Juliet
I could have killed Michael. In fact, I still might. I’m not sure whether to be prouder of my quick reaction or furious at him for scaring me half to death. Yet, I’m still walking away from the gazebo with him. It’s not like I want to get attacked for real.
“Stop right there!” a loud, gruff voice thunders, and a spotlight blinds us.
It’s so bright I lose my balance, and my ankle twists on the edge of the sidewalk. I tumble into the grass.
But I’m not the only one facedown.
I am, however, the only one without a knee between my shoulder blades.
“Michael.” I stagger to my feet and look at the officer on top of him.
“Is this the man who tried to attack you?” the officer asks.
“Yes.”
Michael’s eyes bulge.
“I mean no.” I shake my head. Gah, what’s happening? If he’s taken to jail, his whole family will have to leave the party to bail him out, and then they will all hate me. “It was a misunderstanding.”
The officer readies the cuffs around Michael’s wrists. “Misunderstanding or not, I’ll have to take him in. We tried to call you back, but you didn’t answer.”
Michael tries to protest, but all he gets is a mouthful of grass.
“No.” I pause, tugging at the end of my hair so hard I fear I’m going to pull it out. What can I say to make this stop? Married couples can’t be asked to testify against one another in court, so they wouldn’t question us here either, right?
It’s worth a shot. “He’s my husband.”
“Husband?”
I’m not sure whoasked—Michael or the officer.
“Yes,” I huff. “He told me to meet him here, but he forgot I’ve been listening to true crime shows on repeat. And then he jumped out and surprised me.” I roll my eyes like I often saw my mother do when talking about my dad.
The officer slowly backs off Michael and stands.
I help my “husband” up like the doting wife I’m pretending to be. “I’m so sorry for wasting your time, officer. But I’m grateful for your dedication to the job. Had this been an emergency, you would have made all the difference.”
The officer scratches his head like he can’t tell if I’m lying or not.
I wouldn’t believe me either.
“Yes, thank you, sir.” Michael slips an arm around my waist, and I try not to appear affected by what should be a very normal touch from my husband. “It’s good to know we have such fine police officers protecting our city. But no need to worry about this one. She can definitely take care of herself.” He squeezes my side.
Electricity sizzles at his touch, and I find myself leaning into him.
The officer ducks his head and finally shuts off the light. “Well, let me walk you folks home, then.”
Home? I don’t even know where we are. There are beautiful houses all around us, but not any I could claim. “Oh, that’s not necessary,” I start, but Michael cuts me off.
“We’d appreciate the gesture, sir.” Michael lets go of my waist to hold my hand and tugs medown the sidewalk. The two of them engage in small talk, but I can’t join in. Why isn’t Michael worried about the home we don’t have?
After we pass two houses, I finally realize where we are. In Michael’s neighborhood. I don’t know why I didn’t recognize it before. If I had, maybe I wouldn’t have almost killed his manhood when he jumped out at me.
The officer nods to us at the base of the stairs.
Michael waves goodbye, then lets out a heavy sigh like he’s already exhausted.
