by Lisa Simmons
“You should eat something, Reece,” I said gently. I leaned across the counter while I tried to coax some food into him. He sat across from me, staring blankly at the plate I’d made up for him. His good mood from yesterday hadn’t seemed to survive the night, his infectious glow dimmed slightly. Our day yesterday had been spent goofing around, the lighthearted mood seeming foreign and magnificent all at once. We hadn’t done a whole lot besides tease each other playfully and laze around his house, but it had been perfect.
He’d said the words yesterday I had never really expected him to when he’d asked to be my boyfriend. It was something I’d wanted for ages but never really fixated on because I already knew, deep down, he was so much more than the simple title implied. He’d been mine for a long time now, just as I had been his. I’d given him my heart a long time ago, and he’d done all he could to keep it safe. Nothing was really different now besides our title. I was his, and he was mine. I wished some of that good feeling had made it through the night, but it hadn’t. We’d fallen asleep completely tangled in each other as always, our bodies pressed together in a desperate need for each other. We still hadn’t been together physically, but it wasn’t a huge deal. Simply spending the day with Reece, finally happy for once, had been more than satisfying. The time would come when we could be together again, but it wouldn’t be until after this mess had been settled. I knew his mind was still too preoccupied with all that had happened and I didn’t want to rush him even though I felt like I was going physically insane with need for him. The mere thought of his body on mine sent a heat wave through me, but I shoved the thought to the back of my mind. We had more important things to deal with, like going to court in only an hours time. Finally, we would at least know what his fate would be. “I’m not hungry,” Reece said, responding to my statement. He looked a bit pale and my heart clenched painfully.
“It’ll help if you eat something, babe,” I urged.
“I said I’m not hungry!” he snapped, slamming his fork down on the counter. I jumped slightly, flinching away from the sudden volume of his voice. He blew out a heavy sigh and pushed his face into his palms. I didn’t say anything to acknowledge his outburst.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, his words stifled by his hands. My lips pinched together as I moved around the counter to come stand behind him. I brought my hands to his shoulders to massage the tight muscles there. “It’s alright,” I said honestly. I knew he wasn’t lashing out at me. His shoulders were hunched slightly as he leaned back into my touch, lifting his head from his hands. “I just want to get this over with,” he said. My hands moved from his shoulders to slide around his chest so I could hug him from behind. My lips pressed into his shoulder lightly before I spoke.
“I know, babe. A few hours and this will all be done with.”
“Unless I go to jail,” he muttered. His muscles tensed when he said the word ‘jail.’
“You won’t go to jail because you’ve done nothing wrong,” I reassured him, shaking my head slowly. “We’ll go to court, get this sorted out, and come home.”“Okay,” he said. I got the sense he was getting tired of talking about it. I tilted my head to the side to kiss the base of his neck lightly. He sighed and tilted his head to the side, urging me on. My lips trailed farther up his neck, pressing light kisses up his skin. I let my teeth sink lightly into the space just below his ear, earning a quiet groan from him. My lips continued their gentle assault on his neck while my hands slid down his chest, my palms pressing lightly into his firm muscles. He hummed deeply in appreciation.
“That’s not nice,” he murmured. I was pleased to hear his tone was lighter than before.
“Just relax, baby,” I lulled against his skin. My hands drifted lower across his flat stomach, my fingers pressing into the warmth of his body.
“Hmm.”
My lips moved across his shoulder, nudging the collar of his shirt to the side.
“When you’re in there and you’re stressed...” I started, pressing my lips to his skin once more. “Just think of me doing this and forget about it all.”“If I think of you doing this we’re gonna have a different kind of problem,” he muttered, his voice laden with what sounded a lot like lust. His eyes were closed as he enjoyed the feeling of my lips and hands on his body. “Naughty,” I giggled, nipping at his shoulder. My hands dipped lower on his stomach to toy with the band of his shorts. He groaned when my fingers pushed against his skin, rolling his head to the side before spinning suddenly in his chair. His hands gripped my hips and pulled me tight against him. I giggled at his quick action and let my hands drape lazily across his shoulders while I grinned down at him.
“Oh, baby,” he said playfully, smirking up at me from his seated position. “You have no idea.”
He pulled lightly on my hips, tugging me forward so he could press a kiss to my lips. His tongue pushed lightly into my mouth as he momentarily deepened the kiss hungrily. As quickly as he started it, he ended it, pushing my hips lightly away from him so he could stand to his full height and tower over me as he usually did. “No stop teasing me before we’re late,” he said, pinching the side of my bum lightly with a wink as he walked past me. I squeaked and jumped away from his touch but couldn’t help grin at his playful nature. I was beyond relieved some of the heaviness had lifted, although I suspected it would return in full force once we were actually on our way. He carried his still full plate to the garbage, dumping the food out before putting it into the sink. I sighed, disappointed I hadn’t gotten him to eat but pleased with the little progress he made. He came around to where I stood again and grabbed both of my hands, tugging on them as he walked backwards slowly.
“Help me find something to wear?” he asked, tugging me toward his room. I smiled softly.
“Of course.” He smiled gently at my answer, his dimple dipping into his cheek. My hands stayed grasped in his as he pulled me down the hall, his eyes locked on mine as we moved. I shook my head and giggled at his strange behavior. Once in his room, he switched his grasp on my hands to turn around, drawing my arms around him from behind as he moved us to the closet. He pulled the doors open before returning his hands to cover mine as they rested over his stomach, my chin resting on his shoulder. I had to stand on my tiptoes to see over him. “Help,” he requested simply. I had been lucky enough to find some of my own clothes at Reece’s house that would serve as decent enough for the court appearance, so now it was time to dress him.
My eyes scanned his closet, most of which was an assortment of clothing very much not appropriate for a courtroom. The t-shirts he usually wore were folded into drawers, so all that hung in his closet were a few plaid shirts, a few sweaters, and a few jackets. I let go of Reece’s hand to reach around him and push his shirts aside. I thought I saw a peek of something promising, so I pressed a light kiss into his shoulder blade before moving out from behind him. His fingers toyed with the hem of my shirt, his fingers tickling against the base of my back while I looked through his closet. After shifting through it, I found a simple, slim navy blazer and a simple white shirt that could be worn under it. I picked them up and turned around, holding them in front of Reece. “This,” I said, nodding at him. “And black jeans. The nicer ones.”
“Jeans? Are you sure?” he asked skeptically, taking the clothes from me.
“Do you have dress pants?” I asked in amusement.
“No,” he admitted. I grinned at him. “Jeans it is.”
“You’ll look great,” I said, leaning up to kiss him gently. He nodded before moving to set the clothes on his bed. He pulled his shirt over his head, ruffling his hair as he did so. His body, as always, caught my eye and I couldn’t help but stare at the toned expanse of his torso. It took everything in me not to go up to him and run my hands over the defined ridges in his stomach. My glimpse was cut short, however, when he pulled the new shirt over his head, followed quickly by the blazer.
“You’re staring, Abby,” Reece said in amusement, his eyes f
ocused on smoothing out his shirt. He must have been able to feel my gaze like I often could feel his. “My boyfriend is hot,” I said with a grin. He shot me a pleased look before pulling his shorts off, leaving him in his boxers. He tossed his shorts at me, my hands flying up at the last second to catch them before they landed on my face. He laughed before crossing the room to pull his jeans from the dresser drawer.
“You bet he is, baby.”
I tossed Reece’s shorts into the laundry hamper while he finished getting dressed. I turned around again and felt my jaw fall open at the sight of him. He looked absolutely incredible in the fitted blazer and the low collared shirt. It was the most put together I’d ever seen him and I was fairly certain I was drooling at the sight.
“Wow,” I muttered. “You look great, Reece.”
He blew out a deep breath and looked at his reflection doubtfully in the mirror.
“You sure?”
“Yes. You’ll impress the hell out of them,” I said with a grin. I glanced at the clock to see it was already 9:30. “We should go, babe.”
He followed my gaze to the clock and swallowed as he nodded.
“Okay.”
I walked toward him and picked up his hand, bringing it to my lips to kiss his knuckles. His gaze held mine as I did so.
“I love you,” I reminded him.
“I love you, too.”
“Let’s go,” I said gently. He nodded and followed me as I led him through his house and out the front door to his car.
Reece was quiet on the ride to the courthouse, his nerves getting the best of him. I was too preoccupied worrying about him to feel nervous at all. His knee bounced up and down in a jittery motion and his thumb bounced off the wheel as he drove, his inner turmoil breaking through into physical reality. I placed my hand on his thigh and felt his muscles jumping beneath my touch. He pulled into a parking space and turned off the car. A heavy sigh blew from his lips as he leaned back into the seat, his eyes focused forward as he stared at the courthouse. His hand landed on top of mine, squeezing gently without looking at me while I studied his profile. His brows were pulled low and his jaw was clenched tightly as he stared ahead. “Ready?” I asked gently.
He nodded slowly, swallowing once before finally turning his head to look at me. I smiled gently at him, squeezing his hand once more before he turned to get out of the car. I copied him, joining him in front of the car and grabbing his hand in both of mine as we walked toward the courthouse. We walked through the doors and were greeted immediately by an entirely too perky woman behind the glass.
“Can I help you?” she asked with a wide smile.
“I, uh, I’m here for court,” Reece muttered, glancing apprehensively at me.
“Reece Evans?” a voice said from our side. We both turned to see a man strolling briskly toward us, his black suit pressed neatly and his hair slicked down with far too much gel. He had a confident smile on his face as he extended his arm toward Reece to shake hands. Reece grasped it firmly as the man introduced himself.
“I’m Steve Glenn. I’m an attorney and I’ve been appointed to your case,” he said smoothly.
“I’m Reece,” he said before putting a hand on my lower back. “This is Abigail.”
“Hi,” I said, shaking his hand.
“Nice to meet you both. Reece, if you’d come with me, we have a few things to go over before we get started in there. We’ll see you later, Miss,” he said, nodding respectfully at me. I felt a flare of panic, not expecting to be separated him so suddenly. Reece’s hand twitched at my back as he turned to me, his gaze finding mine instantly. “I’ll be in there waiting, okay?” I reassured him. My hands landed on either side of his face, clasping his jaw beneath my palms. He nodded and blew out a shaky breath, clearly unwilling to part with me. I pulled his face closer to mine until he was only a few inches away.
“I love you,” I whispered before pressing my lips to his. He held the pressure there for a few seconds before breaking the kiss and dropping his forehead to mine. “I love you, too.”
With that, he stepped away from me, leaving my hands empty. He held my gaze until he turned around, shooting me one last look over his shoulder before he disappeared into a room with his attorney. My heart panged tightly now that he was gone. This was it- the moment of truth that would determine how the rest of our near future went. I desperately hoped things would go how I’d been telling Reece they would, because I couldn’t bear to think of the alternative. I paced around the lobby, unsure of what to do with myself. I considered trying to go into the courtroom early when an idea struck me. My feet carried me to the overly enthusiastic woman who had greeted us. She looked up at me through the glass and shot me a bright smile.
“Hi,” I said, unsure of how to ask what I wanted to know or if she’d even be able to tell me.
“Good morning, can I help you?”
“Yes, I was wondering... could you tell me if someone is being held in the police station?”
“Do you know the name of the person?” she asked smoothly.
“Samuel,” I told her.
“Last name?” she inquired. I paused, certain I’d heard it before but unable to remember it. I wracked my brain, praying it would come to mind.
“Sampson!” I all but shouted, pleased it had popped up. “Samuel Sampson.”
She didn’t respond as she typed into her computer, her eyes focused on the screen.
“Yes, he is still held there. No one has posted his bail and he has court after your friend there,” she said, nodding her head toward the door Reece had disappeared in. “Boyfriend,” I couldn’t help but correct her, a small smile pulling on my lips.
“Ah, boyfriend,” she said, mirroring my shy grin. I decided I liked her even though she was overly excited. “Handsome young man.”
“He is,” I agreed. “Can you tell me... why is Samuel still being held?”
I didn’t want to give them any reason to take him out, but technically Samuel hadn’t done much. He’d pulled a gun on Reece, but he’d never actually fired it. Was that all it took to hold someone for days? It didn’t really seem like it.
She squinted at the screen again, reading whatever was written there before speaking again. “Oh my, it appears they found a substantial amount of illegal substances on him at the time of the arrest. Enough to keep him in jail until his court hearing.”I blinked, surprised at this news. Now it made sense why he hadn’t been allowed out, although I was a bit surprised none of his “friends” had managed to bail him out. “Will he... is he going to get out today? After his hearing?” I asked. The woman pursed her lips.
“It depends how the judge is feeling,” she said evasively.
“How has he felt in the past?” I asked, smiling at her gently to soften her up.
“Well,” she said, lowering her voice and glancing to the sides. We were alone. “He’s pretty unforgiving about those things. I wouldn’t expect him out any time soon, especially with the amount they found on him.”I refrained from jumping up and down in glee. It sounded like Samuel would be locked up for some time, which made me more than happy. At least one positive would come from today.
“Thank you,” I said, smiling at the woman. She returned it easily.
“You’re welcome, dear. I hope things go well for you,” she said sincerely.
“Thank you,” I replied before walking away from her counter. I walked to the door of the courtroom and pushed slightly to glance inside. A few guards stood inside, waiting for the hearing to start. I walked inside and no one stopped me, so I moved down the aisle until I reached the front row and sat down. I had barely landed on the wood of the bench when the doors opened again to let a long line of people to file in. A man and woman I did not recognized walked in followed by Reece’s attorney, another man, and finally, Reece. He looked pale but determined, his jaw set sharply as his eyes found mine. I nodded at him and shot him a reassuring look as he passed. I jumped when the door
opened once more, revealing someone I hadn’t been expecting: Emily.
My jaw fell open as she waved at me nervously, coming down the aisle to sit on the bench across from me. She mouthed a greeting to me that I was too shocked to return. I stared at her as the people moved past us.
The first two people filed behind the table on the right while Reece and the two remaining men settled behind the table on the left. They hadn’t even sat down yet when the guard at the front of the room commanded everyone to rise. I jumped to my feet, my nerves setting me on edge and drawing my attention away from Emily. The judge walked in, black cloak and all before he told everyone to sit down. I listened as he read off Reece’s rights and why we were all there, listing the events I had witnessed first hand. Reece flinched slightly when he mentioned Jack’s death, and I hated the judge for making him relive it. As he continued on, others rose to speak, some on Reece’s behalf and others against him. Their words began to blur together in my mind as fear started to take over, and I was having difficulty following despite my best efforts. Things started to get hazy and I felt like my body weighted a thousand pounds as they droned on and on, the anxiety I felt making it extremely hard for me to process what was happening.
“Mr. Evans,” the judge said, drawing my attention to him instantly. Reece rose to his feet and I was surprised at how sturdy he looked. Surely he was absolutely terrified inside. “Yes, your honor?” he said, his voice deep as it echoed in the room.
“We’ve heard a lot of people talk. I want to hear what you have to say,” the judge said, his steady gaze fixed on Reece.
“Yes, sir. What happened... it’s kind of a long story but... Jack was my girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend and he was kind of... deranged when she left him. He was abusive and controlling and he lost it when he saw her with me. He forced her to go back to him by threatening both her and I, more than once. She went back to him to try and protect me but I couldn’t let her put herself in danger like that so I went back to get her one night and we had almost gotten away when... he pulled a gun on me...” he trailed off, taking a shaky breath as he recounted the memories. It all sounded so strange when he put it all together like that- like something out of a horror movie. “Please continue, Mr. Evans,” the judge said calmly. His face was impossible to read as he focused on Reece.