Page 39 of Jessica's Hero

What if locking herself in the bathroom isn’t good enough?

What if she’s hurt and just didn’t tell me? Or she’s in shock and doesn’t know how badly she’s injured, and I arrive to find?—

Shit.

Maybe I should have told her to make a run for her car instead. But in the moment, I just wanted her to get to safety as quickly as possible. I didn’t want her going further into the living room, wasting precious moments searching for her car keys, then leaving herself vulnerable as she raced to the garage.

Maybe I should have told her to run to a neighbor's house for help. But the thought of her panicked, standing alone in the dark while she waited for someone to answer…

Instinct told me to have her hide. Stay put and wait for me. But now… I’m second guessing myself. I’m scared I fucked up and put Jess in even more danger.

“It’s going to be okay,” Oliver says in a low tone. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice him watching me with visible concern. “We’re almost there.”

“Kane?” Jess’s wobbly voice carries through the car speakers. “Are you almost here? I can hear sirens.”

“Not yet.” My molars nearly shatter from the effort of keeping my voice calm. “We’re just about three minutes out. The sirens are from one of the other cars. Noah and Kyle are on patrol, so they were probably closer to your house when they got the call.”

“Are you with Oliver?” Jess asks. “I’m sorry. I’m sure hewants to be home with Shea. It’s just some broken”—her voice cracks—“glass. No big”—another crack—“deal.”

She couldn’t sound less convincing if she tried.

I’m about to answer when Oliver jumps in. “Jess, don’t even worry about it. I want to come. Okay?” He glances at me and smirks. “And someone’s got to keep your guy from losing his shit.”

On Jess’s end of the call, sirens approach, muffled but still easy to recognize.

“He’s losing his shit?” She pauses. “Why?”

“Because I’m worried about you,” I answer. “And I want to get there and make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” she whispers. “I’m still in the bathroom. No one?—”

A loud banging sound carries across the line. Jess lets out a tiny yip of fear.

My foot twitches on the gas.

Oliver claps his hand on my shoulder. “It’s fine,” he says. “It’s just Noah and Kyle. You know it is.”

Incorrect. Ithinkit is. But I don’tknow.

If only I’d waited to leave the station a few minutes longer, I’d be in the patrol car and could hear them communicating on the radio. I’d know for sure that my fellow officers are at Jess’s house and not someone there to hurt her. But I was already halfway to my car when the call came in, and it would have cost me minutes I didn’t want to waste to go back for the patrol car instead.

Thankfully, Noah called me as soon as the station was notified of Jess’s alarm going off, so I knew right away. Because by now, everyone knows Jess and I are dating. And Iwantthem to know.

I want them to know that any rudeness to Jess isunacceptable, and if I hear about it, they’ll have to answer to me. I want them to know that ignoring Jess isn’t an option anymore. And that unlike before, I have Jess’s back. That I won’t allow the bullshit way people like Daria and Simone treated her to continue.

Overprotective? Possibly.

Probably.

But, shit. Poor Jess hasn’t had anyone on her side until now. No one to say they believe in her. No one to reassure her that sheisa good person, despite what some assholes in town may think.

She’s not alone anymore. She has me. And Oliver. And all my friends.

If it’s up to me, she won’t be alone again.

But that’s something for another day. Another time when Jess isn’t hiding in her bathroom after an attack on her house. When she’s not scared and crying. When I don’t feel moments from punching something.

Over the speakers, another series of loud knocks echoes. Then a faint, “Miss Day! This is the police! We’re coming in!”