Chapter 23 #2
Alyssa’s dad laughed. But her mom looked incredibly sad. I wanted to have empathy for her. But I also didn’t want to touch that family with a ten-foot pole. Except for Alyssa. I’d care about her.
Christy looked up at me, pleading in her worried face. She wanted me to take this.
“Lys,” I started. “Of course we’re letting you play. You’re the best setter in the district. We would lose without you.”
“That’s what I told her,” her dad said proudly.
“Facts.”
I turned. Ming had said it. She and Jasmine were at the bottom of the bleachers, arms around each other, silently supporting their friend.
“And,” I began again. “You didn’t have anything to do with it. We know that.” It was a statement, not a question. She needed to know we believed her.
“I didn’t. I promise.” Her face crumpled and she started crying again.
And I hoped they really did nail Amber. If not for Savannah or Christy who both deserved it, then for her niece whom she’d used as a pawn in her twisted game.
Alyssa looked at Christy. “I’m so sorry for everything she did to you. ” Then to me. “And you, Coach Dupree.”
I was about to tell her she didn’t need to apologize. It wasn’t her fault.
But then Christy said, “You know the best thing you could do right now?” There was a twinkle in her eye. “Take it out on the ball. Leave it all on the court. Be there for your team today. Okay?”
Alyssa smiled through the tears. “Let’s do it.” Then she hopped up and ditched her parents for Ming, Jasmine, and a love of the game.
“Can you girls put the balls away?” I said before they went. The gym was beginning to buzz with incoming fans.
Alyssa’s mom stood with a heavy sigh. “We found the balls in my parents’ basement. Honestly, it was pretty genius. There’s so much stuff down there, if Alyssa hadn’t gone on a rampage looking for them, we might never have known.” She glanced at me nervously. “I’m so sorry.”
I lifted my hands. “No need to apologize. Let’s just be excited for the girls today.”
But Alyssa’s dad wasn’t ready to let it go. “Any idea what will happen to Amber? I heard you were about to be Interim D.A. Thought you might know.”
Christy glanced over at me, curiosity in her expression. I hadn’t told her about the interim job. But yeah, Jedd’s wife, Denise, wanted to start snowbirding. Now.
“I’m not sure yet. With everything though, possibly some jail time. It’ll all depend on the evidence.” I couldn’t tell him more than that.
He seemed placated and gave me a nod.
Alyssa’s mom had questions. Questions about Savannah. I could see it in her eyes. But I didn’t want to go there today. I was not drudging it up. Not when I’d just let my love for Christy shove it all off that proverbial cliff.
So I put a hand on Christy’s shoulder and tipped my head toward the exit. “I’ll show you where I parked.” I needed out. And maybe a kiss before we had to face the mass of people and intensity of a tournament game.
She hopped up. “Thanks for finding the balls. Can’t wait to watch Alyssa play tonight.” Then she followed me down the bleachers. As soon as we were outside, her hand was in mine.
“I’ll walk you to the car,” I said. She, unfortunately, still needed to get those balloons.
I led her as we wove through traffic. This lot was starting to fill.
Thankfully, even though I was parked on the first row, I was down by the tennis courts, as far from the school as possible. Once we were around the back of Tessie, I leaned against the trunk and scrubbed a hand over my face and into my hair.
“Hey.” Christy stepped closer, clinging to my waist. “You okay?”
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second. “Can I just kiss you? Is that all right?” I hated the agony in my voice. Vulnerability was not my friend. “I mean, I know we’re in public but…”
She pushed up, tilted her head, and pressed a soft kiss to my mouth.
And another. And another. My knees rattled and I let out a ragged breath.
I’d missed this so much. She didn’t stop, gratefully.
My hands slid down her back, resting on her hips as I traced her pouty bottom lip with my tongue.
Her fingers swirled at the base of my neck.
She pulled back, hovering, teasing me. I smashed my mouth onto hers, letting out an embarrassing moan.
And she let me kiss her for a few more seconds.
“Hey.” She giggled against my lips. “Not the place.”
I grunted. And, even though I didn’t want to, I made myself stop.
She stretched and smiled so wide. “This is going down on my calendar as one of the greatest days of all time. Today is the day Holden Dupree ate his words. ‘We’re not a thing, okay?’” She made her voice super deep on that last line, mimicking me from the day we rode horseback together.
I laughed and shook my head. I’d eat a lot more than my words if that’s what it took for her to be mine. “Yeah. Well. It’s going on my calendar too,” I said. “I told Christy Thornbury I love her and she didn’t shut me down. It’s a day of freaking miracles.”
Now she laughed. But then she tipped her head back, thrust her fists to the sky, and let out a “wahoo!”
I grinned.
It was a dream. The best kind. I’d made a lot of mistakes in my life. But this woman right here? She was the one thing I was going to get right. No matter how many times I stumbled, I would get back up and follow wherever she led me. Happily.
But as sometimes happens, the dream quickly shifted to a nightmare.
Because standing there, hunkered down against Tessie’s trunk, arms around the love of my life, an engine revved, loud and menacing.
Like a bull scuffing the ground with his hoof, threatening to attack, it revved even louder.
Our eyes shot to the left, just in time to see Amber’s SUV coming straight for us.
A woman screamed like a crazed banshee. I wasn’t sure if it was Amber, Christy, or a bystander. And I didn’t take the time to figure it out. Without thinking, I shoved Christy out of the way.
And then I dove for it.
The next thing I knew, I bounced off the chain link fence of the tennis courts and fell onto the concrete sidewalk with a thunk. Staring up at the sky, the clouds spun for a second just as the cacophony of screeching metal sliced through the air, ending with a deafening crash.
It took a few seconds to realize it was over.
Christy! I pushed myself up. Amber’s horn blared, her airbag was deployed, and her head hung over it like she was sleeping face down into a pillow. Shouts came from every direction.
“Call 911!” someone yelled.
“Oh my gosh, did you see that?”
“She drove straight for them!”
“Christy!” I screamed, but I couldn’t find her. My stomach was a ball of dread. I ducked, checking under both cars. Thankfully she wasn’t there. I dashed around the back of Amber’s car, not giving one crap if she was dead or alive.
And then I saw her, laid out on the blacktop, ten feet away, a woman kneeling by her head.
“Christy!” I yelled again, a sob choking in my throat. But as soon as I knelt, relief flooded me. Her hand was in the woman’s and she was trying to sit up.
“I’m okay, I’m okay.” She waved us both back like we were making a big deal out of nothing.
I completely ignored that and pulled her against my chest, sobbing. Didn’t even care who saw. “Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re all right.”
Then she had the gall to laugh. “You threw me out of the way full-on Superman style. Of course I’m all right. I’m just glad you’re okay.” She inspected me. “Oh, babe. Your leg.”
I looked down, barely able to see it through my tears. My pants were ripped from knee to hem. Gnarly road rash covered the entire outside of my right calf. The second I acknowledged it, it burned like fire. Gah!
“She’s alive!” Someone shouted over by Amber. I felt no relief at that knowledge. With what she’d just tried to do, I’d kind of hoped she was already in hell, getting comfy with her eternal stay. No worries. I’d make sure she paid. There was no lack of evidence now. Witnesses were everywhere.
I looked over at Tessie who…well…she wasn’t Tessie anymore. More like a big pile of scrap metal.
“Uh, ma’am?” The woman kneeling on the other side of Christy said. “I don’t think you are okay.” She pointed to Christy’s right arm. And she was right. The bone was protruding like it was about to pop out of her skin.
I swore. “You’ve got a compound fracture.” I looked at the woman. “Can you get help?” I was not leaving Christy. She nodded, hopped up, and hurried away. “Does it hurt?” I choked on another sob.
“No. I don’t feel anything.” Christy looked down at her arm and giggled.
Yes. Giggled. “I guess that’s one way to get out of a Spartan Race.
” Then she snorted. What in the world? She studied the break for a few seconds, then nodded like she was pleased.
“This is kind of cool. I’ve never had a broken bone.
Will you be the first to sign my cast?” She had to be going into shock.
Or she had a concussion. There was no other explanation after what had just happened.
She grabbed my arm with her good hand, trying to stand.
“Oh, no you don’t,” I ordered. “You’re staying put until the ambulance gets here. There’s no telling if anything else is broken.”
“But my butt hurts,” she whined and laughed again.
So I pulled her carefully onto my lap and cradled her against my chest, still crying like a little boy.
She gave me a sad smile and wiped my tears away. “Don’t cry, Epstein.” She was trying to make me laugh. “We can get you another Tessie. She’ll be even better than that one. Tessie 2.0.”
“I’m not crying over a stupid car. What is wrong with you?” I chortled. “I love you. Don’t you know that? I can’t live without you and that nutjob just tried to run you over.”
“Us,” she corrected and then clicked her tongue matter of factly. “She tried to run us over. Get your facts straight, Counselor Dupree. You’re going to need them in court.” She wasn’t taking any of this seriously.
“I don’t care about myself. Don’t you understand that? You’re the only thing that matters,” I hissed vehemently. I wasn’t even trying to hide my tears. Dripping down my jaw, nose running, body shaking beneath her. I couldn’t make myself stop.
Her head tilted and her good hand cradled my face. “Holden, hey, it’s over. She won’t be able to touch us ever again. And I’m okay. I’m fine. Listen to me. I’m. Not. Going. Anywhere.”
I sobbed. “You promise?” I had to ask even though it wasn’t hers to give.
Her smile was gentle and soft, and she gave it anyway. “I promise. I’m yours. All my days, all my nights, they all belong to you. For the rest of your life. If that’s what you want.”
I nodded, sniffing. “Yeah. That’s what I want. And I want it forever. I will never get enough of you.”
She curled her hand around the back of my neck and guided my mouth to hers. “Then that’s what you’ll get. Every little piece of me. Forever.”
And then she kissed me.