Betwixt, Before, Beyond (30 page)

Sheriff Hutton presses print. The machine in the corner starts whirring and spits out the reference.

Grabbing up a pen, he scribbles his signature on it. "I shouldn't be having to do this." His gaze is stern as he eyes us both down.

I try to ignore how unnerving it is. "Do you want me to scan that for you?" I point to the letter.

"I'll get Walter to do it. As soon as I know who to email it to, I'll do it." His teeth are clenched so tight I can barely make out the words.

"Excellent. Can you BCC me into those emails please
? Just so I know they've been sent." My voice is so friendly and professional it almost sounds foreign. Go me!

The Sheriff rises from his seat.

"Let me be very clear, Miss Tepper."

I swallow. That cold and calculated tone has me waiting on a death threat.

"I don't ever want to see you in my office again, do you understand me?"

I nod.

"I don't ever want you talking to my boy again."

My forehead wrinkles with a frown as I glance at Adam.

"Don't look at him!"

My eyes shift back to the Sheriff, but not before noticing the sorrow cresting over Adam's face. Somehow I don't think it has anything to do with me.

"You leave my kid alone, you understand me? We've done you this favor, now stay the hell away from us."

"Yes sir," I finally mumble.

Collecting my bag, I walk towards the door. Adam stands to join me.

"Son. Stay here. We need to talk."

A spike of fear runs through me and I almost don't want to leave Adam alone with his dad, but his gentle hand nudges me towards the door, opening it wide so I can leave. He gives me a stoic smile before closing the door in my face.

Chapter Nine

I feel awful as I walk away. What is Adam's dad saying to him right now? Is he yelling at him? Beating him? The images in my head are nauseating. Adam has the potential to do whatever he wants with his life, but he's being suffocated by a dad that he fears. I hate this. I want to help him.

My triumph at getting what I want is being completely overthrown by my heartache. I hate the idea that I feel sympathy for a guy who tried to kill me, but I get it. I mean I really get it.

Sheriff Hutton scares the shit out of people. Living with him must be a nightmare.

"Hey, Nicole. Wait up!" I spin at Adam's call and am relieved to see him running down the station stairs, injury free.

"Are you okay?" I grip his arm as he reaches me.

"Yeah." He shrugs. I know he's lying. I'm starting to realize how much of his life he's spent doing that.

"What'd your dad say?"

"Just the usual bullshit about how I'm a weak coward
, and if it wasn't for him, I'd be nowhere in life." He pulls the keys from his pocket and with a head flick directs me towards his car.

"What if your dad sees?" I hesitate.

Adam’s grin is bleak. "Don't worry about it. His lecture was cut short by a phone call he couldn't ignore. There's still more to come tonight so I may as well break the rules in between." Adam's eyes are glassy with tears. He sniffs a couple of times as we walk toward his car.

I slid
e into the passenger seat and give him a smile as he starts the engine.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with him every day."

Adam scoffs as he pulls out into traffic. "I don't know any different, Nicky. He's always been in charge, and it didn't take me long to figure out that it's just easier to do things his way. I'll be free soon. After the summer."

"At Columbia, right?"

Adam nods.

"Is that where you want to go?"

"It'll be okay."

"Adam." I tip my head. "That's not what I asked. What do you want to do with your
own
life?"

"I don't know." He shrugs. "I have no idea because I've never been given the option of thinking about it."

"Okay." I keep my voice calm to contrast his. "Well, if you could think about it, like now. What did you used to dream about becoming when you were a kid?"

Adam's laughter is strained as he shakes his head.

"Come on, Adam. Play my game."

The car slows as we stop at the intersection. His finger taps the wheel
, and finally, he sighs. "A Navy SEAL."

"Huh?"

"I wanted to join the Navy, see the world, and train to be a SEAL."

"Wow!" I can't help smiling. "That's intense. I've heard being a marine is super hard."

"I've grown up with my dad. What could be harder than that, right?"

We both chuckle.

"You'd be good at that."

"No I wouldn't."

"What do you mean? Yes you would. You've got the right build, you're smart, and you’re athletic."

"I'm a coward, Nicky." His quiet omission fills the car with a heavy silence.

The intersection is clear, but Adam still hasn't moved.

"You don't have be, you know," I whisper. "Bravery's a choice. It's not something you're born with or without. It's something that grows inside you each time you choose to stand up and fight for the right thing. Each time you choose to speak out instead of staying silent." I sniff. "Each time you take on a force greater than yourself for the sake of others." Tears slip down my face. I don't know why I'm suddenly crying. My speech was supposed to help Adam, not send me scrambling for a Kleenex.

I guess it just suddenly occurred to me that for once in my life, I was actually being brave. I'd fought for Dale today. My emotions were a mixture of pride, astonishment and ultimate heartache.

Adam lets out a derisive snort, which at first I think is directed at me, until he starts spinning the car around and heading away from school.

"Where are you going?"

"To city hall."

"What? Why? Your dad's already written the letter. You don't have to do this, Adam."

"Yes I do." His voice sounds strong for the first time all day. He glances at me. "Do you really want the Sheriff of this town being some guy who tried to murder you and get away with it? My dad's a bully and Big Bear deserves better. If I go down, then Dad does too. I don't want to do it, but it's not just about me anymore, Nicky."

"I'm not going to press charges against you." I shake my head. "If they come to me, I won't deny what happened, but I'm not going to press charges, okay?"

"You can if you want. I deserve it." He grips the wheel as we turn into the city hall parking lot.

He pulls the car into an empty space and switches off the engine. We sit in frightened silence for a minute, both just breathing.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" I finally ask.

"Nah, I need to see him on my own first. I'm sure he'll want to chat with you after this anyway." He suddenly grabs my hand, giving my fingers a tight squeeze. "Promise me you'll tell him the truth."

"I'll do my best."

His lips twitter with a smile
, and he lets me go.

I walk around the car as Adam locks it. His fingers are shaking as he shoves the keys into his right pocket.

"What you're doing is really brave, you know?"

He scoffs. "Probably the first brave thing I've ever done."

"Which makes it epic."

His smile is filled with appreciation as he glances down at me. I grin back, but can't hold it
as he walks towards the building. I'm rooted to the spot until I can't see him anymore. With a shaky breath, I turn back towards school.

I know it will be too far to walk, but I make my way out of the parking lot and head in the right direction anyway. Thanks to my limp, I'm hardly a speed demon
, and I'll quickly get too tired. I look at my watch. I've only got about 5 minutes before I need to be there. I limp a little faster, but know it's a waste of time.

With a reluctant sigh, I pull my phone from the side of my bag and decide it's time to reply to Dale's text. I'm just unlocking my phone when a squad car screeches to a halt in front of me.

Chapter Ten

My breath hitches in my throat. My eyes bulge wide. The only thing I can think to do is turn and run.

But I can't. My stupid ass leg won't let me.
I kind of end up in this fast-paced hobble, which is swiftly brought to an end when the sheriff wraps his vise-like arms around me and pulls me to a stop.

He whirls me around, my neck jerking painfully.

"Where is he? Where's Adam!"

"Ow! Let go of me!" I try to wrestle my arm free, but he won't have it. His fingers pinch into my upper arm. I look along the street, hoping for human traffic, but there's none. A few cars drive past, but they're probably just seeing the Sheriff trying to bring a wayward teen into line.

Should I start yelling? Would that even help?

The
Sheriff's dragging me towards his car. I nearly trip, but he hauls me back to my feet.

"Take me to him, now."

"No." I try to stand my ground, but am forced forward. We're at the car now. He slams me against it and does that thing where he gets in my face again.

"Tell me where he is. What did you make him do?"

"Nothing. It was his decision."

The Sheriff's hard veneer cracks, his skin paling and his eyes flooding with fear. "He's gone to the mayor?"

The flash of worry is swiftly replaced by a molten rage. His fist bunches tight and I'm sure he's about to punch me in the face. Instead, he slams the roof of his car and yells, "You've made him throw his life away!"

Opening the door, he shoves me into the car and marches around to the driver's side. I'm tempted to get out and make a run for it. But
, he's started the car before I can react. It takes like a minute to get to city hall. He screeches into the parking lot and slams on the brakes right outside the door.

My door is ripped open
, and I'm once again hauled from the car. His voice is a menacing whisper in my ear as he drags me into the building. "You are going to tell the mayor exactly what I say or your little boyfriend is going down. That police record of his has him walking a very fine line. It's not going to take much to make him fall. One little slip up and he's in for it. I can make that slip up happen. Are you understanding me, Nicole?"

I am. The look on his face tells me he's all too serious. If I don't get Adam out of this, he's going to frame my boyfriend.

"You're such an ass." Man it feels good to finally say that to his face. I've been thinking it for months.

His brows pinch together in a tight line. Yanking me past reception, I'm basically tripping over my feet as the Sheriff leads us to the mayor's office. He's obviously familiar with the building, because no one seems to question him as we march our way through.

The mayor's PA is just hanging up the phone as we stop by her desk.

The sheriff loosens his grip and pastes on a smile.

"Well, hello Sheriff." She grins. "The mayor's just let Adam through, says he always has time for your boy."

"Thanks." Sheriff Hutton forces out the words. "Sorry we're late."

Janine looks slightly confused, but nods anyway. "Okay, well, just head on through."

Adam is sitting in an arm chair, next to a low coffee table. The mayor is adjacent to him, looking concerned. There's a look of agony in Adam's eyes that quickly morphs to terror when he sees us barging in.

"Mayor Stanford, sorry we're late."

"Dad." Adam swallows. "What are you...what are you doing here?"

Adam looks to me. I mouth an apology then glance at the mayor. The man's jovial face looks unusually serious. I'm not used to that stern expression. I've never really spoken to the guy before. I know he thinks my mom rocks, but does he even know who I am?

"Good afternoon, Nicole." The mayor holds out his hand. I tentatively shake it then take a seat when he points to the chair next to Adam.

The Sheriff sits down beside me, his agitated fingers digging into his knees.

"I'm so sorry about all the confusion, Johnson." He looks at the mayor with a strained smile. "These kids have been cooking up a plan behind my back, and I've only just found out about it. I brought Miss Tepper down here to clear things up...get the story straight."

He points a glare at me that
reminds me of his whispered words. I swallow and glance at Adam before opening my mouth.

"I um
…" I scratch the side of my nose. Shit! What do I do? The sheriff can't get away with this, but if I don't lie, he'll bury Dale. "I..."

"Don't make her do this, Dad." Adam sighs. "Just let us tell the truth and get it over with."

"She is going to tell the truth, son." He grips my shoulder, a firm reminder of his warning.

I look to the mayor. His face is annoyingly neutral, giving me no clue how much Adam may have already told him.

"Well, um..." I'm never usually this lost for words. Can I just weave some bullshit story?

"Nicole." The mayor leans forward in his chair. "Do you know who was driving the car that hit you last year?"

I sigh. I can't weave some bullshit story, because all of us have been sitting on the truth for months. I look to Adam, and he gives me an appreciative smile of all things. He wants me to say it. He wants me to spill the beans.

"Sir." I find the mayor's eyes and hold my gaze steady. "Adam Hutton hit me with his car. He'd been drinking and was afraid of what might happen, so
he kept driving. When his father saw his car, he questioned him and the truth came out."

"That's not true," the sheriff interrupts, but I keep going.

"In order to protect his son, he tried to hide what happened. Dale discovered the truth and could have exposed them both, but never said a word."

"That's a lie!" The sheriff jumps from his chair. "Johnson, you should
n't have to listen to this." He points to me. "Look at her track record. She's been nothing but trouble for this town, and now she's trying to dump my son in it. No doubt he didn't return her affections, and now she's after revenge. I won't stand for it. My son has done nothing wrong! I will not let him take the fall for this manipulative vixen. And as for the Finnigan kid, he's got another thing coming. I caught him trespassing on my property, trying to steal Adam's car, but I decided to give him one last chance, show a little compassion."

"What?" I bounce up from my seat. I can't help it. The sheriff is being such a dick! "You don't even know what the word compassion means! I bet you can't spell it either!"

"Watch your mouth, young lady. You're speaking to an officer of the law." He points down at me, making me feel short and inferior.

"Dad, stop." I can hear Adam in the background, trying to calm his father down.

"I went out of my way for you, and this is how you repay me? By trying to drag my son through the mud. Is one tarnished reputation not enough for you? Have to spread your vile filth everywhere else too, huh?"

His poisonous words bounce right off me. I'm too pissed to take any of them in. "You are so full of sh
—"

"Enough!" The mayor raises his hand. "Sit down, both of you."

Like reprimanded children, we slump into our seats. I'm fuming. The blood in my veins is surely at boiling point. My skin feels hot and red. I'm so glad I'm not near a mirror right now. Breaths puff from my nose, indignant and noisy.

The mayor takes his time eyeing all three of us carefully. His gaze finally settles on Sheriff Hutton, his eyes taking on a hard sheen. "Gerry, you're the only one with a different story and I guarantee if I bring in the Finnigan boy - who has been nothing but a star citizen since moving here - he'd probably verify exactly what these two have been saying."

The sheriff scoffs, looking incredulous as he points at me and Adam. "You're going to believe a bunch of kids over me?"

"Yes. I am."

"That's insane. I'm the town's sheriff."

"I know." The mayor looks disturbed by this, his face puckering with a sad frown before looking at Adam and me. "You two, I'd like you to wait out in the hall please. I need to talk to the Sheriff alone."

It sounds so ominous, but I rise from the couch and make my way to the door. Adam follows me in robot mode, looking shell-shocked and afraid.

We slump into the two seats farthest from chipper Janine. I feel a heavy sadness on me as I watch Adam pick at his jeans.

On impulse, I reach for his hand and squeeze it.

I'm expecting him to wriggle his fingers free, but instead he grips back and whispers, "Thank you."

Shaking my head with a frown, I can barely talk. "I never meant to throw you in it like this. Your dad's gonna be pissed at you."

"It's okay, Nicky." He rubs his thumb over the back of my hand. "It was time it all came out. Living with this has been killing me."

"But what if your Dad tries to hurt you?"

"He won't." Adam takes in a breath. "I won't let him. Besides we have the mayor on our side now. Everything's going to be okay."

I give him a shaky nod, finding it ironic that Adam's now the one trying to convince me to be brave. I think about the Sheriff's threat against Dale and hope Adam's right. With the mayor on our side, hopefully Dale will come away from this none the wiser.

The phone in the side of my bag beeps. I pull it out.

Where are you? Are you okay?

I look at my watch. Shit! Dale!