Right on time at seven, he’s at my front door. I swing the door open. “Hey.”
He grins. “Hey. You ready?”
I nod. “Yeah, let’s go.” I turn and call out, “Mom, I’m going!”
I hear her call back from the kitchen, “Okay, be home by eleven thirty.”
“Okay!” Grabbing my light jacket, I follow him out to his car. Once we’re inside, I ask, “So how much trouble are you in?”
He shakes his head. “I can’t pull anything like that again, but my mom had told my dad what happened. He could understand me needing to get you out of town for a day or so. He just doesn’t want everyone knowing about it. They tried to be really understanding, but I know I can never push it that far again.”
I sigh, “I know, the public would think that he lets his son turn their lake house into a playboy vacation or something.”
“Exactly. You know how all the old biddies in the town would talk. So I respect that and I promised no more trips without supervision,” he says quietly.
I nod and smile. “Okay, well let’s get some food and then head to the party. Who knows what might happen if we have some extra time before my curfew.”
He grins, looking over at me. “Oh, we’ll have some extra time. I can guarantee it.”
CHAPTER 29
Collin-
Pulling into the Daffin’s farm, I have to say I’m not real excited. I really want to just turn my car around and take Jo somewhere private where we can do more of what we did last night. Jo is really the first person to be one hundred percent the real deal with me. If I piss her off, she tells me. If she thinks the play I made sucks donkey balls, she tells me. In those exact words, as a matter of fact. I’ve never had someone more real in my life and from where I stand, it’s what matters.
As we step out of my car, I pull her into my side with my arm around her shoulders and walk toward the bonfire. Once we’re close, I hear the voice that belongs to the pain in my ass. “Well, look guys, it’s the hunk and the geek.” Ciara’s voice reminds me of nails on a chalkboard.
“Yes, Ciara, very observant of you. Let me see if I can figure it out. I must be the geek because I’m in band and he’s the hunk because, well, he is. But sorry, he’s all mine,” Jo says, dripping with sarcasm.
Ciara rolls her eyes and turns to walk away as Jo flips her off. That gains a chuckle from several of my teammates who are standing around the fire.
Seeing her brother, Jo heads in that direction. Once we meet up with James and start talking, it doesn’t take long for Booker to make his way over. “Hey, QB. Wasn’t sure if you’d show tonight.”
“Well, the team’s here so I’m here,” I say with as little emotion as possible.
“Great, let me grab you guys a beer.” Turning, he runs to grab a couple off the keg.
I try to stop him and say I’m driving, but he doesn’t listen.
Jo looks at me and I smile. “I’m not going to drink mine so you don’t have to worry. You can drink yours. I’m driving and my parents would kill me.” Sure, I’d pushed the button a few times and drank a beer or two before driving home. Seriously, what kid hasn’t? But something tells me that Booker is trying to set me up. Chances are he’d call the cops as soon as I left here. My dad would beat my ass and my mother would be mortified. Not to mention the public would persecute my dad.
He’s back in a few minutes and hands Jo a beer and then me one. “So we had a party last night, too. Where were you guys?”
“We had a date night,” I answer.
He grins. “Well, isn’t that sweet.” He’s being a total smartass. He’s never taken a girl on a real date in his life. The Frosty King is about all a girl gets from him and I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes her pay for hers.
Jo glares at him. “It was. You should take lessons. Might not be dating Polly so much.” Polly is a term that guys used to say when they were jacking their dick. Polly Palm and her five sisters.
Just as he was about to say something, all hell breaks loose behind us. Running over to where all of the action is, I see our star basketball player ramming his fist repeatedly into some guy I don’t know. It’s getting ugly and a new girl from the basketball team is standing to the side screaming for Grant to stop. I look over at James and we charge in. “Whoa, Grant, buddy, stop.” I get him pulled off the guy and as soon as I do, the girl charges forward and slaps him in the face.
“Are you fucking stupid, Grant?” she screams.
“Rave, he had no business putting his hands on you like that. What in the hell is he even doing here?” he growls.
“Fuck this, I’m leaving.” She storms off.
I pull Grant off to the side. “Man, what in the hell is going on? Was that your girl?”
He shakes his head, wiping a little blood off his lip. “Raven, she’s the new shooting guard on the girl’s team. But she’s been my best friend since we were little. She grew up in Greenville. That’s the jackass her parents have been trying to keep her away from.”
“What did he do?” I ask.
“Over the summer, he roughed her up a little, upset her, and she called me. Then I talked to her parents. That really pissed her off, but someone needed to know.”
I nod. “Very true, man.”
James comes walking up. “Got that guy on the road, Booker told his ass to never come back.” He looks around. “Have you seen my sister?”
I stop Clementine and ask her. She starts looking, too.
“I’ll go look.” We start walking and the more I walk, the more concerned I get about not seeing her. I stop Addison, who is really too young to be out here. “Have you seen Jo?”
She snorts. “Maybe she’s in the bathroom. You should keep track of your dork.” I would say something to her, but I have to find Jo.
Jinks stops me. “Hey, man, saw your tutor girl here. Nice.”
Good, he saw her somewhere. “Hey, man, have you seen her in the past few minutes? I can’t seem to find her.”
He shakes his head. “No, man.” He chucks me on the shoulder. “Glad you got your head out of your ass about her though. I like her. She’s a smartass. She can stand up to that bitch, Ciara.” He laughs as he walks away.
In the barn, I find the bathroom door and opening it, I’m not prepared for what I find. Booker is holding a limp, dazed Jo up against the wall with her shirt half off, touching her and licking her. All while that bitch, Ciara, snaps pictures with her phone.
Charging in the bathroom, I snatch Booker off of her, throwing him into Ciara and knocking her over. Reaching down, I pull Jo up and fix her shirt just as James comes barreling in. “What the hell?!” he booms. Clementine follows him in, screaming something I can’t make out. My eyes are tunneled into Jo right now.
I keep trying to get Jo’s attention. “Baby.” I shake her face and she tries to nod and mumbles something.
I hear Booker rambling about her wanting it, but she’s drunk.
I look at James. “She only had one beer. She shouldn’t be like this.” I point to Booker. “That fucker did something to her and that bitch was taking pictures.” I turn my gaze to Ciara and glare. “If those pictures end up anywhere, you’ll wish you were dead.”
As soon as that comes out, a streak of blonde hair known as Clementine barrels across the room, grabbing Ciara by her hair and dragging her out. I hear punches being thrown and a whiny scream from Ciara.
Looking at James, every part of me wants to jump up and do the same to Booker, but Jo doesn’t look good. “Call the cops on his ass. Tell them he drugged her and that I took her to the hospital since we don’t know what he gave her. Call your mom to meet me there.”
Reaching down, I scoop her up in my arms. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”
She starts trying to say something but it comes out as mumbles, right before she turns her head and starts throwing up. “It’s okay,” I rub her hair. “Keep throwing it up.”
I look to James, who now has Booker by the throat. Jink
s walks in the door. “Man, this is fucked up. What can I do?”
I nod. “Help James hold him till the cops get here and smash that damn phone that’s on the floor. That sick bitch was taking pictures.”
Jinks just shrugs and stomps his two-hundred-fifty-pound body down on the phone, then steps over to help James. Once I get Jo in my car, Clementine runs and jumps in the back seat behind me and I spin out, driving out of the field to get to the hospital.
“Booker? He did that to her?” Clem talks to herself in the back seat. “Why?”
I shake my head and answer, even though I really don’t think she’s asking me. “I really don’t know. She only had that one drink and then I was dealing with that fight. I intend to find out, though, and she needs to press charges against his ass.”
It’s only a few minutes before we’re pulling up to the ER. Jo’s mom’s car squeals into the parking lot a couple of seconds later. “Clem, go tell Mrs. Faith what happened while I get her up,” I say, motioning to Jo.
Clem takes off running while I pick Jo up out of the car. “Come on, baby. Are you going to talk to me?”
Her mom runs up beside us as we enter the doors. A nurse sees us and runs over to me. “Sir, can we help you?”
Her mom speaks up. “Someone put something in my daughter’s drink at a party.”
They look back at me carrying her and I nod. “Yes. Probably about thirty to forty minutes ago.”
A nurse directs us to a curtain area with a bed. “Place her here.”
She comes back a second later with a clipboard and a tablet. She hands the clipboard to Mrs. Faith. “Ma’am, can you fill this out as we talk? I’m going to get some information from these kids.” Another nurse comes in and starts doing stuff to Jo.
Her mom nods as the nurse turns my direction. “Can you tell me more about what happened? I need to know for the police. Do we need to perform a rape kit? Did you see anything that would make you think we do?”
I clear my throat. “No. No rape kit, she still had her pants on. We were at a party. I was helping to break up a fight. After that, I went to look for her but couldn’t find her. I started asking and someone directed me to the bathroom. When I opened the door, a guy had her up against the wall with her shirt partially off. He was assaulting her while another girl took pictures with her phone.” I sigh. “I grabbed her and brought her here, she did start throwing up before we got in the car to come here.”
I hear her mom’s breath catch. “Where’s James?”
“He’s still at the party. I had him hold the guy until the cops got there.”
“Where is the phone?” the nurse asks.
“I had someone smash it. I didn’t want her embarrassed by the photos,” I say quietly.
She touches my arm. “Can you get someone to bring us the phone? Even smashed, the SD card could still have the pictures on it. It’ll help the police,” she explains.
Clementine signals that she’ll do it. The nurse turns her attention back to me. “What was she drinking in the cup?”
Fuck. “A beer from the keg,” I reply softly.
Clementine hangs up. “The police are there and they took the phone. They are letting James come here and they’ll question him here.”
I hear Jo’s mom sigh in relief. The nurse asks me a few more questions before a doctor comes in and they ask us to step out so they can draw some blood to do some screenings.
As soon as we’re in the waiting room, Mrs. Faith looks at me. “Collin, honey, you need to call your parents. They need to know what’s about to happen.”
“You’re going to make her press charges against him, aren’t you?” I ask firmly.
“You bet your ass I am. I’m upset with you guys for being at a party drinking, but I’m realistic. I know it happens and as slick as James thinks he is, I know he isn’t innocent either. But that boy set out to hurt my baby, I’m not okay with that. I’ve failed Jo in so many ways already, I won’t fail her this time,” she explains as we find a chair to sit in.
“I promise I wasn’t drinking tonight. I knew I was driving Jo home and I wouldn’t do that. Jo only had a beer, if she even finished it. She’s funny about drinking because of-.” I stop because I don’t want to talk about her dad right now.
She pats my hand. “I understand, sweetie. Go call your parents.” She turns to tell Clem the same thing.
I take my phone and step out in the hallway to make a phone call, which may get me grounded for life.
CHAPTER 30
Joelle-
Ugh, I feel like someone is stomping on my head. Something is stuck to my hand. I try to figure out what it is, but my eyes are so damn heavy and they burn.
“I see you’re coming around,” a cheerful voice says.
I pry my eyes open to see a nurse in hot pink scrubs. “Where am I?”
She stops me. “Sweetie, let’s get you some ice chips. You’ve been sick. I’m your nurse, Candace. If you need anything while you’re here, you hit that red button.” She hands me a cup.
While I suck on a couple of ice chips, she starts to explain. “Your boyfriend brought you in after someone put the equivalent of a roofie in your drink. The boy who did it was arrested.” She must see fear in my eyes. “You were not raped. Your boyfriend, the hot little stud he is, stopped it all. Now, you’ve got a crew in the waiting room. I’m gonna go let them know you’re awake.”
A couple of minutes later, my mom comes tearing through the curtain. She pulls me into a tight hug. “Oh, Joelle. You took years off my life. We are going to press charges against that little asshole who put that in your drink. I’m not happy you were drinking a beer, but we have several witnesses who say that you’d barely drank any of it, so you shouldn’t have been in the shape you were in. It’s all going to be okay.”
The curtain moves again and suddenly the small area is full with my siblings, Collin, his parents and Clementine.
Both of my siblings hug me tight. James’s heart is pounding so hard, I can feel it against me.
Collin’s mom pulls me into a hug. “Oh, sweetie, I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Collin’s dad hugs me, too. I swear I’ve never been hugged so much in my life. Clementine just stands there crying. “Clem, you okay?” I croak out.
She steps up. “I should be asking you that. Just so you know, I beat that bi-, Ciara’s butt,” she says, catching herself about to say I beat that bitch’s ass.
I smile, “Thank you, but why? Who?”
Mom looks around. “I think we’ll step out and let Collin explain the events of the night to you. They said once you woke up, you would be able to go home soon. I’ll see where that process is at.”
As she leaves, I look to Collin and Clem. Collin steps forward. “Well-.”
Thirty minutes later, I’m angry, angrier than I’ve ever been in my life. Never mind, no, I’m not angry. I’m fucking pissed. I’m so glad that Clem beat her ass. How could a female watch some asshole do that to another female?
“So they are going to bring both of them up on charges?” I ask.
Collin nods. “As far as we know. I figure Booker’s dad will try to get him out of it, but I don’t think he’ll be able to. My dad has already been on the phone with the police chief.” He eyes Clementine.
She gives off a little laugh, “Needless to say, the parties are shut down and I’m a little grounded. Dad is kinda pissed I was there.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for all of this to happen,” I say quietly.
Collin takes my hand. “Hey, don’t do that. Those assholes did this, not you.”
The nurse steps back in. “Okay, we’re gonna get you ready to go. Here are your clothes you came in. The shirt looks like it took some pretty bad damage.”
I nod. “Thanks.”
As she steps out, Collin pulls off the long-sleeved button up he’s wearing. “Here, I’ve got a t-shirt on. Just put this on. I’m gonna go find your mom.”
Clem starts to help me get dressed.
“He was pretty serious tonight. Luckily he was so concentrated on you that he didn’t beat the hell out of Booker like I did Ciara.”
I snort. “What did your daddy Chief say about that?”
“That’s part of the reason I got grounded. He could see my reasoning, but still not a great image for his children. James and Jinks got Booker though. It wasn’t pretty.”
“I told James about my secret,” I whisper.
She looks at me, shocked. “Really? Damn. Are you going to tell anyone else?”
“I don’t know.”
“Were you going to tell me that you and Collin did it?” She sees my eyes go crazy.
“He said something very quietly to the nurse. She was asking if a rape kit needed to be done. We both told her that we pretty much got in there just as things were starting, but he wanted to be honest in case they did one anyway.”
“Did my mom hear?” I freak.
She shakes her head. “No, your mom had gone out to drop some papers off or something.”
My mom comes in the curtain before I can say anything else. “Are you ready to go home?”
I nod, stepping into my shoes. “Yeah. I’m ready to be in my own bed.”
“Clementine, James said he would give you a ride back to your car,” Mom relays.
“Thank you.” She turns to me. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Get some rest. We have hell week this week, remember?”
I throw my head back. Shit. The week before ABA and I’ve got to deal with this. “Yeah. I’ll be ready.”
As she walks away, Mom turns to me. “Hell week?”
“The week before contest. It gets a little nutty. Well, I should say Mr. Clark and all of us section leaders get a little nutty.”
She pulls me into her side. “Well, you’re staying in bed tomorrow. They said twenty-four hours of rest.”
Crimson Catch (Game Time #1) Page 14