any more perfect.
ADELINE
I fell asleep in his strong arms. It’s the only place I felt safe. The moment my eyes closed, Ezra came to me for the first time in months. I found myself sitting on the beach, with him sitting next to me, holding my dress for the ball.
All I can think about is you at the ball with him.
“Do you not want me to go with him?” I asked, staring out into the sunset, the tide coming in from the Pacific.
I guess I can’t stop you.
“You could ask.”
It’ll be fine and you’re gonna be stunning. I’m sure of it. You should really model the dress for me so I can give you an honest guy’s opinion.
He tugged on my wrist and handed me the dress.
“Nope, you’re just gonna have to wait like everyone else,” I said, pulling my wrist away from his hand.
It’s not like you love him, right?
I turned away.
Right?
“Why do we have to talk about this? I haven’t seen you in so long. Where have you been?” I asked.
That's not what I asked you , he said as he stood from the sand and walked away.
I tried to follow but I was stuck. Paralyzed. Unable to move.
I screamed for him, “Ezra!”
I shot up in bed. Gasping for a breath. The night was still young, and Cole was lying asleep next to me. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and nestled myself back into his arms.
“Everything okay?” he whispered.
I smiled. “It is now.”
I fell back to sleep without another run in with Ezra. For some reason, his visits were becoming less welcome as I felt a growing anger coming from him.
It felt like I had only been asleep for a few minutes when I woke up to Cole jostling my shoulder.
“What time is it?” I tried to sit up, but the aches of the bruises had set in.
“Are you okay?”
“As okay as one can be after having the shit beat out of them,” I replied, sliding out of bed, still clutching onto my towel.
“The ball is tonight, and I understand if you don’t want to go.”
“No. I need to go. I’m not letting Catherine or Ezra stop me.”
“Ezra?”
I glanced back over to him as I rifled through my closet. “Nothing.”
“Well, I gotta go to work for a bit, but I’ll be back in time. Lock the doors while I’m gone, and please keep your phone near you. I called the police department this morning and they said they hadn’t found her yet.”
“Okay, I’ll stay home.”
He stood and gave me a slight peck on the cheek before leaving the room. I pressed my hand against that cheek and reveled in the moment.
“I’ll be back by three or so,” he said as he walked out of the door.
HER LAST PLEA
COLE
I walked by the window, where I saw Catherine standing at the bottom of the metal stairs that led up to the office door.
“How in the hell does she keep getting on base?” I asked.
“What, LT?” Elijah asked.
“Here comes that crazy bitch that beat up Adeline,” I replied.
“Are you shittin’ me?”
I looked toward the door, where I could see her approach. She took a deep breath and exhaled as she tapped on the metal door.
“You want me to take care of her, LT?” Elijah asked.
“No. I will. Here, hold this,” I said, handing him the file I had been working on.
I opened the door.
“Hey, baby!” she greeted me. “I’ve missed you.”
She tried to wrap her arms around me, but I backed away. “Are you fuckin’ crazy? You beat up Adeline last night. Why aren’t you in jail? In fact…Black, call the MPs.”
“Are we at the point that we can’t be cordial?” she asked.
“Hello, Catherine,” I said in a low monotone voice. “Is that what you want?”
“No, I want more. Do you happen to have time to chat about a few things?” she asked.
“No, Catherine, I don’t have time for this.”
She looked at me. As understanding finally dawned on her, she looked as though she had been sucker punched. The gravity of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks.
“Black, tell them we’ve got an
ADELINE
I fell asleep in his strong arms. It’s the only place I felt safe. The moment my eyes closed, Ezra came to me for the first time in months. I found myself sitting on the beach, with him sitting next to me, holding my dress for the ball.
All I can think about is you at the ball with him.
“Do you not want me to go with him?” I asked, staring out into the sunset, the tide coming in from the Pacific.
I guess I can’t stop you.
“You could ask.”
It’ll be fine and you’re gonna be stunning. I’m sure of it. You should really model the dress for me so I can give you an honest guy’s opinion.
He tugged on my wrist and handed me the dress.
“Nope, you’re just gonna have to wait like everyone else,” I said, pulling my wrist away from his hand.
It’s not like you love him, right?
I turned away.
Right?
“Why do we have to talk about this? I haven’t seen you in so long. Where have you been?” I asked.
That's not what I asked you , he said as he stood from the sand and walked away.
I tried to follow but I was stuck. Paralyzed. Unable to move.
I screamed for him, “Ezra!”
I shot up in bed. Gasping for a breath. The night was still young, and Cole was lying asleep next to me. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and nestled myself back into his arms.
“Everything okay?” he whispered.
I smiled. “It is now.”
I fell back to sleep without another run in with Ezra. For some reason, his visits were becoming less welcome as I felt a growing anger coming from him.
It felt like I had only been asleep for a few minutes when I woke up to Cole jostling my shoulder.
“What time is it?” I tried to sit up, but the aches of the bruises had set in.
“Are you okay?”
“As okay as one can be after having the shit beat out of them,” I replied, sliding out of bed, still clutching onto my towel.
“The ball is tonight, and I understand if you don’t want to go.”
“No. I need to go. I’m not letting Catherine or Ezra stop me.”
“Ezra?”
I glanced back over to him as I rifled through my closet. “Nothing.”
“Well, I gotta go to work for a bit, but I’ll be back in time. Lock the doors while I’m gone, and please keep your phone near you. I called the police department this morning and they said they hadn’t found her yet.”
“Okay, I’ll stay home.”
He stood and gave me a slight peck on the cheek before leaving the room. I pressed my hand against that cheek and reveled in the moment.
“I’ll be back by three or so,” he said as he walked out of the door.
HER LAST PLEA
COLE
I walked by the window, where I saw Catherine standing at the bottom of the metal stairs that led up to the office door.
“How in the hell does she keep getting on base?” I asked.
“What, LT?” Elijah asked.
“Here comes that crazy bitch that beat up Adeline,” I replied.
“Are you shittin’ me?”
I looked toward the door, where I could see her approach. She took a deep breath and exhaled as she tapped on the metal door.
“You want me to take care of her, LT?” Elijah asked.
“No. I will. Here, hold this,” I said, handing him the file I had been working on.
I opened the door.
“Hey, baby!” she greeted me. “I’ve missed you.”
She tried to wrap her arms around me, but I backed away. “Are you fuckin’ crazy? You beat up Adeline last night. Why aren’t you in jail? In fact…Black, call the MPs.”
“Are we at the point that we can’t be cordial?” she asked.
“Hello, Catherine,” I said in a low monotone voice. “Is that what you want?”
“No, I want more. Do you happen to have time to chat about a few things?” she asked.
“No, Catherine, I don’t have time for this.”
She looked at me. As understanding finally dawned on her, she looked as though she had been sucker punched. The gravity of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks.
“Black, tell them we’ve got an
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