, and she seemed pretty keen to try it out. Don’t know how many schools I’m going to be starting at, but it’s someth
ing.”
“Oh my God, that’s amazing!” she exclaimed, slapping my arm excitedly. “I’m going to boast about that to anyone who’ll listen.”
“Fair warning, I don’t think anyone’s going to give a shit,” I said. “Talk about designing programs and people tend to glaze over a little bit.”
“Well, I’ll use my new reputation as a bruiser to get them to do what I want.” She flexed her muscles pointedly. “They’ll listen to anything I have to say then.”
I chuckled. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Still, it’s big news,” she replied enthusiastically. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Maybe we can celebrate later.”
“Well, that, and the fact that your ex should have gotten the message loud and clear by now.” She raised her eyebrows.
“Yeah, that too.” I glanced down at my watch. “Hey, do you mind if we head around to Raymond’s? I dropped Hunter off there after what happened. I think he’d like to see you.”
“I don’t know if I can look him in the eye after what happened. I punched someone in front of him! That’s not how I’m supposed to behave.”
“Yeah, well, he thinks you’re a badass now,” I assured her.
“Like he didn’t think that before?” she fired back playfully. I grinned.
“Well, of course. But he’ll want to make sure you’re doing okay after what happened with Karla. And I’m sure he could use some comforting, too, given everything that went down.”
“You’re right,” she conceded, and I took the turn that would lead us down to Raymond’s place.
“Do they know what happened? Olivia and Raymond?” she asked, twisting her hands over and over in her lap. I nodded.
“And they think it’s amazing,” I assured her. “Remember, Raymond was there when everything happened with Karla the first time around. He’s glad to know she’s out of my life once and for all, I think.”
She held her hands up. “Well, happy to oblige. I’m still a little embarrassed, though. I’ve never had that kind of reaction to anyone before. I’ve never wanted to do something like that in my life.”
“That’s what being a parent does to you,” I said without thinking. “You’d do anything to protect the person you’re looking after, things you didn’t even know you were capable of.”
She fell silent for a long moment, and it took me a second to realize I had referred to her as Hunter’s mother. It was the first time I had even let myself use those words. Yes, I had thought for a long time that she would make an amazing parent to my son, but I had never allowed myself to think of her as his mother. But today, she had proven she was, that she could be. When things had been at their worst, she had been the one to step up and make sure no harm came to him, and that was about the most motherly thing I could imagine in the world.
“We’re here.” I turned into the driveway. She still hadn’t said anything.
“Ready to go in and see Hunter?” I asked as I pulled the car to a halt. After a moment’s pause, she nodded and reached over to squeeze my hand.
“Yeah, I am,” she nodded. “I really am.”
66
Autumn
I followed Holden up the steps to the house, and my heart was fluttering with nerves at the thought of seeing all of them. I was now a woman who had punched someone—punched someone?—right in the face. That wasn’t who I was. It had never been who I was. Yet I was standing there outside the house, knowing I had landed a hit on the woman who had been hurting the most important little guy in the world to me. Holden had said none of them thought less of me, but I wasn’t sure that was true of me—at least, not yet.
We knocked on the door, and Raymond opened it a second later. I hardly had time to blink before Hunter came speeding past his legs to throw his arms around my waist.
“Autumn!” he cried out. “You’re okay!”
“Ms. Becks,” I reminded him playfully, gently extracting him from around my waist. “And yes, I’m fine. Nothing to worry about with me.”
“Except that left hook of yours,” Raymond teased me, stepping aside to let us in. “Come on in. I have dinner on the table for us.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Ray.” Holden slapped his friend on the shoulder as we walked into the house. “The last thing I wanted was to have to cook after we got home tonight.”
“Yeah, well, sounds like it’s been a busy day,” Olivia said from where she appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a towel and smiling at me.
“Baby’s asleep.” She pointed upstairs. “So just us five, yeah?”
“Sounds perfect,” Holden agreed as she led us to the dining room. There was a large pot of soup sitting in the middle of the table, and Raymond began to serve up for us at once. Hunter was right behind me, practically clinging to my legs like he didn’t want to let me out of his sight. I knew how he felt. He took the seat next to mine and shifted closer to me. Clearly, he had something he wanted to tell me.
“You were so cool today.” He widened his eyes. “You hit her. I’ve never seen anyone hit somebody in real life before—”
“You should never use violence to solve your problems,” I told him firmly. “You should always talk things out first. You shouldn’t take my lead on stuff like this. You could land yourself in a lot of trouble. I know I nearly did.”
“Yeah, of course.” Hunter nodded, but he looked a little disappointed by my reaction. I noticed Holden and Raymond exchanging amused glances. They would never have said it out loud, not wanting to undercut my message, but I knew they felt I had done the right thing. I was even having a hard time believing what I was saying myself, to be honest. I couldn’t think of any other way I could have gotten her to back off and stay that way without getting physical.
“Thank you so much for this.” I glanced at Olivia and Raymond. “It’s so kind of you.”
“Well, we couldn’t let the hero of the hour go without dinner now, could we?” Olivia remarked.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I protested weakly, but the three adults exchanged glances.
“I would.” Holden patted my hand, and my heart spun as soon as he laid his fingers on me. I couldn’t believe he’d called me Hunter’s mother in the car. Maybe it was the stress of the day, with so much happening it was hard to keep everything straight, but still, that was how he saw me. And I was beginning to believe it myself.
It was hard to remember a time when I had truly thought Karla might have been the best thing for Hunter. I was beginning to wrap my head around it now, the notion that because she was his biological parent didn’t mean she had some deep connection to him. Hell, she didn’t even seem to have a whole lot in the way of simple compassion for her son. The way she had spoken to him, the way she had looked into his eyes and told him she had never wanted him anyway—it sent a shiver down my spine, a flare of fury at the thought that she could speak that way to the boy she was supposed to love.
We settled in for dinner, and Olivia and Raymond chatted with us about the baby and what they had been up to lately. It felt good to revel in some normalcy after all the drama, and I was glad to absorb the news about their family. They seemed so happy, their eyes shining as they talked about their daughter, and I wondered if I would ever be in a similar place—delighted to tell people about Hunter, boasting about him and everything he had achieved. Looking at him now, engaging in the conversation where he could, was enough to get me to swell with pride. He had worked so hard to get where he was, to be able to communicate this way, and it was starting to pay off in a big way.
Olivia took Hunter off to see the baby after a while, leaving the three of us together to talk a little more. I was so tired, I could have keeled over on the spot right there and fallen asleep, but I was glad for the company to get my mind off the inevitable conversation I was going to have with everyone at the school when I got back there. I was pretty sure most of them didn’t even know I was seeing Holden at the moment, and this wasn’t exactly how I had imagined
them finding out.
“What are you going to do now?” Raymond asked. “With Karla, I mean.”
Holden sighed. “I honestly have no idea. It depends on if she tries to press charges for this or not.”
“I’m thinking she’s going to let it drop,” I cut in, “given that most of the people there attested to the fact that she came up and started this shit with me.”
“Well, fingers crossed that it’s the last you see of her,” Raymond said. “Might be worth taking out a restraining order, you know, to make sure she keeps her distance.”
“Honestly, if she’s willing to leave it alone from here, then I am too,” Holden shook his head. “All of this has been so much stress on us, not to mention Hunter.”
“He didn’t seem very stressed today,” Raymond pointed out playfully. “Seemed to think the whole thing was very exciting when he was recounting the story to us. And he told it about three times, so I know it pretty well now.”
“Yeah, but she said some shitty stuff to him,” I reminded him. “It might not have an impact now, but in the future, it could take a turn for the worse. I want to make sure he’s taken care of and that he doesn’t have to worry about Karla coming back into his life anytime soon.”
“You’ll fight her off if she does, right?” Raymond teased, and I rolled my eyes and laughed.
“I’m not going to become some kind of pro boxer after this, you know,” I shot back. “I only did what I had to.”
“I guarantee you’re not the first person who’s wanted to land one on her,” Raymond replied. “And I doubt you’ll be the last. Not a court in the land would get you in any trouble for that, not if they found out what she was trying to do. Aren’t there rules about her coming onto school property, anyway?”