A half snort, half laugh explodes from his nose before he replies, “Even if I was into dudes, you’d be the last guy I’d go for. You’re bad news, Nelson. I mean, take your parents, for instance. Isn’t it ironic that your mom was hit by a drunk driver, and then your daddy turns to the very thing that got his wife killed for solace? You know, I almost respect you for showing your face at school every day.Must be hard when you know everyone’s talking about your dead-beat father behind your back.”
I take a threatening step toward Shane, but Tessa’s grip on my arm tightens, as the toes of her feet dig into the dirt to hold me back.
“He’s not worth it, Jake. Please,” she whispers, giving me a beseeching look from those caramel eyes. “Don’t let him get to you.” I can’t help but notice the apprehension tightening her features, and for once, I want to do right by her. I want to be someone she can be proud of. Taking a deep breath, I will myself to unclench my fists and give her a tight smile.
“You’re right, baby. You’re right. Let’s go find Megan and Carter.”
“That’s it, Jake. You listen to the little lady. She sure has you by the balls, doesn’t she? Must have a hell of a pussy, if all she has to do is bat her lashes to get you to do her bidding.” And that does it. He can talk shit about me and my dick of a father all day long, but I’ll be damned if I stand here and do nothing while he insults my girl. Before my brain has a chance to catch up to the rest of me, my fist has already reared back and collided with his face. Tessa gives a startled shout, and a couple of people hoot and holler at the commotion, but it’s all background noise now. Cooper’s head snaps to the side, and he goes down like a sack of potatoes. I don’t give him time to recover. Following him to the ground, I rain down a series of punches that have him curling in on himself. He catches me off guard when he twists his hips, bucking me off and catching me with a fist to the temple. He swiftly rolls on top of me and lands a double jab to my ribs that sucks the air from my lungs. Growling like a rabid animal, I retaliate, lifting my upper body off the ground and head-butting him so hard I almost knock myself out.
“Fuck,” he yelps, clutching at his nose to stench the blood gushing from his nostrils. His voice sounds strangled when he accuses me of breaking it like I’m supposed to give a shit. Does he expect me to apologize? He practically begged for this, and now he has the audacity to act slighted? I give him a hard push to the chest that causes him to topple sideways before I jump to my feet anddust myself off. Shane surprises me yet again when he sweeps his leg across the floor and takes my feet out from under me. I land on my back with a grunt. Determined to finish this once and for all, I roll, ready to reclaim the upper hand, when two bands of steel wrap around my midsection and roughly pull me back. I snarl at Shane, who blinks up at me like I’ve lost my mind while he cups his bleeding nose. “He’s crazy, officers. I bumped into him by accident, and I tried telling him that, but he didn’t even give me a chance.”
Officers? How the fuck have the police gotten here so fast?
“He just lunged at me and started beating the snot out of me for no good reason.” That lying, manipulative sack of shit. How dare he sit there and play the victim?
“You fucker. You started this, and you know it.” The whooshing sound in my head slowly recedes as the world snaps back into focus. People are standing in a circle around us, staring with a mix of concern and excitement. The music stops, Tessa sobs, and Carter and Megan come running across the clearing, demanding to know what happened.
“He’s lying. Clearly, he’s on something. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He’s an addict, just like his old man, and he tried to kill me.”
“What the fuck?” I gape, unable to hide the shock of just how far he’s willing to go. I always knew he was a snake, but he’s really showing his true colors now. Before I can defend myself, Sheriff Payton begins patting me down while his partner kicks my legs apart and pushes my arms further up my back. I hiss and bare my teeth at Payton, who shoves his hand into the back pocket of my jeans and pulls out a clear, square package. My eyes fly open when I realize what the contents hold. I shake my head in a daze, staring at the white powder dangling from between Payton’s fingers.
“That’s not mine,” I blurt, craning my neck to throw Shane an accusing glare. “He set me up.”
“That’s what they all say,” Payton chuckles while he pockets the evidence and turns to his officer. “Carl, let’s take Mr. Nelson in.”
“What for?” I ask, throwing myself forward in an attempt to break Carl’s hold.
“Settle down before you hurt yourself,” Payton barks. I comply because I’m not a complete moron. Also, my shoulder is literally screaming at me, so there’s that. I know resisting will only make things worse, but I refuse to go anywhere until I know what I’m being arrested for. “Let’s see,” Payton drawls, holding up a finger for each offense listed. “Battery. Disturbing the peace and possession of controlled substances. Not to mention underage drinking. You’ve really done it this time, kid.”
“I haven’t even been drinking,” I argue. Payton arches a bushy brow. “The smell of stale beer on your person suggests otherwise.”
“He spilled his drink all over me when I got here. I haven’t even been here ten minutes.”
“Well, you sure don’t waste any time. Not to worry, though. I promise you’ll have ample opportunity to tell your side of the story once we get to the precinct,” he tells me before turning to the group at large. “Alright, everyone. The show’s over. Time to go home. And let this be a warning to you. From now on, we will keep a very close eye on this location, so I suggest you find yourself a different hobby. Sheriff McCarthy may have turned a blind eye to your little get-togethers over the years, but there’s a new sheriff in town, and I won’t tolerate it. Next time, I won’t hesitate to arrest the lot of you. Is that clear?” There’s some grumbling as the crowd begins to disperse, and Payton addresses Shane, who’s just now peeling himself off the floor. “I suggest you have that nose looked at, son. You can come down to the station anytime if you wish to press charges. Let’s go, Mr. Nelson.” Carl snaps a pair of cold metal cuffs to my wrists, and all that’s left for me to do is stare at Shane in disbelief while I wait for him to come forward and set the record straight.
Instead, he mouths the words, “Fuck you,” followed by a sly wink, and I lose it all over again.
“You asshole,” I roar, launching myself forward, but Carl is prepared and yanks on my cuffed arms, almost popping my shoulders out of their sockets. In a practiced move, he takes me out by the back of my knees and forcefully pushes me face-first into the dirt. I hit the ground hard, unable to breathe as all the air is squeezed from my chest. Payton gets in on the action and pushes a knee into the space between my shoulder blades, only making things worse. “Get the fuck off me,” I wheeze, barely able to get the words out.
“Is this rough treatment really necessary?” I hear Carter ask, as Tessa begs them to stop.
“He’s resisting arrest. If he doesn’t get himself under control, he leaves me no choice but to add assaulting an officer of the law to his long list of offenses. I suggest you tell your friend to calm down.”
“It wasn’t his fault,” Tessa shouts. “Shane’s lying. Why is everyone just standing there? You all saw the way Shane goaded him. Tell them,” she pleads in a high-pitched voice that borders on hysteria.
“Stop it,” I mutter, going limp as all the fight leaves me. “Don’t bother. They won’t believe you, anyway. You can ease up now. I’ll go peacefully.”
“No! Carter, do something. Those drugs don’t belong to him,” Tessa wails, tears running down her flushed cheeks.
“I’m calling my dad,” my buddy promises as Payton orders his deputy to pull me up. I can’t help but cry out when I’m hauled to my feet before I’m shoved toward the waiting cruiser. “Don’t say anything until he gets there. He’ll be at the station as soon as possible.”
I lose my balance, toppling sideways and spilling across the backseat when Carl pushes me through the door opening with a little more force than necessary. Trying to hang on to what little dignity I have left, I awkwardly right myself and focus on getting my erratic breathing under control. The last thing I see before we pull out of the clearing is my distraught girlfriend clinging to Carter, who does his best to console her. I know then that this already fucked up week is about to get a hell of a lot worse.
I should’ve just stayed on the goddamn couch.
“Are you sure you don’t want to call anyone?” Officer Carl asks me once again as he hands me a drink of water through the bars of my holding cell.
“Thanks, but I’m good,” I reply, downing the contents of the flimsy plastic cup in one gulp. Carl gives a shrug like it’s no skin off his back and wanders back to his desk, where he begins clicking on the keyboard. With nothing else to do but wait, I drop heavily onto the rock-hard bench anchored to the brick wall. Staring at the stainless-steel toilet in the corner of the otherwise barren room, I pray with everything I have that I won’t be here long enough to have to use it. I refuse to take a shit out in the open. I’m not a fucking animal, even if Shane might disagree. I give a low chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. I still can’t believe he went to such lengths just to stick it to me. I should’ve ignored him. I should’ve shrugged off his meaningless insults, grabbed a cold drink, and enjoyed the evening with my girl. But like an idiot, I’d played right into his hands.
