The clerk looks up at her. “Honey, with what you’ve documented here, it’s enough for a temporary order. He’ll be served within forty-eight hours. After that, if he does this again, it’s considered a violation.”
“And then what happens?” Julie’s voice is just above a whisper.
“Then he can be arrested.”
Julie nods, swallowing hard. “Thank you.”
“You’re doing the right thing,” the clerk adds. “I know this is uncomfortable, but too many women wait until it’s too late, and something terrible happens to them. You have to protect yourself where you can.”
Julie flinches, and I step forward, placing my hand on her waist, needing to be close to her.
As we walk out, I wrap my arm around her, feeling her lean into me. The October sun is bright, and it makes her squint.
“You okay?” I ask.
“I hate that it came to this,” she mutters. “I just wanted Craig to move on. To be happy with Sarah, have his baby, live his life. Hemoved away, and I thought he would be gone forever. None of this should’ve happened.”
“I do understand him not wanting to let you go,” I tell her, tilting her chin up to meet my eyes. “But he has to. It’s become an obsession, Jules. Driving by your house, keeping your photos, calling Sarah by your name … that is not normal behavior.”
“And what happens if he doesn’t respect this?” She waves the copy of the order. “Will they actually do something?”
I don’t answer because I don’t know. Restraining orders work if the person respects them. And Craig has already shown he doesn’t care about boundaries.
“Come on,” I say, leading her to the Range Rover, needing to change the subject. “Want to get lunch?”
“Hmm …” She looks up at me with those green eyes, still glassy with unshed tears. “Can we just go home?”
The wordhomedoes something to me.
She continues, “I want to spend the rest of my free time with you today. Just us. No wandering eyes or whispers.”
“Whatever you want, Little Red.”
When we return to her condo, Julie kicks off her shoes and collapses on the couch. “Want to be a potato with me?”
“Hell yeah,” I say, joining her.
I position myself behind her body, holding her as she flicks on the TV. Her phone buzzes, and she pulls it from her pocket.
Autumn
Just checking in. How are things?
Blaire
Yeah, let us know!
She texts the group chat,named the Sanderson Sisters, which includes the three of them.
Julie
I’m surviving!
She recordsa voice memo to catch them up. Their responses come fast, and it’s all supportive messages. Autumn even threatens to deal with Craig herself if he violates the order.
Then she texts her mom and updates her too.
Mom
