Chapter 22

Iexit the school building, the sun starting to lower. The campus is bustling with students who are either heading to their next class or to their cars.

Ash leans against his Jeep, engrossed in his phone. Suddenly, a car tears through the parking lot and comes to a screeching halt behind Ash"s Jeep. Ash looks up, his face a mix of shock and confusion.

I see Jo in the car as I get closer. Jo jumps out, his face etched with rage.

"What"s going on?" I ask, feeling a sense of worry creeping up.

"Don"t you answer your phone?" he barks at me.

Confused, I reach into my pocket for my phone, but he stops me.

"I need you guys to follow me to the precinct. Sadie and Seb were arrested," Jo explains, his voice shaking.

My heart drops at his words. "Wh-what?" I stammer, struggling to comprehend what is happening.

"Stop asking questions! I need you to get into the car and follow me!" Jo bellows, his voice urgent as he climbs back into his car.

Without wasting any time, Ash runs to the driver"s side, and I jump into the passenger side. The car roars to life, and we follow Jo"s car as it speeds out of the parking lot and onto the road. I feel a sense of dread and anxiety, wondering what the hell is happening.

Sadie

This can"t be happening.

This can"t be happening.

This can"t be happening.

I"ve been sitting in the cramped room the size of a box at the police station chanting the same words, hoping by some magic that I will be whisked away from this freaking nightmare.

My mind races with thoughts of my baby girl. The image of her tear-stained face flashes before my eyes, and my heart constricts with longing to hold her close.

Sitting in a stiff chair, I cry silently, rocking back and forth, waiting for Javi to arrive and take us home. Not knowing what happened to Seb is eating me up inside.

The minutes tick by, and my eyes dart toward the door, praying Javi will walk in. I feel like my prayer has been answered when the door finally creaks open, but my relief quickly turns to dread as I see the cop who forcefully pulled me out of the car. He steps inside with a folder in his hands and glances behind him before quietly shutting the door.

"Hi Sadie. I'm Detective Cooper."

"I-I need to use the bathroom," I whisper, feeling like my bladder will burst.

Cooper pulls out a chair and sits directly across from me, his eyes fixed on mine. "Of course. But first, I have a few questions."

I nod.

"We"ve received a call stating that Seb kidnapped you and your daughter, holding you at gunpoint. Is that true?" he asks, scanning the folder's contents.

My eyes widened in sheer disbelief, and my lips, trembling, struggled to form words. "What? That"s impossible. Seb would never, ever do something like that to me. He"s my best friend."

He looks up from the folder and tilts his head to the side. "Sadie, you are safe. He won"t hurt you," he says.

Tears blur my vision at his accusations. "I swear, Detective, Seb would never, ever hurt me. He"s not capable of something like this. Please, you have to believe me."

He leans back in his chair, casually crossing one leg over the other. "We have eyewitnesses who saw him forcefully pulling you towards his vehicle."

"That"s not true," I croak.

"Sadie. We know he was charged with aggravated assault, and—" he starts, but I cut him off.

"No," I say, shaking my head. "He was cleared of those charges."

He sighs. "Doesn't matter. People can revert to their old behavior. If you tell me the truth, I can work out a deal," he says, ignoring my statement. "Otherwise, the next time you see your kid, it will be from behind clear glass. Is that what you want?"

Panic has a death grip on my lungs, making breathing harder. "I swear, I'm telling you the truth," I cry, wiping away the tears that have fallen. "I have no reason to lie."

Before he can respond, the door swings open, and I look up to see Javi, Derick, and another man in a suit with a badge walk in, and I shudder in relief.

"Cooper, she"s free to go," the man in the suit announces.

Cooper glances back and says, "Sir, but-"

The man interrupts him with a raised hand. "She"s innocent. We were given false information."

Javi"s face has darkened with rage, and his jaw is clenched tight when he sees me.

The man in the suit shifts his grey eyes to me. "I"m sorry this happened to you and your friend. You are free to go," he says, his voice echoing through the room as he walks out, leaving me alone with Javi and Derick.

Javi"s face contorted with concern. "Sadie, are you okay?" he asked quietly, his voice soft.

"Yeah," I murmur softly.

Javi kneels in front of me, his warm hand reaching out to take mine. With a gentle squeeze, he reassures me. "Come on. Let's get you home."

I look up at him, my mind racing with questions. "What about Seb? And Sophia?"

Javi"s face softens as he replies, "Seb is doing just fine. He's pissed, but he's fine. And Sophia is safe with Elisa."

A wave of relief washes over me, and I can feel my eyes closing on their own.

"Come on ," Javi says, but I still when I try to move. I feel a warm wetness spreading beneath me.

Oh, God.I had an accident.

My eyes widen in shock and embarrassment, my lips tremble, and I keep my eyes on Javi, who"s looking at me with concern.

"What"s the matter? Are you hurt?" he asks, noticing my distress.

I shake my head and lean closer so only he can hear me. My voice comes out as a whisper, "M-my pants are wet."

When I pull back, his eyes fall to my legs, and fury flashes across his face. Without a word, he rises to his feet, removes his jacket, and wraps it around me. "It"s okay, Sadie. We"ll get you cleaned up," he says gently as he lifts me in his arms and carries me out of the room.

Javi pauses for a moment before turning to Derick. With a slightly lowered voice, he asks, "Can you ask Elisa to come to the bathroom? And be discreet about it."

"Sure thing, man," Derick responds, sending a friendly smile to me before turning around and walking away.

Javi turns his attention back to me and reassures me, "You"re going to be okay, sis. I promise you I will find out who did this to you and Seb." His words are filled with anger, and I can sense his intense desire for justice and retribution in his voice.

Donovan

Bursting through the doors, I spot Seb pacing back and forth while talking on his phone. His face is twisted with agony as he quickly notices our arrival.

"What happened? Where's Shorty?" I ask, my heart racing with worry.

Seb replies, "We were pulled over, but it wasn"t just a routine traffic stop."

Confused and alarmed, I ask, "What do you mean? What happened?"

"The cops accused me of kidnapping my best friend, her daughter," he says, shifting his gaze away from me. "At gun point." He pauses, and his hands clench into fists. "And that I was driving a stolen car," he continues, turning back to me. "Someone set me up."

My heart pounds as I listen to him recount the event. "What the fuck?" I hiss. "Is she okay?"

Seb"s face crumples. He doesn"t have to say anything—the anguish in his expression tells me everything I need to know.

"Take me to her," I demand.