“So instead of grounding her, calling your mom and dad, the sheriff arrests you. Any reason why?”
Shit. “I had her tied up.”
Zach nods, makes a note. “Tell me about how you had her tied? Around the neck? Spread eagle? Paint me a picture.”
“God no. Her arms tied together like in a prayer position, over her head.” I press my forearms together and lift them up to show him before quickly dropping them. “And a few lines wrapped about her chest, framing her breasts.” My face is hot.
“Suspended or anchored anywhere?”
“No.” I didn’t have the skills back then. Plus it was our first time tying with sex. “I’d tied her up lot of times before, but with our clothes on. She’d let me practice with her.”
“Practice?”
“Hojojutsu. I learned it as part of my Jiu Jitsu studies. Not something really taught at the dojo, except for a few restraints. I guess I was fascinated because we use ropes for all kinds of stuff on the ranch. And learning new knots, quick ties, quick releases. It was cool. So I started researching on the internet, and that let me to Shibari. And…well…yeah.” I scrub my hand through my hair.
Zach nods. He asks me a few more questions about the exact date, the county in Texas I lived in. If I have any old friends that are still there. I tell him everything I can.
“When you were caught, did the sheriff arrest you?”
“Yeah.” The weight of the handcuffs settles on my wrists as if I’m really back there. “My dad had to come bail me out.”
“Did you see a judge?”
“Not right then. I was supposed to see the traveling judge the following week.”
“You didn’t?”
“Nah, my parents packed me up that night and put me on a bus to my older cousin in St. Louis. He got me a job in construction. Ain’t been back since.”
“All right. Give me a week or two for research and to get an idea of exactly what we’re dealing with here.” He goes on to explain his billing process but never offers an ounce of hope.
Like I figured, nothing can be done. But at least I can tell Stone and the rest of them I tried.
I blink back the bright sunlight when I step outside the offices. Felt like years passed by in there or at least hours, like it should be night by now.
“Alex?”
I turn. SJ.
The sight of her is like a mule kick to the chest.
The door behind me is closed, but I could retreat back inside.
“Please. Just let me speak. I know you don’t owe me a word, but I feel like I owe you.”
Nothing she says will matter or make a difference, but I’m not gonna argue. Her hair’s been fixed sort of. So short, it makes her blue eyes bigger. I stand there and wait for her to be done with me.
“My real name is Sarah Jane Reading. Alyss Littlejohn is my cousin.” She glances up at me but I don’t react. Figured that part out on my own.
“A few years back, I got into…some trouble. My uncle went to California and saved me. Or at least I thought he did.” She crosses her arms. “No, he did. But he also took pictures of the situation I was in. I few months ago, he offered to pay for writing retreat for me so I could become an author like I’d always dreamed of. It wasn’t until after I got here that he told me—blackmailed me—into catching or compromising Alyss’s rapist. He told me you took advantage of her—abused her. That the situation broke Alyss and that’s why his family left him, to move away from everyone who was making fun of her. He convinced me you ruined her life.”
Maybe I did. But I ruined my life too.
“I tried to convince me you were a monster who would try to take advantage of me.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I only wanted those pictures back.” Her eyes close. “So dumb. Especially when I got to…know you?—”
“Fucked me.”
She flinches and I wish I could take it back. My momma didn’t raise me to mean for mean’s sake.
