Chapter Thirty-Six ROWAN
Chapter Thirty-Six
ROWAN
The two weeks that passed before Christmas were some of the best weeks of my life.
When things finally fell into place for Mae and me, I was flooded with joy.
Facing what I had to fight against—to let her handle things the way she needed to—was intensely uncomfortable for me.
Yet it opened up a doorway in our intimacy, taking it to a deeper level.
As painful as it was to absorb what happened, we were able to build on the foundation of our friendship.
Willow Brook around Christmas was beautiful. Snow glittered under the sun on the mountaintops, and the evergreen trees were dusted with white. The landscape was all winter wonderland.
The very weekend after we made up, I even managed to finish getting that hideous shag carpet out of Mae's house. Life was feeling just plain good, the kind of good that felt solid and stable. I hadn’t even known I craved that feeling, but I did.
I passed on Stephanie’s message to Mae, and they’d texted back and forth a few times. It was a small thing, but I was glad Mae had reconnected with her.
One evening, after a training exercise at work, I was getting out of the shower at Mae’s house, and she called my name.
“You need something?” I asked. I walked down the hallway in my jeans, dragging the towel across my damp chest.
“I think that attorney’s calling you.” She pointed at my phone where I'd left it on the counter.
Glancing down, I read where the screen flashed NC Attorney. I lifted my eyes to hers. “Should I ignore it?”
“Answer it. Let’s see what she has to say. Any idea why she’d be calling you?”
I shrugged. I genuinely didn't know. Christmas was three days away, and I didn't want to ruin it.
Mae nodded encouragingly when I raised my eyes to hers in question. I lifted my phone, swiping my thumb across the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Rowan. I know we left it that you would call me if your friend wanted to follow up, but I had some information,” Jill explained.
“Oh, do you mind if I put you on speaker? Mae’s with me.”
Mae had been stirring something on the stove. Pausing, she turned the flame under the burner down, then shifted to face me.
The attorney replied, “Of course not.”
Once I had the phone on speaker, I held it between Mae and me, offering, “My girlfriend, Mae, can hear you now.”
“Oh, hello, Mae,” Jill said politely. “I had an interesting piece of information that I wanted to share.”
“What's that?” I asked.
“I did a little digging, and, apparently, the perpetrator didn't report the situation with the college on his bar application, which is a requirement.
This guy had official consequences at the university.
I didn't want to do anything without your permission, but we do have the option to report that to the bar.
Maybe it's not the same as a legal case, but the bar association records are public information. What do you think?”
Mae and I stared at each other. I could tell she was anxious.
She held a slotted spoon in her hand, and her fist was clenched tightly around it.
My heart felt caught tight in a vise. I reached over, curling my hand around her arm and sliding it down.
Her eyes lifted to mine as she uncurled her hand from the spoon and set it on the counter.
She took a shaky breath before replying, “I think that's a good idea. Does it involve anything from me?”
“Not at all. You and someone else reported him to the college, and he wasn't allowed to return the following semester. The college has a disciplinary record. While they can refuse to release the report, he’s required to disclose the status of it on his bar application.
I can take it from here if you're okay with that.”
Mae swallowed. “I am. Would you mind updating me?
“Of course not. Should I call you directly, or should I contact Rowan? Whatever is most comfortable for you,” Jill said.
“Either is fine. Let me give you my phone number.”
The attorney took down Mae’s phone number, then she wished us happy holidays, and we ended the call.
When I met Mae’s gaze, I wasn't sure how to read her expression. “Well?” I prompted.
I slid my hand down to curl around hers.
“That actually feels right.” I opened my mouth to say something, and she held a finger up. “I know you don't think it's enough. And in a way, maybe it isn't. But I would be a terrible witness in a court case, Rowan. I honestly don't remember much of it clearly.”
“He drugged you, Mae,” I said, my throat aching with every word.
“I know. It's just not that simple. Maybe if more women come forward, there can be some kind of combined case, and I would testify in that.
This is enough. It's not right that he lied on his bar application.
I don't even know how he would think that was okay. He might as well have some kind of consequence, other than not being able to return to school.” She shook her head slowly, her lips twisting.
“You know, you read about this in the news. But, wow, our world lets some people off really easy.”
“I know,” I said quietly.
“With this, it’s also way better that I don’t have to do anything.”
“And if he tries to email you or call you?” I pressed.
“If he tries that, you can talk to him.”
“Are you really okay?”
Mae nodded. “I hate that it happened, and I hate what it did to us, but I'm really okay.”
“If you're okay, then I'm okay.”
Her eyes held mine, and she leaned up, pressing a soft kiss on the underside of my jaw. “We have a thing to do on Christmas Eve,” she said when she stepped back.
“We do?”
“Dinner with my parents.”
“Apparently, there's a thing at the fire station too. I don’t have the details.”
“Oh, we can do both.” Mae smiled up at me.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, my parents are old. They want to have dinner at five.”
I chuckled. “We can handle dinner at five and then head to the fire station.”