Page 75 of Call the Shots (For The Arena #1)
JUNE
ONLY FAMILY PERMITTED
When Xavier cheated, it was my first heartbreak.
But when I told Bear we couldn’t be anything but friends…my heart didn’t just break, it shattered. Bear and I were there for each other, our biggest protectors, our strongest supporters, my source of comfort. My safe place. A love that felt like it’d grown and ebbed over years, not just months.
Fuck, how could I do this to him?
My phone rang, and I hoped it was him, but it was Cleo. I sniffled, brushing away the tears. “Hey, C,” I croaked. “I—um—need some time?—”
“Why was Bear arrested?” Cleo demanded.
I jerked up in bed. “ What? ”
“Fridge called me—he’s at the campus police station—Bear’s been booked on assault—June, I’m downtown—what’s going on?!”
I hurried off the bed and grabbed my purse, slamming the door behind me.
I raced to the police station where it was all too easy to spot Montoya.
He was that tall. Stooped over, he sat at a policewoman’s desk, and she talked softly to him, her forehead drawn in concern.
Not on my watch. I grabbed Montoya by the arm.
“He’s not speaking without a lawyer, this interview’s done. ”
“June!” Montoya’s shoulders crumpled in relief. “Bear went after?—”
“Montoya, hush .” When I confirmed he could leave, I brought him to Fridge, who had his arms folded, and kept repeating, ‘I don’t have a lawyer’ to the officers. I hurried them to the reception area. “I knew I could count on you, Fridge. At least someone’s being smart about this?—”
“My family taught me who my best friend is,” Fridge said, pushing Montoya to a chair. “My great uncle Forrest, the family attorney. Only an idiot would talk to the police—” He paused. “Where’s Nick?”
I craned my neck and cursed. “There’s our residential idiot.”
Nick was giving incriminating evidence like it was some hilarious story until I dragged him away.
“You don’t talk to anyone without your lawyers, do you understand?”
“I wasn’t saying anything new,” Nick argued. “There were tons of people filming?—”
“I don’t give a shit if it’s on the six o’clock news!” I hissed. “Stay here. Where’d they take Bear?”
Once I had confirmation from the MU lawyers, I received an escort through the police station. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other. I only had bits and pieces of what happened from the boys and didn’t know what to expect.
We walked into a closed hallway overlooking the room of separate offices and desks. My eyes flickered through the windows to Bear. He was handcuffed to the chair, his body hunched over, his t-shirt coated in blood. I stumbled to a stop.
Oh my god.
More footsteps followed and a brisk voice interrupted my spiral. “June?”
I glanced back to see…Warren Hodges.
Bear’s father.
“Where’s Xavier?” he demanded.
“That’s all you have to say?” I managed.
When I used to spend summers with him, I always saw Warren as the kind of man Xavier would grow up to be. The salt-and-pepper hair, the strong cheekbones, graciously growing into his age and power, Warren was how I used to picture my future.
The longer I looked at him, the more I realized how right I was. This was clearly an older Xavier. That same stupid, perplexed look on his face and casual disregard for another person’s wellbeing.
My hands balled to fists. “Do you know where Bear is? Have you had any idea this entire summer?”
“Excuse me?”
“I know he hasn’t seen you one fucking time.”
“You don’t get to curse at me?—”
“How dare you,” I snarled. “What the fuck is your problem?”
“You’re a child,” he dismissed me. “You don’t have children, you can’t possibly understand?—”
“Why are you playing favorites with your own kids?!”
“Oh, please. You’re being dramatic?—”
“You have a clear favorite! How can you justify that?”
“How can I—?” he repeated in disbelief. “Xavier was a choice I made, something I decided on, I didn’t decide on Bear! He’s a business trip to Canada! I told her I didn’t—I took him in! I didn’t have to, but I did!”
Pure fury curled inside of me. “If you didn’t want him, you should’ve left him behind with a family who loves him! I can’t believe you’re not genetically related. Xavier’s just like you!”
If we weren’t surrounded by police, I would’ve thrown something heavy at him. It took effort to prioritize. I was at the station for Bear, not to get arrested myself. With a shaky breath, I pushed the door open, leaving Warren behind.
Bear stared at the ground until I came closer. His eyes flickered to mine.
Oh, god.
He was covered in blood—that had to have been from his battered nose—and his left eye was swollen with angry red bruises.
It must’ve been so painful, but his lips tugged up for a rougher version of that boyish, hopeful smile.
He moved to stand up, only stopped by the handcuffs. His voice was hoarse. “June?”
“I’m here, baby,” I whispered, moving next to him. Bear rested his forehead against my hip and I wove my fingers through his hair, holding him to me. “Why is he here?”
“Because he sent another student to the hospital?” an officer replied sarcastically.
“Well, why isn’t he at the hospital?”
“Uh, he has a broken nose.”
“What medical school did you attend? Harvard? Yale? Let’s see your license—until then—we have no idea what injuries he sustained, and I want him in a hospital bed. Now!”
“He looks fine to me,” another said, motioning to Bear pressing his cheek to me, eyes closed.
“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” I snapped. “I want him taken care of!”
Bear had a police escort to the hospital, and I ignored Warren on the outskirts, talking loudly on his phone. He didn’t matter. My dad was on speed dial, and the MU lawyers assured me they’d meet us as soon as I made the call, but I asked them to wait.
I broke away for the nurses’ station.
“Hello.” I gave them the most pleasant smile I could under the circumstances. “I’m here to see Xavier Lisco-Hodges.”
“Only family permitted,” a nurse said easily.
“I’m his girlfriend.”
Three magic words and I was redirected to Xavier’s room. I found him exactly how I expected. Black and blue from the bruises, and seething when he saw me.
“What the fuck, June?” he snarled.
I closed the door behind me. “This stops now.”
“He’s not involved in our game?—”
“There’s no game. And this?” I motioned to the room. “This is a family matter, Bear will apologize, you’ll drop the charges.”
His face contorted. “Why the fuck would I do that?”
“Because if you don’t, I’ll sue you for wrongful eviction and harassment.”
The silence stretched for long seconds while Xavier bounced between shock and hurt, emotions flashing over his face like a stoplight. “Bullshit.”
“I’ll call my dad?—”
“Bull shit, ” he repeated, triumphant. “You’re acting like I don’t know you. You’d rather get hit by a fucking car than put your parents’ name on any lawsuit?—”
“I’d do it for him.”
“ Goddammit, no!” Xavier swiped at the little table connected to his hospital bed and things went flying, his water bottle, his phone, and papers hit the ground. “He’s not part of this!”
“The only reason I’m here is because of him.”
“You’re such a fucking—you were supposed to realize—” He jabbed a finger in my direction, wincing from the bruises. “You can’t do this without me!”
“Do what? ’
“Anything!” His words blurred faster, his anger melting into something restless and almost panicked. “I cut you out of the organizations, I took the house, because you can’t do any of this without me! You were supposed to realize that! You need me—you fucking need me!”
I inhaled slowly, my voice quiet. “Drop the charges.”
“Fuck you.”
“Drop the charges or I swear, I’ll become the crazy, vindictive girl you’ve painted me to be. I’ll do everything, I’ll post-up in group chats, I’ll abuse my dad’s connections to contact everyone you’ve ever dreamed of working with, I’ll sign your number up for every telemarketer bullshit?—”
“This is the same guy we used to make fun of?—”
“ No! He’s not! Your whole family acted like Bear abandoned you, when you abandoned him! I’m sick when I think I joined in! He didn’t deserve it!”
“Cry me a fucking river?—”
“Your dad’s downstairs. I guess if I’m suing you, I should let him know?—”
“You’re a cunt.”
“—considering it’ll be his lawyers I’m contacting,” I finished, opening the door.
Xavier’s voice stopped me. “ June .” He stared daggers, his lips curled, and I could see him resisting his position. His eyes burned into mine, furious, before he finally resigned. “You’ll regret this.”
“I’m not letting you stomp me out anymore,” I said. “If you fuck with Bear again, I’ll hurt you. Trust me, you’ll be the one to fucking regret it.”