We heard the clicking of the keyboard already. “Thanks, Beth. Means a lot to us,” I said before I ended the call.
I hoped he didn’t hurt anyone else, but if he did, I hoped we could nail his perverted ass to the wall for it. Either scenario sucked for Jenna, and it broke my heart that I couldn’t make it better for her.
We sat there for a bit, just holding onto each other, and I ordered dinner. Jenna’s eyes started to close, exhaustion taking over. Her trust overwhelmed me. I was so fucking grateful tohave her here in my arms. Shaken, but not broken. Thank God. She was mine to protect, and I’d never screw it up again. “I swear it, Firefly,” I whispered against her hair. “I’ll keep you safe.”
A little while after Jenna dozed off, her phone rang, startling her awake. She looked at the screen, and her face went white.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“Tyler. I don’t know what they told him. I’m not ready yet,” she rushed out in a panic, staring at her phone like it was venomous.
“Let me talk to him.”
She hesitated, then handed me the phone.
“Tyler, it’s Liam.”
“What’s wrong with Jenna?”
“Nothing, she?—”
“My parents said she came home to tell them something, and I needed to come home too, and now you’re answering her phone. What’s wrong?” he demanded.
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” I said in my professional calm-in-the-chaos voice. “Just know that Jenna’s alright, and she appreciates you coming home.”
“I want to hear Jenna say she’s okay.” He sounded young and scared and protective all at once.
It wasn’t on speaker, but Jenna obviously heard because she took the phone from me. “I’m okay, Ty.”
“What’s going on, Jen Jen?”
“Just wait for tomorrow, please.”
“You’re sure you’re okay?”
“Positive.”
“Fine. I love you.”
“I love you too, Teddy Bear,” she said, her words wobbling with emotion. “See you tomorrow.”
She hung up, a huge sigh escaping from her.
“It’ll be alright, Firefly.”
“You don’t know that.”
Tears and doubt and fear swam in her eyes, and I tried to kiss them away, but she was right. I didn’t know what Beth would find or what Tyler would tell us.
Jenna jumped again when a knock sounded at the door.
“It’s just dinner. Go sit, and I’ll get it.”
We sat at the small table squeezed into the corner next to the couch. Jenna picked at her grilled cheese and fries, and I started to wolf down my hamburger, but it turned to sawdust in my mouth when Beth called.
Please don’t have bad news.I knew what a heavy, illogical motherfucker guilt could be. Jenna didn’t deserve that.
I held Jenna’s hand and answered the phone, putting it on speaker on the table. “Hi, Beth. We’re both here.”