“Jared,” I say and catch his eyes. “Do something,” I plead with him.
He looks at the two of them. Hunter’s on top of Slade now, beating the shit out of him. His hands clench into fists, but he just shakes his head at me.
I grit my teeth. I realize I'll have to be the one to break up the fight.
The next minute goes so fast, I’m barely aware of its passing.
I dart forward in the second that they pull apart, wiping their bloodied faces. I try to get between them, to push them apart.
Instead, Hunter goes for Slade’s throat, elbowing me in the side of the head. One second I’m moving toward Hunter, the next I’m spinning away. Fuck!
I hit the pavement hard, scraping my arm and feeling a pain radiating in my temple. Damn, that hurt. It takes a second before I’m able to breathe and reach my hand up to the side of my head. I wince when my fingers touch where Hunter landed the blow.
I prop myself up slightly and ignore the pain, looking up at the two men who are fighting over me. Or were fighting — now that they’ve knocked me down, they’re concerned about me again.
“Vi—”
“Violet!”
I wipe at my lip and glance at the crowd. The reaction seems to be somewhere between horror and shock, and I feel crushed beneath their curious gazes.
Hunter grabs my arm and hauls me to my feet.
“I’m sorry,” he says, looking at me like a piece of fragile china. “I didn’t mean to, I swear. Are you okay?”
Slade is on my other side, shoving Hunter off.
“Don’t you touch her,” Slade says loud enough for everyone to hear and trying to wrap his arm around my shoulders. He’s got a busted lip and he wipes away the blood with the back of his shirt sleeve.
I can’t stop looking at the gathered audience, whispering. I’m completely overwhelmed.
Once again, it’s me that will be the subject of rampant gossip, me that will bear the burden of what happened today.
Enough.
“Get off,” I say to Hunter, my pitch sharp. I look at Slade. “And you, too. Both of you just get off of me.”
I shake them both off, and start running toward my apartment above the bakery. I’m so ashamed, miserable with it. Tears stream down my face, though I didn’t notice them until now.
Both Hunter and Slade are adding to my burden, to the gossip about me, and I won’t have it. Can’t deal with it.
“Vi! Violet—” Hunter calls, but I ignore him.
I keep running, hoping that I can outrun my past, outrun all the damage done.
Maybe if I keep going, it will work this time.
Chapter 57
Hunter
It’s silent in the empty police station. Just me and the sheriff. I can feel his eyes on me, but I don’t look up. I wrap the gauze around my knuckles and do my best to calm the fuck down. The adrenaline is still racing in my blood.
I wasn’t done with Slade when Vi got in the middle. She shouldn’t have done that. I wish she hadn’t. Even worse, I struck her. I pulled back and slammed my elbow into her. I know it hurt. My poor Vi. I don’t know what the hell she was thinking.
I stood there, watching her run from me. Literally running. My heart’s never hurt so damn much. I don’t wanna cause her pain. Ever. And I keep fucking doing it.
I could hear the sirens and the blood rushing in my ears as I watched her leave me.
I stretch my jaw. My lip’s split, and I’m sure I’ll have a bruise on my cheek by the way it feels. He hit me back once, maybe twice. But as soon as I got on top of him and started laying into him, all he did was try to block my punches.
I still don’t know what he did to her. If the cops hadn’t shown up the second I lost her in my vision, I would’ve beat the piss out of him until he told me.
Vi didn’t say a damn thing to anyone, as far as I know. She didn’t tell me or anyone else what he did, but that bastard said enough for me to figure out he hurt her.
I can still hear him screaming how she’s a liar and she wanted it when I started walking toward him. That was what sent me over the edge. That’s what pushed me to charge at that fucker. My fist clenches, and the blood soaks through the bandages.
I look down at my hand and slowly pull the ruined bandages away. I can still feel his bones crunching beneath my heavy blows to his face.
Black eyes and a broken nose aren’t enough. But at least I put some damage on him before Sheriff Caswell showed up.
“Mr. White wants to press charges,” the sheriff says from where he’s standing a few feet away.
I hear the sheriff talking, but I don’t look up. I huff a humorless laugh and ball up the gauze, tossing it into the small trash bin in the corner of the police station.
We’re in the front room, by the desk. It’s a narrow hall really. The cells are in the back. At least he didn’t put me back there... yet.
“What about the charges Violet’s gonna press against him?”
I see his boots shift on the ground, and he hesitates to answer. I look up at the old man with a hard expression.
She better get justice. More than what I can give her.
“He says he didn’t do anything to her,” he replies, and his soft blue eyes stare down at me with sadness. His voice is low, but even.
“And what’d she say?” I ask.
My voice cracks a bit, making me sound weak. But that’s how I feel. I don’t like the way Sheriff Caswell’s looking at me. I get a sense that nothing’s gonna come from this.
They’ve gotta believe her. Caswell’s a good man. This town is full of good people. They’ll stand by her, I know they will.
“Nothing,” he answers me. His eyes are pleading with me for something. But I don’t know what.
Nothing? I don’t understand.
I sit back on the bench and run my hand through my hair. I can’t look at him. I stare at the anti-drug posters on the back wall.
Finally I look at him, as my body heats with anxiety and my heart slows.
“What do you mean, nothing?”
“She didn’t want to talk. She answered questions about the fight, but she didn’t want to talk about anything else.”
I lean forward with my head in my hands; my gut twists and my heart clenches. My Vi. My poor Vi.
My eyes feel glassy with tears, but I shove that down and look up at him. “She’s just hurting.”
“I know. That doesn’t change the fact that she’s not pressing charges, but Slade’s pressing them on you.”
My body goes tense, and I grit my teeth.
“Slade got what he had coming to him.”
My voice is low as I push out the words. My muscles flex, and I resist the urge to get up and do something stupid, like rip this place apart.
The anger is good though. I know how to handle my anger. It’s the pain I feel for Vi that I don’t know what to do with.
“I don’t disagree. I do have some questions to ask you though.”
I nod my head once and wait for it. I’m mostly waiting for him to cuff me and throw me in a cell.
“We have several conflicting testimonies. Some say you hit him first, others say he hit you first.” My brows raise, and I stay still as a wave of shock hits me. “Now, obviously if you were to admit that you hit him first, he’d have reasonable cause and I’d be forced to arrest you, son.”
He pauses, and I wait for him to continue. I did hit him first, and I’m not gonna lie about that.
“But if you didn’t, then... I don’t see a reason that he could file charges.”
I stare at my hands, not wanting to lie. But I sure as fuck don’t wanna sit behind bars while Vi is God knows where. She needs me.
“What if I don’t say anything?” I ask him.
“Then I think I’d tell you to get your ass home and stay outta trouble.”
I nod my head and stand up. He doesn’t need to tell me twice, and I don’t need to give him time to change his mind.
As I walk to
the front door, he says, “Just keep your head down and your mouth shut about it.”
I nod my head and mutter that I will. Slade better stay away though.
“I won’t be able to help you again,” Sheriff Caswell warns.
“I hear ya.” As long as Slade stays away from Vi, we won’t have any problems. And after the ass whooping I gave him, I can’t imagine he’ll be coming back for seconds.
“And about Violet,” the sheriff says as I open the door. I turn to look at him over my shoulder. “I’ll be here when she wants to talk.”
I maintain eye contact with him and nod. “Thank you, Sheriff.”
The cold breeze of the early morning whips across my face. It’s fucking cold. I’m tired, feeling like shit, and hating everything that just happened. I start walking to the bar's parking lot and then realize I don’t have the keys to my truck. They’re in my coat pocket, the coat I gave Vi last night.
At least I have a legitimate reason to see her then. Even if she doesn’t wanna talk, even if she doesn’t want to see me.
I just wanna know she’s alright. That’s the only thing that matters right now.
Chapter 58
Violet
I walk up the driveway of my parents’ house with a heavy heart, knowing I have to tell my mama I’m leaving. I let myself into the house, feeling like a quitter. I came here instead of going home. It’s closer, but that’s not why I came here. I need my mama.
“Hello?” I call out from the foyer.
“In here!” Mama calls out.
I follow her voice and head into the living room, where she’s propped up in her favorite recliner under a ton of blankets. She hits mute on the TV remote and turns to me with the ghost of a smile.
My first thought is that she doesn’t look good. She looks pinched and grey.
“Hey Mama,” I say, walking over to drop a kiss on her cheek. “Whatcha watching?”
“Oh, some antiques show,” she says, waving her hand. “It’s not important.”
“Ah,” I say, taking the chair beside hers. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s at the Elks Lodge, drinking dollar beers and hustling fellow members at pool.”
I try to relax into the seat, but I’m tense. I’ve got a bit of blood on the sleeve of my shirt from where Hunter grabbed me, but other than that I look normal. I think. I’m nervous and anxious to tell her what happened.
Especially since it seems like she’s having a bad day today, healthwise. I hate the idea that my leaving will have an effect on her, though I know it will. At least no one called to tell her first. Or if they called, she didn’t answer. I have to tell her before they do. I can’t let her find out about things that way.
When I finally work up the will to tell her, I look over at her. She’s looking back at me with compassion, the kind of feeling that can’t be invented or faked.
Despite all my best intentions, I burst into tears.
“Ohhh, my girl,” she says, reaching out to pat my hand. “It’s not so bad, my darling.”
Her words only make me cry harder, because I know that she’s wrong. It is bad. It’s unlivable.
“The bakery—” I start, then stop to get my tears under control. “The bakery is going to go under, Mama. And I can’t get a loan to fix the oven because Slade and his father run the bank. Even before, when Slade wasn’t mad at me, I don’t think I could’ve gotten the loan. And then Slade tried to force me to…”
I stop, and take in air in big gulps. I’m panicking, telling my mama too much, but I have to tell someone. It all just keeps spilling out.
“What did Slade do?” Mama asks, her voice going hard.
“Slade tried to force himself on me, and so I ran. And of course I ran right into Hunter, and Hunter attacked Slade. I got in between them, and got knocked to the ground. And there were all these people there who were watching…” I trail off and sob.
“Honey,” my mama says, moving so I’m closer. I lean my head against her chair, anguished. “I know you’re struggling right now. Your father and I can pay for the oven…”
I sit up, wiping at my face. She misunderstood me.
“No, Mama. I’m trying to tell you… I’m trying to say I have to leave Hallow Falls.”
Mama's eyes narrow on my face, but she doesn’t disagree with me. Her next words are tender.
“Are you sure you’re running toward your dream? You’re not just running away from your fears?” she asks carefully.
“I just… I need to get away from this town. And Hunter, and Slade…” I can’t finish that train of thought. I breathe in deep and says, “I want to be a teacher, you know? I’m not meant to be running the bakery, it just sort of fell into my lap. It was never a part of my plan.” I wipe at my blotchy face, though I’ve finally stopped crying. “I need to start over, to get a clean slate.”
My mama looks at me for a second, her eyes welling with tears.
“Don’t cry,” I tell her. “Or I’ll start again.”
“Just… just follow your heart, baby,” my mama says, brushing back a strand of my hair. “That’s all you can do.”
I take a deep breath and blow it out.
“I’m not leaving right now,” I say, covering my mama's hand with my own. “Okay? I’ll stick around a little longer. I just know I need to get out, and I know you’re the reason I stay.”
“Well, you don’t have to stay because of me,” she sighs. “You don’t stay here for me, you hear?”
“Okay, Mama.”
“You just go when you’re ready, alright? You let me and your father know where you’re going, but other than that… don’t worry about me.”
I halfheartedly smile at her and nod, and my mama pats my shoulder. I don’t have anything more to say.
My mama turns the sound up on whatever show she was watching, and I slide deeper into my seat. We sit like that for a long while, until she falls asleep.
Chapter 59
Hunter
I’ve been waiting against the side of Vi’s bakery since 5 a.m.; when the sheriff let me leave, I walked straight here. My boots and ass are in the dirt and my back’s against the cement wall. It’s cold as fuck and there’s not a goddamn thing around here to do. I would’ve fallen asleep from exhaustion if I wasn’t so fucking pissed and worried.
I don’t have my phone or my keys. But more than that, I don’t know where Vi is. She could be anywhere. I’m hoping she's at a friend’s house.
But all sorts of bullshit has been running through my mind for the last few hours. I wanna know where she is. And I’m coming up with all sorts of places, but I keep settling on Slade’s house. And not because she wants to be there. A few times I almost walked over to his parents' house. I don’t know where Slade’s is, but if he’d gotten his hands on her, I wouldn’t have let anyone pry me away from him again.
I know where she is now; she’s walking my way with wide, worried eyes. I get up off the ground, brushing the dirt off my ass and feeling sore all over.
She’s wearing the clothes she was in last night, and they’re wrinkled like she slept in them. Her eyes are red and slightly swollen and her face is tearstained. Vi.
“You weren’t here last night.” My voice comes out harder than I intended. “Where were you?” I can’t help how the words come out. That’s the only thing on my mind.
She stops in her tracks and takes in a shaky breath. At first I think I startled her, but that’s not it. She’s pissed.
“It’s none of your business. I’m none of your business. You made that clear all those years ago. Just leave me alone, Hunter.” Her voice cracks on the last word. On my name.
I’m taken aback by her anger. “I just wanted to talk to you,” I say in a soothing voice. She still hasn’t moved. She’s a mix of emotions, and I’m not sure what’s winning out, but she’s not okay.
“I don’t need to talk to anyone. I’m done with this town, and I’m done with you, Hunter Graves.” She shakes her head and says, “You’r
e no good for me. There’s nothing good for me here.”
Although her voice is even, it’s like she’s slapped me. I don’t understand what the fuck changed for her. Then it hits me. Slade.
Whatever that fucker did, it messed her up. She’s not okay, and I’m gonna have to be gentle with her. But I can help her. I know I can.
She just has to let me in. I fucking hope she does. She needs me.
“What did I do, Vi?” I ask, taking a step toward her. She almost takes a step backward, but she stops herself.
“Don’t, Hunter.” She looks up at me with pleading eyes, and I listen to her. I stop, I put my hands up in surrender.
“I’m only here for you.” I look back at her and take a moment to collect my thoughts. “I don’t want you to run away from-”
“It’s not running, Hunter.” She lets out a long breath, trying to calm herself. It kills me to watch her and not give into the urge to take her in my arms like she needs.
“I think you are running,” I say and she opens her mouth to object, but I keep going, “and I get it, Vi. I understand, and I’m so damn sorry. But you don’t have to run.”
“Let me hold you,” I ask even though it’s more of a command.
“No,” she says, shaking her head and wrapping her arms around her. Her blouse bunches, and she looks away. She shakes her head, looking at the bushes that line this side of the building.
I give her a minute to calm down. She wipes under her eyes and lets her shoulders hunch forward.
“I’m here for you.” I say the words softly. I just need her to believe it. All this other shit, I don’t care about it. I don’t live for it. But I live for her. Even with all those years away in the Navy and all the shit I got in, I just kept thinking I needed to get out and get back here. I had to get back to her. I wish she knew that. I wish she’d believe me.
She looks up at me, but she doesn’t answer. It cuts me deep that she won’t talk to me.
“Is this about Slade?” I ask softly. Her eyes flicker to the ground and she reaches up, hugging herself again. “What’d he do to you?”
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