Brooke tried to wrestle her way out of Dean’s grip. “Let me go!”
“So you can run from what you’ve done?” he snapped. “No. You’re facing this. All of it.”
“Mike lives five minutes away,” I said as Virginia wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you for holding her, Dean. Especially after what she did to you.”
“She hurt someone I love.” His voice was firm, but his eyes were soft as they landed on me. “And I won’t let that happen again.”
A heavy silence settled on us all before Mike arrived. He took Brooke from Dean and put her in handcuffs. I watched the whole time, even as she tried to talk her way out of this.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” she tried to reason. “Grace will let this go. I just had a bad night.”
Mike looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
“She slapped me while I’m nine months pregnant, Mike. Please get her outta here.”
“Are you pressing charges?” he asked.
“I am.”
“Me too,” Dean said.
“Good. I’ll get her locked in the car and I’ll get my notebook.”
“No!” Brooke yelled as he dragged her out. “Grace, come on. Just let it go. I won’t ever do anything like this again.”
And she was right, but not because she would change.
But because I wouldn’t save her this time.
48
DEAN
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Wren Hackett:Since you all are STILL on this, let’s clear a few things up. If anyone knows Dean’s character more than Grace, it’s me. I’ve worked with him for years, and he’s not the kind of man who cheats on someone. You all are jumping on the new guy in town and I am VERY disappointed in you!!!
Comments:
Mollie Wilson:And let’s not forget, Brooke loves to cause problems! Like, hello???
Kerry Winsor:Oh, sure. But how do you explain that he was out at a bar instead of being with his pregnant girlfriend??? That’s weird!!!
Mollie Wilson:He can still have a life, Kerry.
Mark Bell:I can actually answer that. I called him instead of Grace to come get Brooke, since I didn’t wanna stress her out.
Kerry Winsor:Oh.
Wren Hackett:See??? You guys better hope he never joins this group and sees this.
I wasn’tsure if I was shaking with rage, fear, or misery. Maybe it was all three. I’d never seen Grace go so long without making a single facial expression, but she looked like a ghost of herself.
It killed me.
Our statements were taken by the sheriff, who promised that she would be in jail for the night. Mom drifted between us both, eyes wide with unshed tears and shock before she offered to go get new locks.
Grace went inside to sit on the couch when Mike left, and I followed. I silently sat next to her and pulled her to me.