Chapter 24
Through his magic and connections, René was able to get me out on bail Wednesday afternoon. There were a lot of rules to follow upon my release, but I was free and out of that hideous sweatsuit.
There was something about the air of freedom that tasted better. I wasn’t out of the woods, but it was a step in a better direction. As hard as it was, I just had to stay positive.
“I’ve got someone doing research as we speak,” René told me as we stood outside of the courthouse. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
“Thank you,” I said. “For giving me a chance and fighting this with me.”
“You’ve been a big help.” Scott stepped up and held his hand out. “I can’t thank you enough, René.”
René shook his hand and gave an earnest smile. “Never a problem, Scott.” He tipped his head my way. “I’ll be in touch. Be good, Saylor.”
Scott placed his hand to the small of my back and guided me to the parking lot toward his truck. It was just like the beginning, when he was picking me up and bringing me to his house after my life had gone to shit. I didn’t feel it then, but I felt it now. Shame. Embarrassment. Failure.
We were quiet the whole drive home and I tried my best to shrink into the passenger seat and disappear. Once or twice, I felt Scott glance my way. I wondered if he regretted this. If he wanted to send me back to LA.
“Dreux and Cameron have been worried sick.” He broke our silence as he let me in the front door at home. “Your friends Vanity and Bonham, too.”
It was nice to know the small circle I’d built gave a damn about me. That they weren’t about to ditch me over this.
Standing in the foyer, I turned and looked over at Scott, unsure where we stood.
He stared back at me, staying planted where he was. “Hey.” He opened his arms and I began to tremble as I stepped into them. I lost my strength as he embraced me tightly, like he’d never let me go. “I’ve got you, Saylor.”
I cried into my father’s chest, feeling like a little kid. “I’m sorry.”
He rubbed my back and rocked me. “It’s not your fault. We’re going to figure this out. Either way, I’m with you. We’ll fight this together. I’m not going anywhere.”
I reeled back, looking up at him through a clouded vision. “You promise?”
“I’m right here.” Scott wrapped me back into his arms. “I’m never leaving you again. You hear me?”
We stood like that for what felt like forever. I had never felt safer and more protected.
“I’ve got band practice this weekend,” Scott was saying as we sat at the island sometime later. “The guys and I are supposed to be playing at Al’s in a couple of weeks.”
“Really?” It was some good news to hear after all the current chaos. “I’ve been to Al’s…once. I’d love to see you guys play.”
Scott hung his head, a faint blush appearing. “I’ll see what I can do.”
We had takeout while my phone charged. A quiet dinner of Chinese at the table.
“We’ll have to see what we can do about school now,” Scott said between bites.
Right, because I’d been expelled. Meadow Grove was a small town, outside of Horton High, there was a prep school some kids went to.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to switch schools for a second time.
“I’ll get my GED,” I decided. “It’s not like I was going to amount to much anyway.”
Scott sighed, propping his arms on the table. “You’re not giving up on yourself over this.” He gave me a fierce look. “Someone is playing a very messed-up prank on you, and we’re going to get it handled. In the meantime, do me a favor and don’t throw in the towel just yet.”
The conviction in his voice was honestly comforting. I stood and touched Scott’s shoulder. “I’m not used to people being in my corner when sh— crap hits the fan. This means a lot to me. Thanks.”
“Well, you’ve got me, and your mother too,” Scott assured. “You’re not alone in this.”
At least I had support. They could’ve been threatening to drug test me and send me to reform school.
“I’m going to shower,” I said before leaving the room.
It wasn’t much, but under the hot spray of water in our familiar bathroom, I transformed from a forlorn girl, to someone slightly optimistic. I washed away the stench of jail and clung to a small bit of optimism that this would all work out.
In my room for the first time in days, I pulled on an old oversized hoodie and climbed into my bed. It was only eleven in the morning back in LA, but I was sure my mother was up as I hit her contact on my phone and called her.
She answered immediately and I sank back against my headboard. I tried to be strong, but I still felt like a prodigal daughter after the arrest.
“Saylor?” My mother’s urgent voice pulled me from my melancholy.
“It’s me,” I said.
She breathed a heavy sigh of relief, one that felt palpable through the phone. “Oh, thank God. Scott said Dreux’s father was getting involved to help. I’ve been looking for lawyers here in LA just in case.”
The story of her life. I screwed up and she fixed it. Even if I was innocent this time, it still made me feel like shit to put her through this. Especially with the news of her divorce so fresh. I didn’t want to prove Richard right.
“I’m so sorry,” I let out. “It’s not my fault, but I’ve done so much—”
“Stop that,” she cut in. “Do not apologize when you’ve done nothing wrong. I don’t know how, but we’re going to fix this.”
“You sound like Scott and René.” I couldn’t help but loosen up and smile. Things had really changed. As twisted as the situation was, no one was lecturing me. No one was counting me out. Expulsion or not, my parents believed in me and that was something that made this whole ordeal easier to manage.
“He was worried at first,” my mother let me know. “But he says he took one look at you and just knew you didn’t do this.”
Something about Scott believing in me comforted me. He had every reason to write me off, especially considering my rude beginning, but he chose to look past that and see who I was now, versus then.
“I didn’t,” I said. “I have no clue how that weed got in my locker. I’m hoping René can pull some strings and look at the cameras or something.”
“Well, Scott says he’s a pretty big deal, so I’m hoping,” my mother said. “In the meantime, I’m getting some stuff worked out at my studio. I’m going to be flying back to town to see you through this for the foreseeable future.”
I groaned, closing my eyes. “Mom.”
“Scott has it handled, but I can’t sit here on the other side of the country on standby, honey,” my mother insisted. “Scott said I could crash in the guest room if I wanted.”
There was a spare bedroom on the second floor across from Scott’s and mine. There wasn’t much in it but a sofa and a dresser. I was sure Scott would go out of his way to get an air mattress or something to make it work.
Or maybe they’d shack up in his room.
Living together under one roof with my parents sounded surreal.
“Are you flying back for me, or Scott?” I teased.
My mother snorted on her end. “Stop. It’s not about me right now.”
“Come on,” I egged on. “Give me something lighter to talk about.”
I was curious. It had only been a week since they’d seen each other and had succumbed to talking daily. Was that enough time to know if they were beating a dead horse?
“Oh,” my mother sang out, suddenly sounding shy. “I like him and the man he’s grown into. He makes me laugh. He makes me smarter. He makes me proud when I see the way he is with you and how he’s giving his all to step up and repair things. I like your father, Saylor. And it’s scary as hell.”
The risk of it all was frightening. I knew the feeling all too well when I thought about Dreux.
“Let’s see where things can go, okay?” I said gently. “I’m sure he knows what he has now and what it means if he messes up.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “Sometimes, you get to rewrite your story. No matter how bad a previous chapter was, you can still write yourself a happy ending.”
Her positivity was rubbing off on me, because I didn’t feel so bad anymore. “Sap.”
She laughed. “Just trying to help.”
“I love you for it,” I said. “I love you. I never told you that enough back home, but I wanna tell you now, more than ever, I appreciate you and all that you’ve done for me.”
“Aww.” I could hear a heaviness in her voice now. She sniffled. “Who’s the sap now?”
For the first time in days, I laughed out loud.
Knocking on my door pulled me from where I was scrolling on my phone, getting lost in videos and pictures to distract myself. It was a little after three, and as I looked over, I found Dreux hanging in my doorway.
I wanted to rush over and hug him, but instead I shrank beneath my comforter.
He noticed.
“Don’t be like that.” In two quick strides he’d crossed my room and was hovering over me, studying me, checking for signs of injury. “How are you?”
Scooting over, I made room for him to join me in my bed. He removed his shoes before climbing under my comforter beside me and giving me his full attention.
I raked a hand through my hair and looked at the foot of my bed. Anywhere but Dreux. “I’m embarrassed.”
He touched my knee. “Don’t be.”
I bowed my head. “You can do so much better than me right now.”
Dreux nudged me. “Maybe pretty angry girls are my thing.”
I snuck a peek his way, fighting my smile. “Pretty fuckups.”
He lost his humor as a grave expression captured his face. “You didn’t fuck up.”
His belief in me did something to me. My chest tightened and my heart beat hard. What did I do to deserve a guy like this?
Finally, I let it go. “How bad is it at school?”
There were a ton of text messages from Cameron, Bonham, and Vanity. I didn’t have the heart to talk to anyone just yet.
Dreux shrugged as if it were no big deal our classmates now thought I was a drug dealer. “Considering nothing ever happens around here? It’s pretty much all anyone can talk about.”
I would never live this down. “Great.”
“Hey.” His deep and calm voice soothed me as he spoke again. “They’re going to figure out who’s behind this.”
“And when they do, we can run them over with your car,” I said.
Dreux whistled. “Probably not the best idea.”