Chapter Seven: Melanie
I didn’t sleep at all on Monday night. After I woke up a little after two to find Will gone, I couldn’t go back to sleep. For the rest of the night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Both an emotional and physical ache rippled through my body. And even though I wanted to sob with despair, I couldn’t cry. I was eerily calm while over and over like a movie on repeat, I relived what had happened in Coach T’s office.
At six-thirty, Mom came bustling in to wake me. “How are you feeling, honey?” she asked, sporting her pink flowered robe.
“I’m okay,” I lied. It was pretty sad how good I was becoming at bending the truth. The Old Melanie was literally disgusted by it. But lying not only preserved my sanity, but it insured my survival. And no matter what, I had to survive.
“Were you able to sleep last night?”
I shook my head. “I think I’ll stay at home and take it easy today.”
The truth was I just couldn’t face Coach T yet. Not only would I run the chance of seeing him during school, but I would definitely have to see him at practice. The thoughts of walking past his office to get to the locker room caused my stomach to lurch and churn.
“That’s probably best. I’ll go bring you some breakfast before I leave for work.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
She kissed the top of my head before heading on to wake my younger brother, Luke.
When Mom came back an hour later, she brought me breakfast and some Advil. As she started to leave, she turned back to me with a smile. “Now try to get some rest today. And don’t you worry a thing about basketball. I just got off the phone with Coach T, and he told me to tell you not to come in to practice.”
The Advil lodged in my throat. I gulped down the water before I looked at Mom. “Y-You talked to him?” I couldn’t bring myself to speak his name.
She nodded as she absentmindedly smoothed my rumpled sheets. “I didn’t want you to get in any trouble for missing practice. You know how ridiculous he can be about that.”
“Yeah.” Coach T often joked that the only reason to miss practice was for a death in the family—and that was your own.
Mom smiled. “I think he feels just awful about what happened.”
My chest heaved, and I fought to find my voice. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I think he feels he’s to blame—you know for asking you to go get that silly pump. I assured him it could’ve happened to anyone and not to blame himself.” She glanced up at me. “Melly, you look so pale! If you’re not better this afternoon, you’re going to the emergency room, young lady. No ifs, ands, or buts!”
My mouth had gone dry. “Okay, Mom.”
“That’s my girl.” She came back over and kissed me on the top of my head. “See you tonight.”
I nodded and forced a smile. But as soon as I heard the garage door slam, I sank back into bed. The thin veil holding my emotions in check ripped in two. Pulling the covers over me, I was finally able to cry again. Desperate sobs rolled through me as my emotions raged like a storm, shaking my body so hard the bed creaked and groaned beneath me.
Once I finished crying, my thoughts turned over like a switch, and I seared with white hot anger. I began screaming and thrashing like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum. The range of extreme emotions frightened me.
Finally, I was spent. Exhausted and hoarse, I tried catching my breath. It came in short, sniffling hiccups. As I lay there with my arm draped over my eyes, I thought about Coach T. I wondered if he was glad I wasn’t going to be at school or practice, or if he worried that my avoiding him meant my resolve was breaking. But knowing him, he probably wasn’t worried about me telling. After all, he could prey not only on using Will against me, but the shy part of my personality that would loathe the attention that coming forward would bring. He had me trapped in more ways than one.
Even if he knew I wouldn’t tell, I wondered if he was worried about facing me again. Like me, did he worry what he would say when he was around me? Or how he would act? Did he wonder how he could possibly stand next to me and act like everything was all right?
The thought overwhelmed me, causing my breath to quicken into anxiety-ridden pants. But thankfully and mercifully, I fell into a deep sleep.
***
Sleep on Tuesday turned into a self-induced coma. I barely woke up long enough to speak to Mom and curl my nose up in disgust at the offer of food. I slipped in and out of consciousness—in and out of the nightmare that had taken over my life. Light turned to dark and then turned to light again.
Wednesday dawned, and I knew whether I wanted to or not, I had to go to school. It wasn’t just about facing my fears, but it was more about getting Mom off my back. I didn’t want her hovering around me, worrying that the bump on my head was the cause of my problems. As long as she was around me, I was afraid I might blurt out the truth.
As I rolled out of bed, I grabbed my cell phone. I glanced down at it and groaned. I had a million new text messages. I imagined they were from Lauren and other team members, and there were probably some from Will. Just the thought of scrolling through them overwhelmed me, so I just turned my phone off.
I didn’t bother fixing up. After I showered, I pulled my hair into a ponytail. I slipped on a pair of jeans and team hoodie. When I got downstairs, I found the kitchen empty. Luke had early practice this morning, so Mom had left to take him. I grabbed a piece of toast and a water bottle and headed out the door.
As I drove to school, everything seemed the same as it had before—the same traffic, the same early morning radio station’s corny jokes, the same morning parking lot antics at school. The world had kept right on turning despite what had happened to me.
But everything normal changed when I entered school. I heard it the moment I pushed through the double doors into the front lobby. It was a slow whine like an annoying gnat interrupting a picnic. The kind you couldn’t drive away by furiously swatting your hands.
As I started down the blue and white tiled hallway, it became a low rumble—ominous and dark like a storm brewing on the horizon. I glanced at the faces around me, my heart thudding to a stop. The usual goofy grins and wide-eyes of gossipers had been replaced by masks of shock and horror.
My first thoughts were that someone had been killed. The air constricted in my lungs. It was the same somber atmosphere as two years ago when a popular junior died in a car accident. Who could it have been? Suddenly Will’s face flashed before my eyes.
Oh, please, God. Not Will!
But as I passed by each buzzing group, conversation silenced. I bit my lip and shifted my book bag that suddenly felt like lead on my shoulder. It took only a second for me to realize that a death wouldn’t silence conversation. No, that kind of swarming hum was reserved for rumor and accusation. Someone was in trouble. And then I knew.
The masks of horror were for me.
Numerous pairs of eyes burned through me, questioning, judging, mocking. At that moment, I would have done anything to escape—sold my soul if I had to. The slow burn on my face crept down my neck, and I began to wonder if it would spread out onto my arms as well.
There’s no way they know. Only you and Coach T know what happened, and there’s no way in Hell he’s told! As much as I tried to calm myself down, it didn’t help very much. My heart continued pounding. Just let me make it to my first period class. But when I hurried around the corner, I skidded to a stop. Dr. Micheltree and two men stood outside the classroom.
Suddenly, I forgot how to breathe. A voice in my head screamed, “In and out, in and out!” Picking up my feet seemed foreign, and if someone hadn’t bumped into me, I would have been forever cemented in that spot.
When they saw me, Dr. Micheltree started forward, parting the crowd like Moses with the Red Sea.
“Melanie, will you come with us please?”
Speaking was not even a possibility. Fear wound tightly around my vocal cords, restricting my air. I merely nodded. I followed her and the men back down the hallway.
The looks were even more intense now. I made the mistake of glancing up once, but after the expressions on people’s faces, I ducked my head back down again.
They don’t know. They don’t know. They don’t know! Once again I rationalized that only Coach T and I knew, and he would never, ever tell. He had sworn me to secrecy, hadn’t he? There were no cameras in the gym, and no one had been left at school that late besides us. No one could know!
As much as I tried believing that, I couldn’t possibly understand why I was being summoned to the office not two days after what had happened, nor why everyone looked at me like I was diseased or something.
I was thankful when Dr. Micheltree ushered me into the main office. It was virtually empty this time of the morning, so there was no one else to stare at me. The clicking of her heels echoed off the tile floors as we made our way down the long corridor to her office.
When we got inside, she motioned for me to have a seat. I eased down in the leather chair, never taking my eyes off of the two men in suits.
They must’ve noticed my apprehension because they smiled. The tallest one stepped forward and extended his hand. “Melanie, my name is Jay Pendley. And my partner is Lewis McKay.” He paused for me to shake both of their hands. “We’re investigators with the SVU of the Sheriff’s Department.”
My heart pounded in my ears. “SVU? Like the television show?”
Detective Pendley laughed. “Yes, I suppose so. We’re here to investigate a claim of sexual misconduct.”
“S-Sexual misconduct?” I repeated, lamely. Don’t let your voice crack, Mel. Then the familiar Miranda rights echoed in my head... Anything you say or do can be used against you in a court of law.
“Yes, by one of the coaches here at the school,” Detective McKay replied.
I glanced across the desk at Dr. Micheltree. She briefly met my gaze before averting her eyes to her desk calendar. Keep yourself together. Don’t blush, don’t stutter, don’t give them anything.
I played dumb as best I could. “Um, who are you supposed to be investigating?”
Detective McKay exchanged a glance with Detective Pendley. There was so much eye-shifting and strange looks it made my skin crawl. Finally, he spoke. “Mark Thompson.”
I jolted back in my seat like I had been stunned with a taser. Oh God, they know. How do they do possibly know?
At my reaction, Detective Pendley nodded. “I know it probably sounds unbelievable at the moment, but we do have some evidence to back it up.”
Evidence? What kind of evidence could they possibly have? Pictures, video, an eyewitness? “But what does this have to do with me?” Give them something good, Mel. Push the heat off you anyway you can. I gasped and brought my hand to my chest almost theatrically. “Did one of the other players accuse him of something?”
“No, it wasn’t one of the other players.” Detective Pendley hesitated. He looked over at Detective McKay who nodded. “It was Jordan Solano.”
I was stunned. It took a moment for me to even put a name with a face. Suddenly, a scene flashed before my eyes. It was of Jordan and Coach T at the ball game a few weeks ago. Plainly, I could see her flirting with him, but I also saw the look of amusement on his face. He certainly wasn’t reciprocating her advances. I couldn’t imagine why she would lie about such a thing.
I shook my head at the officers. In a voice that didn’t sound like my own, I blurted, “Coach T would never do something like that.”
“Melanie, we—”
For Will and for my fractured sanity, I continued coming to Coach T’s defense. “She’s lying. I know she is.”
“That’s a pretty hefty claim,” Officer McKay countered.
“But I know her. Jordan’s always in trouble. And when she’s not in trouble, she’s lying to get herself out of trouble. Don’t you know she’s a slut!”
“Melanie!” Dr. Micheltree admonished.
I couldn’t blame her shock. I acted like someone even I didn’t recognize. The Old Melanie would have never thought of calling someone a slut in front of the principal. I would have blushed and died a thousand deaths. But the Old Melanie was dead—staked through the heart on an old futon in Coach T’s office.
So, the New Melanie shrugged my shoulders in total apathy. “Well, she is.”
Detective Pendley shook his head. “Ms. Solano’s character outside of this investigation is not our concern.”
“But how can it not be?” I protested. “I watch enough TV to know that an accuser’s character is always taken into consideration.” When they didn’t respond, I continued on, “I know she had crush on Coach T, and she flirted with him all the time. But I know he would never have acted on it.” Right, Mel. He’s one hell of a stand up guy. He doesn’t hit it with the flirty slut. Oh, no, he just rapes his star player on the futon in his office.
Detective Pendley held up his hand. “Melanie, there’s more.”
I shifted nervously in my seat. “More?”
He nodded. “Yes. Ms. Solano alleges there was another victim.”
“Who?”
Detective Pendley cocked his eyebrows. “You.”
The wind left my body, and I wheezed. Detective McKay stepped forward, but I shook my head. Slowly, I tried calming myself down. Breath Melanie! In and out, in and out, in and out. Finally, my voice came back to me. “She said he…” I couldn’t even utter the word. I thought if I said it, then it might make it true. Worse, it might give away my secret. The one I clung to so viciously it hurt.
Keep calm, don’t freak out! Frantically, I searched my mind for answers. There’s no way she could know. There were no windows in the office, so she couldn’t have seen what happened. But why? Why was she saying that? What could she possibly gain by telling such a thing about me?
Detective McKay nodded in response to my last question.
Heat radiated through my face all the way down to my neck. I burned so hot I felt like I was on fire. I imagined flames licking at my arms and legs, scarring me physically like the ones I carried on the inside. Stop it. They’re watching you. Tell them something, anything, so they’ll stop staring at you.
Thankfully the New Melanie took over. I threw my shoulders back. “That’s crazy! Why would she tell such a lie?”
Detective Pendley stepped forward. “Is it a lie, Ms. Reeves?”
My mouth gaped open. Keep it together, Mel. Don’t let him in. Don’t let him see through to the truth. “How can you even ask such a thing?”
“You didn’t answer the question,” he pressed.
Rage like I had never known spilled out of me. I bolted up out of my seat. “Yes! Yes, of course it’s a lie! Coach T would never do that to me!”
Screaming those words was almost liberating—like I really could pretend it never happened. That’s right. He would never do that to you. You don’t have to believe it, think it, or feel it because there was no way it happened.
Before I could say anything else, I heard a commotion outside of the door. There were raised voices out in the hallway, and I could hear Mrs. Tillery, Dr. Micheltree’s secretary, arguing with somebody. She wasn’t successful because without even a knock, the door blew open.
Then my parents burst into the office.
“Excuse me, this is a closed meeting--,” Detective McKay began, but my dad stopped him.
He pointed his finger in McKay’s face and shook his head. “Oh, no, this isn’t a closed meeting. That’s my daughter you’re interrogating right now, and she has right to counsel!”
My face flushed. Leave it to my dad to go full on lawyer mode. “Dad,” I began.
“And if you think you’re gonna ask her one more thing without counsel, you got another thing coming!”
“Daddy,” I said.
“She’s seventeen years old. What could she have possibly done?”
“Sir, she hasn’t-” Detective Pendley started before Dad interrupted him again to continue on his tirade.
“She’s an A student, Captain of the Varsity Basketball Team, and a Who’s Who in American High Schools—”
“DAD!” I shouted.
Finally, he glanced over at me. “Please calm down. My rights haven’t been violated!”
He raised his eyebrows, and I nodded. He then sighed and backed out of McKay’s face.
“Please, Mr. and Mrs. Reeves. Have a seat,” Dr. Micheltree said.
Mom eased down into one of the chairs, but Dad kept pacing around the room.
“Can someone please tell me what is going on? I mean, my wife and I get a call to get down here immediately since our daughter is being interrogated by detectives from the Sheriff’s department, not to mention the deluge of calls we’ve received from other basketball parents about something with Coach Thompson.”
Detective McKay stepped forward. “Your daughter has been named as a victim in an investigation of sexual misconduct, Mr. Reeves.”
Mom gasped, and Dad’s face reddened. “Excuse me?”
And there they were. The looks I’d imagined—the looks I had feared—were etched across my parents’ faces. I had to do something, so I blurted, “It’s not true!”
My parents ignored me. “What do you mean sexual misconduct?” Mom asked, her voice wavering.
“We’ve had allegations that Coach Thompson raped a student here. When she came forward, she gave your daughter’s name as another victim,” Detective Pendley replied.
Mom slowly shook her head in shock. “Mark Thompson a rapist? I can’t believe it,” she said in a hushed voice.
Dad grunted. “Well, I don’t believe it. We’ve known him since Melanie was a Freshman. There’s no way in hell he could have done anything to anyone, least of all Melanie!”
My face flushed with heat again, and I stared down at my hands. Their response was something I never expected. No arguments, no need to be convinced by me that it wasn’t true. Just an open and shut case of the unwavering innocence of Coach T. It was at that moment I knew there was no going back. If my own parents found it so appalling, how would I ever convince anyone it was true?
Detective McKay sighed. “Look, I understand your frustration and disbelief, but we’ve had an allegation of misconduct. We have to investigate it to the best of our ability.”
It was then a thought popped into my mind, and I blurted, “What’s going to happen to Coach T?”
Dr. Micheltree finally spoke up. “He’s been put on leave pending the investigation.”
The news sent the Old Melanie kicking into high gear. My eyes widened in shock. “But you can’t do that! We still have five games left in the season, and we’re undefeated. Coach T has to be there for us when we go to the playoffs.”
Once again, I didn’t think about me. Just like I’d put Will first and then my parents, I put my team’s happiness above my own. The reason seemed obvious enough to me. They were like my family. We would be broken without Coach T.
Dr. Micheltree shook her head. “I’m sorry, Melanie. We had no choice. We will have to pull Coach Simms up from JV to take his place or something. We haven’t had a chance to figure that all out yet.”
Tears of frustration stung my eyes. “It’s so unfair.” Good God. Did you really just say that? Do you honestly think so highly of the man who raped you two nights ago? You are seriously losing it.
Detective Pendley cleared his throat. “We will need to question Melanie further. I know this has been a great shock to her today, so I’d like to wait until tomorrow to do that. It isn’t necessary, but you might want to obtain an attorney for the hearing.”
Dad nodded and mumbled he would ask one of his partners. But I ignored him. All I focused on was ‘hearing’. “You mean, I’ll have to go to court?” I asked.
Detective McKay nodded. “Yes. If what you say is true, that Coach Thompson never raped you, then you will have to testify under oath.”
I started to feel shaky. Testifying meant talking in front of a crowd of people. A crowd who would all be staring at me. And all of it under oath and on the record. I would be lying under oath, which from my Government class I knew was a felony. I could perjure myself.
But how would I even get that far. First of all, they’d put a Bible in front me. A Bible I would be forced to swear on that I would tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God. Even though I was in a crisis of faith, I still didn’t think I had it within me to swear on a Bible and lie.
It was all too much.
I needed out. I didn’t want to be closed up in that room with them anymore. I frantically searched for an escape. I was slowly unraveling, and I needed time to regroup.
When I rose from the chair, my knees almost buckled underneath me. “C-Can I go now?”
“Sweetie, are you sure you want to go back to class?” Mom asked.
Dr. Micheltree nodded. “Your mom is right, Melanie. I’m afraid by now, word has spread throughout the school about what’s happened. It might be better if you went home and took it easy today.”
After experiencing what I had earlier in the day, leaving school was a tempting thought. But one person’s face flashed before me.
Will.
Pain radiated through my chest at the thought of what he must be feeling or going through—if he was even here at school today.
I glanced at the faces peering expectantly at me. I shook my head. “If I did that, then everyone would think I’d bailed because it was true.” But it is true. You were raped, Mel. I jerked my chin up. “No, I want to go to class. I want to be with my friends.” Why? So you can become exhausted by keeping up your little fa?ade that nothing happened? So you can reassure each and every one of them it isn’t possible Coach T raped you when you know good and well he did?
Mom exchanged a look with Dad, and he nodded. “I suppose it’s all right if you stay.”
“Thanks.” I gathered up my purse and backpack.
Mom hopped up and hugged me. “It’s going to be all right, sweetie.” In her comforting embrace, I almost believed her. But deep down I knew it wouldn’t. Too much had happened for things to ever be all right.
“Thanks, Mom,” I murmured.
Before I could make it to the door, Dad stepped forward and hugged me, too. Oh Daddy, I wish for just one instant you could have wrapped your mind around it, considered it, contemplated it. I’m not your little girl anymore. You’d kill him if you knew the truth. You wouldn’t stand here and defend him. You’d break his neck. “Call us if you need us. I’ll call Garrison when I leave here to represent you,” he said.
I nodded. “Okay then.”
Detective Pendley stood in my path. “Ms. Reeves, we’ll need to talk with you tomorrow morning. Is nine am all right?”
No! No, it’s not all right. I don’t ever want to see you again, least of all talk to you! You’ll keep on and on until you break me to get the truth. Before I could respond, Dad said, “If it’s feasible with her attorney.”
Detective Pendley nodded. I didn’t say anything else as I sidestepped past him out the door. I blushed at the looks the secretaries gave me. “Melanie, do you need a pass?” Mrs. Tillery asked.
Staring out the glass office, I saw the bell ending first period had just rung, and the halls were crowded.
“No, thank you. I’ll be fine.”
“All right. Have a good day.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
Even though I kept my head down in the hallway, I could feel the looks burning into me. I quickened my pace, desperate to make it to the gym. At the mere thoughts of walking through those doors, my chest tightened. There would be no Coach T there. For four years I depended on him as part of my day. I was guaranteed to find him dribbling basketballs balls or setting up the volleyball net.
But he wouldn’t be there today. He wouldn’t be grinning and joking with the other coaches. He wouldn’t be there to tease me or ride me about missing an easy shot.
Bitter tears stung my eyes. You’re so stupid, Mel. Did you honestly think it would ever be the same? That you could just walk back in those doors like you did on Monday and pretend that it never happened? I was almost to the gym door when someone caught me by the arm.
It was Will.
“I need to talk to you,” he whispered.
I didn’t bother arguing. Instead, I let him lead me past the gym out the back door to the parking lot. We stopped when we got behind the field house.
I dropped my book bag and purse and stared expectantly at him. When I did, I gasped. I’d never seen him so shaken. His body trembled, and his face was ashen. His emotional pain crushed him physically. And that broke my heart.
He stood with his lip quivering like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
“Will?”
Finally, he lowered his head. “Is what they’re saying about my…” he choked on the words.
No, please don’t ask that. Ask me anything else. Ask me about the weather or how many shots I’m averaging a game.
I had to think fast. His gaze burned into my face. Once again, I vied for a Best Actress Academy Award. I gasped and reached out for him. “No, no, of course not!”
Tears of relief shimmered in his eyes. “Really?”
In the last forty-eight hours, I had never wanted to tell someone so much as I did at that moment. The words scorched my tongue. All I had to do was open my mouth, and they would tumble out.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I kept my mouth firmly shut and nodded. He exhaled slowly before pulling me into his arms. His breath warmed my neck against the cold. “Thank God. I don’t know what I would have done if it had been true.” He kissed the top of my head. “I would have died, I guess. I couldn’t have lived with myself if Dad had done that to you.”
A sob caught in my throat at his words. Of course, he would have died. How does one survive the news your father raped your girlfriend? Your heart would stop instantly, and no matter how many people pumped up and down on your chest or how many times they shocked you back, you wouldn’t survive. How could you?
But in the same token, I wondered how I was still standing. Why wasn’t I six feet under from the shock of what had happened? How was I living, breathing, and lying like nothing had happened? Part of me might have been living, but the other part of me wished I was dead. I shuddered at the thought. I closed my eyes and pressed myself closer to Will. For the first time all morning, I felt safe.
He sighed, this time his breath warmed my ear. “I feel like a real prick for even thinking it. I mean, he’s my dad. I shouldn’t have even questioned it.”
No, Will, your dad is the prick. I pulled away to stare into his eyes. “Don’t blame yourself. It’s only natural for you to question it.”
“I mean, when I heard it was Jordan, I didn’t believe it. I know what kinda girl she is, and I’ve seen the way she struts her ass in front him.” He angrily shook his head.
I nodded. “I can’t believe they took her word. I tried telling the detectives today what kind of girl she is.”
Will’s face softened. “You took up for him?”
“Of course I did. He’s been my coach for four years.” I paused and drew in a deep breath. “And he’s your dad.”
Tears welled in Will’s eyes. “You don’t know what it did to me when they mentioned your name. When they said, he’d…” he shut his eyes before he continued. “that he’d raped you, too.”
“Will, don’t,” I urged.
He opened his eyes. “I-I didn’t want to even imagine it.”
Neither do I. That’s why I’m lying—for you and for me. I brought my hand to his cheek. “I’m sorry you had to hear it from the gossipers.”
“I didn’t hear it from them…I heard it from the police.”
My hand jerked away to rest over my mouth. “What?”
He nodded. “They read off the charges when they came to arrest him.”
“They actually arrested him?”
Will leaned back against the field house wall. “Yeah, with handcuffs, reading his rights, and putting him into the back of the police car in front of all the neighbors leaving for work.”
I shook my head. “Will that’s awful.” I tried drowning out the voice screaming in my mind. Are you crazy? He deserved it! Hell, he even deserves to be gang raped over and over in prison for what he did to you!
“It was.”
Without another word, I reached out and wrapped him in my arms. “I’m so sorry.” I rubbed my hands over his back in wide circles. “I love you, Will. I know it’s a stupid thing to say right now, but I want you to know how very much I love you.”
He pulled away to kiss me tenderly on the lips. “I love you, too, Mel. More than anything in the world.” He wound his fingers through my hair. “I don’t know what I would do without you. My dad feels the same way.”
Saliva rushed into my mouth, and I feared I would vomit. Instinctively, my hand flew to my mouth. “Are you okay?” Will asked.
I nodded. In barely audible voice, I said, “He doesn’t think I said anything, does he?”
Will shook his head. “No, he knows that it was Jordan who made the accusations. When he heard your name, he shook his head and said, ‘She’ll testify for me’.”
BASTARD, the voice screamed in my mind. That f*cking bastard! He knows what he did to me! He knows what he took, and he expects me to testify for him? Because of my love for Will, he’s using me like I’m just a pawn in his game. My chest tightened. But this isn’t about him, remember? It’s about the boy you love who holds you right now. It’s about protecting everything you hold sacred. I wrapped my arms tighter around Will. He laughed. “Hey now, you’re gonna squeeze me to death if you don’t stop!”
“I’m sorry. I only feel safe when I’m in your arms.”
He smiled. “Don’t be sorry. You squeeze me all you want then. It feels pretty damn good to me too.”
I stared into his dark eyes. “What are we going to do, Will?”
“We’re going to stay strong. The hearing will be in a few weeks. You’ll testify that Jordan lied about you being…” Will stopped abruptly, unable to repeat the word.
I nodded. “Yes, yes, of course, I will.”
“Once the judge hears the evidence, he’ll throw the case out the window. I mean, Jordan’s been in trouble most of her life. Hell, she’s probably been before most of the judges here in town.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Will brought his lips to mine. “It’s going to be all right, Mel. As long as we’re together, we’ll get through it.”
“I know, Will. You’re all that matters to me.”
“But there’s something else right?”
I sighed. “Everyone was staring at me this morning. I know it’s only going to get worse.” Tears welled in my eyes. “And the team. What will they think about me when I show up for practice?”
“They know you, Mel. Once you tell them it’s all a lie, they’ll understand.”
No, it’s more like once I lie. I’ll only be a part of the team if I lie. I can only keep Will if I lie. I can only keep my sanity if I lie. “You think it’ll really be that easy?”
“Yep.”
Finally, I smiled. “This isn’t supposed to be the way it goes. I’m supposed to be comforting and reassuring you instead of you reassuring me.”
Will laughed. “We’re here for each other, remember? I’m all right, and you’re all right.”
“We’re all right,” I said, softly.
“Exactly.”
I glanced back at the building. “Don’t you think we ought to head back?”
He made a face. “What excuse are we gonna give them for being late to class?”
“We can say we got called up to the office.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. I mean, I’m sure they know what’s going on, so they probably won’t question us.”
I picked up my purse and book bag and followed Will back into the building. After being with him, I felt revived—at least for the moment.