Chapter 7

7

Holly

J enson eyed me over the rim of his coffee mug. My hair was hanging wet around my shoulders from my shower since I'd been too lazy and drained to bother blow-drying it. I knew my eyes were puffy. I was a fucking mess—a nervous wreck. My dad had texted me this morning, telling me to be home by ten so we could talk about what happened.

I was so anxious that I was sick to my stomach. I wasn't ready to face him yet.

"Just take a deep breath," Jenson told me. "You need to eat something."

I shook my head with a small laugh. "I couldn't stomach anything if I tried, Jenson." I pushed my fingers through my wet strands, staring at his pristine, white countertop. "I hate disappointing them. Dad has always had super high expectations for me, and I always met them. This is…" My voice trailed off. I didn't even know how to explain how this felt.

"You're learning still, Holly. But he was in the wrong yesterday, too. You're his daughter, and instead of talking to you like a sensible, grown man, he lashed out at you, said things he shouldn't have, and then kicked you out for the night. Where would you have slept if I hadn't been there to bring you here?"

I shrugged, not verbally answering. Because the truth was, I had nowhere to go. My car, as far as I knew, was still in the parking lot of the mall, and that was in a whole other town. What would I have done if Jenson hadn't been there, ready to rescue me and give me a roof over my head?

"Exactly," Jenson grumbled when I remained silent. He made me a cup of coffee and slid it to me. "If you're not going to eat, then at least drink some coffee. It'll be something in your stomach."

I sighed and picked up the mug, bringing it to my lips. I bit back a smile when I realized he'd made it exactly how I preferred it. It showed he'd been paying attention to me, and that warmed my insides. In all the time Derrick and I had been dating, he had never gotten something as simple as this right.

Jenson set his coffee down and disappeared from the kitchen. I sighed and grabbed my phone, checking the time, swallowing when I saw I only had a few more minutes.

God, I was not ready to face my parents.

"Breathe," Jenson whispered into my ear as he slid something around my neck. I shivered and looked down, tears welling in my eyes at the simple necklace. The thin chain was sterling silver, and a sterling silver bar hung almost to my breasts that read, "Breathe."

"Jenson," I croaked, turning to face him.

He cupped my face in his hands and gently kissed me. "You're always worrying so much," he said, his eyes meeting mine. "So, I wanted to get you something to remind you to just breathe when I can't be there to remind you myself."

I threw my arms around his neck, and he quickly wrapped his around my back, pressing me to his hard frame. "I don't deserve you," I croaked.

He pressed his lips to my temple. "Let me be the judge of that, doll."

My hand shook as I gripped the doorknob. Drawing in a deep breath, I pushed it down and entered the house, toeing off my sneakers by the front door. I gripped the strap of my bag tightly as I walked through the house. I felt like I was treading on eggshells, and if I made one of them crack, the aftermath would be akin to a bomb exploding.

Mom and Dad were both sitting in the dining room, waiting on me. I quickly took a seat, setting my overnight bag between my feet on the floor. Then, I clenched my hands together under the table, determined not to fidget—at least, not where they could see.

"I got the charges against you dropped to something less severe," Dad began. He still sounded angry, but it was more controlled now. He wasn't lashing out at me anymore.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Don't thank me yet because you haven't heard the rest," he snapped. I flinched, nodding my head. "The judge has agreed to let you serve a six-month probation. You'll need to go see your probation officer today. This is forever on your record, Holly, and violating any rules can land you in jail with no chance of getting out until you've served your time, do you understand?"

"Yes," I said quietly.

"The terms are you must maintain straight A's as you have been, remain in school and attend all classes, and you must volunteer at a nonprofit organization every weekend of your choosing. Your probation officer will be checking in frequently and will also maintain a close relationship with your dean to keep a check on your attendance and your grades. If you're sick, you'll need to see a doctor to have a proper excuse for missing any classes. Understand?"

I nodded. "I understand." My voice was small—timid. I hated it, but I felt small. So goddamn little.

He cleared his throat. "You're dismissed. Lunch will be in two hours. I expect you to be down here, eating with us as a family."

I nodded again and stood from the chair, grabbing my bag. Once I pushed my chair back in under the table, I quickly left the dining room and rushed up the stairs to my room, my hands shaking. I shut my door behind me and sat on the edge of my bed. My curtains were already open, but Jenson's were still closed.

Holly: I'm on six months of probation.

Jenson: Fuck. Well, at least it's not jail time, doll.

Holly: I have to go meet my new probation officer at some point today. I'm sure Dad will end up driving me.

Jenson: Do you know the terms of your probation yet?

Holly: Stay in school. Maintain A's. Attend all classes, and if I have to miss because I'm sick, I have to have a doctor's excuse. And I have to volunteer at a nonprofit organization of my choosing every weekend.

Jenson: That's not bad. I'm sure you'll find out more stipulations once you go see your probation officer. Just breathe. Everything is going to be okay.

Holly: I'm trying .

Jenson was right. Later that afternoon when I went to see my probation officer, more stipulations got added. No drinking. No drugs. Drug test every month. Random check-ins at my dorm. And I had to attend anger management counseling every week until the end of my probation.

"Do you understand everything I've explained to you?" my probation officer, Mr. Larry, asked me.

I nodded my head. He pointed to a line at the bottom. "Sign and date for me. Your probation officially begins today, Miss Keller."

I grabbed a pen out of his cupholder and quickly signed my name at the bottom of the sheet, scribbling the date beside it. He nodded once at me as he slid the papers back over to his side of the desk. I capped the pen and set it back in his pen holder. "I expect you to be back on campus two days before classes start. Clear?"

"Yes, sir."

He waved a hand to the door to dismiss me. I drew in a deep breath and left his office, heading out onto the sidewalk. Dad handed me my car keys. "Your car is parked down the block. Thank your mother when you get home."

"Dad?" I called when he turned to get into his car. He looked at me, a hard look on his face that made my gut churn. I swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry."

He sighed and turned around fully, wrapping me in a hug. I sniffled, biting my lip to hold back my tears as I squeezed him. "I know you are. Just learn to think before you do things." He brushed his hand over my blonde hair, leaning back to look down at me. "You're smart, Holly. Don't let bad decisions ruin your life."

"I won't," I promised. I had no plans of ever doing something like this again.

He dropped a kiss to the top of my head before releasing me and getting into his car. And I knew that despite the horrible decision I'd made yesterday, everything between us would be okay.

It had to be. I wouldn't let him down again. I fucking couldn't .