You & Me (You & Me Series Book 1)

by Lisa Shelby

“You take care and keep up the good work in school. Things will get better kiddo even if you have to make that happen for yourself. You can do it.”

  “Thanks, Emily. It was really nice to meet you.”

  I thank Benson for taking him and as we walk back to my car we see Willy. He’s a local transient who I’ve taken a liking too. He’s a nice old man who lost his family and all hope years ago. He doesn’t cause any trouble and always does as I ask. He has just lost the ability to care about himself anymore.

  “Evening, Officer Kelly. Who’s this beauty you got along with ya tonight?”

  “Hey Willy, this is my friend,” I say begrudgingly. “Emily, this is Willy, Willy, this is Emily.”

  “Nice to meet you, young lady. Saw you there with that boy. That was very kind of you.”

  “It was my pleasure. Willy. He’s such a sweetheart. It’s nice to meet you too.”

  “So, Emily . . . how do you know Officer Kelly?”

  “He’s an old friend, Willy. How do you know him?”

  “Old friend you say, do you? Hmmm . . . interesting . . . very interesting. He’s an old friend of mine as well. He takes care of this old man and makes sure I stay out of trouble. He’s one of the good ones, Emily.”

  “Okay, that’s enough, you two. Emily, why don’t you head back to the car and I’ll be right there.”

  “Okay, bye Willy.”

  She gives him a wave and a smile that melts his heart, and mine.

  “She’s a keeper, Officer Kelly,” Willy whispers to me.

  “That she is, Willy . . . that she is. Hey, I have to head out but you okay? You need anything?”

  “Nope, I’m fine but thanks for asking. If you do anything right now, it better be findin’ a way to keep your hands on that pretty little thing. I think she’s just what you’re missing.”

  “You are a wise man and I think you just might be right. Gotta go, Willy. You stay safe out here and call me if you need anything.”

  As I walk back to the car I realize that I need to listen to Willy and not let her get away. I need to figure out how I plan to do that without running her off. She scares easily and her past isn’t any help either. I am so glad that the Fanuas are visiting next weekend and Liam and Mr. F can help me come up with a plan to get my girl back. But for now, let’s go to jail and then write my DUII report. What a way to woo her; jail and report writing. That’s some romantic shit right there.

  After a trip to jail and processing my DUII I let Emily know that she should go. I have quite a bit of paperwork ahead of me as a DUII arrest is not just as simple as taking the person to jail, and there’s no reason for her to sit around while I write. Besides, I don’t think I could focus on my report if she was sitting right there in close proximity of me.

  I drive her to the station then walk her to her car. She seems reluctant to leave but it’s late, and I’m sure she has to get up early with Ireland.

  Knowing I can’t stand here all night I finally break the silence and say, “It was great to see you, Em.”

  “Good to see you, too. Thanks so much for letting me tag along, it was great.”

  “No problem, I was glad to do it. Say hey to little Ireland for me.”

  “Will do. That will make her day.”

  Not knowing how to say goodbye but not wanting to let her go, I simply raise my hand and she knows exactly what I am looking for. A second later I get the slap to my hand that I was anticipating, and instead of grabbing her hand and pulling her into my arms I simply say, “Have a good night, Em. Drive safe.” She shyly smiles, gets into Justine and drives away.

  The only thing going through my head is MORE! I need more of her!

  The Face

  Emily

  So far I have loved my time at my new job. It’s only part time, but that actually works well as far as my Masters classes and being able to afford pre-school for Ireland goes. I’m working at Happy Valley High School and am assisting the SPED (special education) teacher, Heidi Colyer, for the first half of the school days. The thing I love about the SPED group is that I get to spend time with all sorts of great kids. There are kids that just have mild ADD and need additional assistance focusing and with organization. There are kids with behavioral issues that can be a bit of a handful, but are still great. And there are kids that are not neuro-typical and may be somewhere on the autism spectrum or have other challenges that require additional support. These kids usually have one-on-one time with specialized aides. I don’t get much time with them but I love the time we do get to spend together.

  All my kids are great, even the kids that have behavioral problems. When you get down to it, there’s usually a reason for their behavior and sometimes in these smaller settings where the kids can get some one-on-one time with an adult, you can figure out what those things are and really help them.

  There are also some kids that you just click with and I already have a couple of those. Austin Gilbert and Jesse Miller are two such kids. They happen to be good friends and great kids. They’ve both had a rough start but they seem to have each other’s backs and they have never been anything but respectful to myself and Mrs. Colyer. For some reason, I just get these two and I feel like I’ve helped them here and there. Their list of missing assignments seems to be dwindling, but the school year has just begun so only time will tell.

  Today, when the boys arrive to class there’s something odd going on between them. Jesse is keeping his head down and pretending to look at his work but is clearly off somewhere in his head, while Austin is doing everything he can to get my attention without causing a scene.

  “Hey guys, how was your weekend?” I ask as I approach their table and heed Austin’s signals.

  “Not too bad, Miss Jacobs. How about yours?” I get from Austin, but Jesse doesn’t reply.

  “It was good, thanks for asking. Either of you need help with any of your classes?”

  I can see Jesse just barely shake his head, but it’s clear that Austin would like my attention.

  Practically begging he asks, “Miss Jacobs, can we go over my English essay?”

  “Sure, let’s see what you have so far,” I say as I take the seat next to him.

  As Austin turns his notebook towards me I can hear my heart pounding in my head when I read the note that he has written for me.

  Jesse’s dad hurt him this weekend. He’s not okay and needs help but he made me promise I wouldn’t say anything to anybody but we have to help him. He has to get out of that house. He stays to protect his younger brother but it isn’t safe for either of them. Check his arms.

  I write ‘ok’ on the paper and my mind starts spinning with ideas of what to do. I know I have to play it cool so that Jesse doesn’t notice anything is off, so I spend another couple of minutes with Austin and we do actually look at his English essay and then I leave him to work.

  I walk around the class and check on a couple of other kids before I get to Jesse and once I reach him I take the open seat next to him.

  “Hey Jess, you’re pretty quiet today. Everything okay?”

  “Yep.”

  “Why are you wearing such a heavy coat today? It’s gotta be like ninety degrees outside.”

  “Dunno, just felt like it.”

  “Hey bud, can you look at me?” He’s been hiding behind his long hair and I can tell he doesn’t want me to see why.

  “Jesse, you aren’t yourself and you won’t even look at me. What’s going on?” I press on.

  “Nothing, just leave me alone,” he huffs. It’s clear he’s getting frustrated with my insistence.

  “Well, I won’t do that but let’s see what you have for homework that we can work on. Whatcha got?”

  “Just some math, no big deal,” he shrugs.

  “Well, get it out of your backpack and let’s take a look and make sure you understand what you guys are studying in class this week.”

  He just sits there, but once he realizes I’m not going anywhere he gets his binder out of his backpack
and flops it on the table awkwardly.

  On a heavy sigh he says, “I don’t have a pencil.”

  “Here, borrow mine,” I say handing him mine.

  Out of habit when he starts to write he pushes up his sleeves on his jacket and cringes. I can just barely see the burn on his forearm but it’s enough to send a protective rage through me.

  “Jesse, look at me,” I order and all the sweetness has left my tone.

  Still refusing to look at me and sounding exhausted, he pleads with me once more. “No Miss Jacobs, just leave it alone.”

  Standing from the table I announce, “Jesse is gonna help me run to get some supplies, Mrs. Colyer, We’ll be right back. Austin, have her look at your essay when you’re done if I’m not back in time.”

  Jesse doesn’t move.

  “Would you like me to cause a scene in front of the whole class or would you like to go sit in the Commons and talk to me?”

  With that he abruptly gets up and the sliding sound of his chair gets everybody’s attention while he storms out of the classroom ahead of me. We don’t say anything until we reach the Commons. He throws himself into a chair at the nearest table and I sit across from him.

  Because we’re out in the open and anybody that walks by can see and hear us he whispers, “Miss J, you don’t understand. I can’t let you get involved in this. I have to stay in my home with my brother and if they make me leave I won’t be there to protect him.”

  He finally lifts his head to me and I can see that his left eye and temple are severely bruised. He lifts his jacket sleeve and shows me burn marks. I try my very best not to gasp out loud, but inside I am cursing and trying to catch my breath.

  “Jesse, did your mom or dad do this to you?”

  “My mom isn’t around.”

  “So, it was your dad.”

  No reply.

  “Are those cigarette burns, sweetie?”

  With tear filled eyes, this six-foot plus boy who scares most of the other kids in school away with just a look pleads with me. “Listen, you can’t take me away. Who will watch over William?”

  “Jesse, let’s see what we can do to help you. Let’s go on up to the counselor’s office and talk to somebody. As an employee, I have to report any abuse that I see, but hopefully we can get both you and your brother somewhere safer.”

  “Do you really think we could both get out?”

  “I can’t make any promises, but I am sure there is always a chance, Jesse.”

  I cannot believe I am headed to happy hour after the day I’ve had. After a couple of hours in the office with Jesse and the authorities, I was an emotional mess and Cami thinks happy hour is just what I need. I hope I did the right thing for Jesse and for William. I just want them to be safe. The social worker from the Department of Human Services says that they’ve reached out to their Grandmother, and she’s going to pick them both up and stay with them while things get figured out. They’re issuing a warrant for his dad’s arrest and hopefully, if Jesse continues to cooperate, his dad won’t be coming home anytime soon. Thank goodness he’s still 17 and not an adult yet or things may not be going as well as they are as far as getting the boys removed from the house together. I left him with our School Resource Officer, Officer Blackburn, and even though I knew he was in good hands, I hated to walk away from him.

  After dropping Ireland off at my mom’s and meeting at Cami’s place, we hop in her car and head down to The Observatory to meet Alex. It’s our favorite little spot, with the best drinks, and oh my God the oregano fry bread is to die for! I’m really not in the mood for this but I appreciate Cami trying to help. To be honest, I miss my best friends. I’ve lived with Cami for the last eight years and not seeing her every day has been more of an adjustment than I anticipated. She really is my rock and I owe her so much. And I feel like I have years of catching up to do with Alex. I think I can manage a happy hour if it means time with the two of them.

  I fill them in on the details of poor Jesse, and what a great friend Austin was. That he made sure that an adult saw what was happening, and got him help. reassures me that I made the right decision and that I deserve an adult beverage to celebrate.

  Since I’m not much of a drinker, my plan is just to have one drink but Cami seems to have other plans. We manage to find three stools at the bar so we belly up and order our drinks. Our favorite adult beverage, here at The Observatory, is the Chelsey’s Bellini. It’s ridiculously sweet but sooo good. It’s made with pear vodka, peach puree and champagne. One is all that’s needed for this light-weight. My plan is to sip slow and fill my tummy with fry bread.

  We order our drinks and bread as we talk about Cami’s new job in Real Estate, Alex and her job as an event planner, my Masters classes and job at the school. The bar is slowly getting louder and warmer. There is a group of guys that look like they just got off work and are looking to blow off some steam. As always, Cami zeroes right in on them.

  “Hey chica, I bet I can get us some free drinks.”

  “I don’t want any free drinks, but you go right ahead. I’m happy right here with my fry bread.”

  “Oh no, you’re the one who had the shit day. You are drinking!”

  “Cami, I have to go to work tomorrow and I have Ireland to take care of. I cannot get shitty.”

  “One shot won’t kill you.”

  “Have you met me? I barely drink, let alone do shots. You go right ahead though, and I’ll drive us home, but there is no way I am doing shots!”

  “You know you can’t stop her once she gets her mind set on something.” Alex giggles as we watch Cami do what she does best.

  Cami introduces herself to the guys and she’s amazing to watch in action. She isn’t overtly sexy, and she is far from a slut, but she is so damn cute that guys just fall under her spell. She promises nothing and still gets drinks everywhere we go. Tonight, she’s in a professional yet sexy, tight, black sheath dress and with her heels giving her some height and helping her amazing legs stand out . . . these guys don’t stand a chance. She has a confidence about herself that I’ve never had. I haven’t been out much in the last five years—my life has been more diapers and bottles than bars—and the time away hasn’t done much for my self-esteem. I feel so much older than my 26 years and to be honest, I’m not really interested in meeting anybody. Besides, I have the guy of my dreams wanting to try again and I friend-zoned him.

  Not letting me down, Cami returns to my side with a big ole smile on her face and within a couple of minutes there are three shots of fireball being placed in front of us. I push my shot towards Cami while she’s turning towards the table of guys to wave her thanks, but she pushes it right back in front of me as soon as she turns back to me.

  Damn!

  “You deserve one night of letting lose. One shot with your girls, chica. It’s just happy hour. We aren’t going to stay out all night.”

  “If I take this one shot will you leave me alone?”

  Cami crosses her heart and Alex says, “We promise to be nice, Em. Just have one shot to loosen you up a bit. You deserve it.”

  I hope doing this will get them off my back. If so . . . taking this one shot may be worth it! I finally cave and pick up my shot glass.

  “That’s my girl! On three!” Cami hollers.

  “1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . .” we all count down and slam down our shots. Damn, that stuff burns.

  “Woo!!!! Damn, Cam that’s strong!”

  We slap hands while I shake my head to try to get rid of what the fireball is doing to my brain, because my brain . . . my brain is fuzzy already.

  I’m such a light weight! What was I thinking?

  “I know, isn’t it great?”

  “No, I don’t think great is the word that I would use. It’s like fire!”

  “Alex, why would you let her talk me into this? What kind of friend are you?”

  “It’s just one shot, Emmers. You’ll be fine.” Alex replies but Cami isn’t having any of that.

  “
We’ll have one more please!” she says raising her hand to get the attention of the bartender.

  “Cami! No way! I have to work tomorrow!”

  While waiting on the bartender she turns to me and says, “So tell us about it.” I just look at her confused. “Come on, Em. Talk to us about Jonathan. He told me at Mick’s the other day that he wanted to try again but you weren’t interested. Why?”

  “Why does he always talk to you?” I don’t know why it surprises me that they seem to be teaming up again after the plan they concocted back in San Clemente . . . but it does.

  “Honey, you broke his heart that day. He’s still crazy in love with you and he wants to get to know Ireland. He’s such a good guy. You said you still loved him after seeing him at Kells and he’s hella hot, so what’s wrong with him? Do you not have feelings for him anymore?”

  I can feel the Fireball warming my insides up and I’m already feeling tipsy, this must be why I suddenly become so free with my words.

  “What is it, Em? Talk to us.” Alex pleads ever so gently.

  “There’s nothing wrong with him, you guys. He’s perfect and yes, I still have feelings for him. That stupid Badge Bunny, Courtney, just ruined it by throwing it in my face that she had been with him. It scared me and I instantly put my walls back up. I know it’s been over five years and I don’t expect him to have been celibate the entire time, but it just made me sick to think of him with her and I pushed him away.”

  “And friend-zoned him.” Cami adds.

  “Yep, I sure did.” I say as I slam my hand down on the bar. “I just reacted and didn’t think it through. But Cami, I do have a lot on my plate with raising a child, work and classes. Do I have time for more?”

  “Do you still love him?”

  Where is that next shot? I cannot have this conversation even a little bit sober.

  “Here you go, ladies,” the hipster bartender with a full beard, flannel shirt and suspenders says as he puts another shot of Fireball in front of us, but this time I can’t slam it down fast enough.

  “I’ll take that as a yes, then?”