“I have something I want to say.” Melanie stood.
“No, you don’t. Sit down.” Chris jerked her arm. Melanie wiggled out of his grasp.
“Let her speak.” Chief pointed the gavel at Chris.
Chris’s face went red as he struggled not to speak. His eyes narrowed at Melanie in an unspoken warning.
Melanie made her way out of the pew and down the aisle. She wrapped her arms around her chest and cast her eyes to the ground as if seemingly trying to appear smaller. Her right cheek was still bruised and swollen from where Chris had struck her.
She stopped at the front of the aisle and faced the crowd. “Grace was right. Chris did hit me. In fact, he hits me a lot.”
The crowd erupted.
“Silence. Silence.” The chief pounded his gavel.
“That’s not true. She’s a lying bitch.” Chris jumped up and made his way toward the end of the pew.
Melanie backed up, but didn’t’ stop talking. “It’s true. Grace suspected it and asked me about it and I lied. I was scared he would do worse to me than just hit me. He’s told me he’d kill me if I didn’t keep my mouth shut.”
“You don’t have any proof that I hit you, you lying whore.”
“Actually I do.” Melanie held up her phone. “Every time you left a bruise on me I took a picture.” She clicked on her photo gallery and handed it to the police chief.
Grace watched as Heather, Melanie’s mother made her way down the aisle, over to her daughter. She pulled her daughter into her arms with tears streaming down her face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was afraid,” Melanie whispered. “He said he’d kill you, too.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. Do you know who my father is in this town?” Chris smirked. Two men stood up and blocked his way to Melanie.
“You better be more worried about me, you slimy little bastard,” Heather hissed.
The police chief’s face went red as he scrolled through the pictures. He turned to Melanie. “Melanie, do you want to press charges? It’s the only way I can help you.”
She looked at Grace and nodded. “I do.”
Chris leaped and tried to reach her, but the two burly policemen restrained him. Mitch and another cop handcuffed him. They read him his rights as they escorted him out of the meeting.
“If someone has anything else to say, please raise your hand.”
Allison raised her hand. “I don’t think the law should punish Grace. It seems like she was just trying to survive and to prosecute her wouldn’t be right.” She stood up and faced the crowd. “We’re not that kind of town. Grace is one of us and we protect our own.”
Principal Heffner raised his hand and then stood. He cleared his throat. “I’d like to apologize to Grace for not allowing her on school property to coach the dance team. It was wrong and I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted,” Grace murmured.
“I’d also like to say, in light of these recent events, that I’d be proud to have Grace back as the dance team instructor.” The principal puffed out his chest as he played to the audience.
“I second that.” Heather gave Grace a squeeze on the arm. She mouthed I’m sorry. Grace nodded. She didn’t need any more words.
Felicia stormed out of the building as Tabitha and Allison rushed up to hug Grace.
“I’m sorry I lied to you guys.”
“Don’t be. You weren’t ready to tell us.” Tabitha hugged her again.
“So, you guys are still my friends?”
“Of course!” Allison kissed her cheek. “There’s nothing to forgive.”
“Let’s have a drink.” Tabitha held up her purse.
“I can’t, I need to go find someone.”
***
He wasn’t home. Grace had driven to Sloan’s house only to find it empty.
Crushed, Grace made the drive back to her house, alone. She remembered Allison telling her that when Sloan broke up with Felicia he’d taken a vacation.
Maybe that’s what he was doing so he could forget Grace.
She turned into her driveway.
Her breath caught in her throat when she saw his truck there. Sloan was sitting on her front steps.
He looked up when her headlights hit him. He stood, shoved his hands in his pocket and waited for her to get out.
Sucking in a breath, she slid out.
“I went over to your house.”
“I came over here after the meeting.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.
“I didn’t see you.” She shoved her hands in her pockets.
“I was in the back.”
“Oh.”
“Mitch told me if I didn’t get my ass over there he was going to start dating you.”
Her eyes widened.
“I know everything now.”