“No problem, Miles. He was just leaving.” She scooted her chair under the table and placed the paper aside before pulling a chemistry book toward her. “How did the quiz go this week?”
“Got a B on it, thanks to you.”
“That’s great,” she gushed proudly. I was half tempted to rip out the guy’s throat for making her smile so brightly. Even more so when her smile disappeared as she looked up at me dismissively. “Bye.”
Not wanting to argue with her in front of her client, I bent and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll see you later, baby.”
Chapter 46
Ellianna
Somehow, I was able to avoid Judge for a few days. That didn’t stop him from sitting outside my house every night, but at least I wasn’t face-to-face with him again.
It wasn’t that I was afraid of how easily he’d gotten me to comb my fingers through his hair. Or how much I’d ached when he said he had only slept a couple of hours Saturday.
Mostly, it was because I knew he would bring up my doctor’s visit again, and I didn’t want to discuss that. Yet. I would. He would know everything. But I needed to digest it all myself first.
And maybe my pettiness was keeping me from telling him. Just a little bit.
Thursday night, Hudson and Celica talked me into going clubbing with them, Stacie, and Kyndle. Vaya had taken a long weekend trip up to Baltimore to see her family and celebrate her parents’ wedding anniversary, and I didn’t want to be home alone.
If I spotted Judge outside, I knew I would give in and go out to talk to him. Maybe invite him in. Maybe let him lay his head in my lap again so I could stroke my fingers through his hair and let him fall asleep. Maybe curl up beside him and get a little rest too.
I had a lot of maybes that I was afraid I would make a reality if I stayed home. And I could be my roommates’ designated driver for the night.
Win-win.
Sitting at our table, I sipped my water and watched over everyone else’s drinks while they danced. Celica and Hudson were together, laughing and bouncing to the music. They were, without a doubt, drunk off their asses.
Stacie was making out with some random guy, but she’d only had half a drink, so I trusted her to make her own decisions. Meanwhile, Kyndle appeared to be breaking ground with his own potential hookup for the night.
And I missed Judge so badly I was tempted to call him. But I somehow held strong.
“El.” Celica ran up to our table. It was a miracle she was able to walk at all in her heels, let alone in heels and drunk, but she pulled it off seamlessly. “Come dance with us.”
“But our drinks…” I tried to protest, but I knew if I stayed at the table alone for much longer, I would end up sending a text to my ex.
“They’re probably gross by now, anyway,” she said dismissively. Taking my hand, she tugged me toward the dance floor. “Come on. We’re having so much fun.”
Hudson pulled me into their group as soon as we got close enough. Laughing, I attempted to push Judge from my mind and let the music take over.
Hugging Celica, I danced with them for a few songs and just let go. But when I felt someone hug me from behind, I came crashing back to reality. Turning, I shook my head with a grim smile. “I’m with my friends,” I told the guy.
He was kind of cute but too put together for me. I wasn’t into men who took longer to get ready than I did. If I was honest, I didn’t have a type. I’d only ever wanted Judge. Not anyone similar. Not a substitute. Just him.
I didn’t get more than two steps back before he grabbed hold of me again. His dirty-blond hair fell into his face, but it didn’t distract me from the drunken glimmer in his eyes. “You’re a hot little thing. Come here.”
“No, really.” I pushed against his chest. Hard fingers bit into my hips through the material of my dress. I stomped on his foot out of reflex. His shout of pain was barely heard over the tempo of the music.
“Bitch,” he seethed, backhanding me.
Crying out in shock and pain, I stumbled back, holding a hand to my cheek. My face and eye both felt like they were on fire. I felt wetness on my fingers, and when I looked at them, I saw blood. A quick glance at the guy’s hand showed a huge championship-style ring on his middle finger.
Celica and Hudson came up on either side of me. “Are you okay, El?” Celica asked with concern, touching my bleeding cheek. “Oh God!”
“Kyndle, no!” Hudson screamed.
That was the only warning I got before her twin tackled the guy who hit me.
The rest of the night was pure chaos. The guy who hit me had several friends, and his fight with Kyndle turned into an all-out brawl. I didn’t know any of the police officers who showed up in an attempt to restore order. No matter how much I pleaded, the cop still arrested my roommate. Not even when I threw out Judge’s name did they so much as hesitate.
One of the officers even laughed when I told them Judge wouldn’t be pleased they were ignoring me. “Okay, honey. Sure, he won’t.” He eyeballed me up and down, borderline leeringly. “Are you even old enough to be in this club?”
I almost stomped my foot in frustration, but I stopped myself in time.
Grabbing Hudson, Celica, and Stacie, I pushed them into Hudson’s car and drove to the police station, but the place was so busy, there was no chance of just bailing Kyndle out. As chaotic as things were, it made it a nightmare at the courthouse for arraignment.
In a last-ditch effort, I called Rita.
“Babe?” she answered, sounding like I’d woken her.
Half sobbing, I gave her a quick rundown of what had happened.
“Christ, Ellianna,” she groaned. “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Th-thank you,” I cried into the phone.
“Please don’t cry, beautiful. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Thirty, tops.”
All of us were still in club wear when we entered the courtroom where Kyndle and the other guys were being arraigned. My cheek was throbbing, my eye so swollen I could barely see out of it. Celica dabbed at the gash on my cheek with a tissue because it kept bleeding. I probably should have gone to the emergency room, but I was too concerned for Kyndle to worry about myself.
And then the worst thing that could happen did.
The judge’s door opened, and I felt the air leave my lungs.
No. Not him. Not now.
He hadn’t done arraignments in so long that I hadn’t even considered it a possibility. Panic choked me, and I quickly pulled my hair down over my face in an attempt to hide.
“Hey, that’s the guy from the Underground,” Celica whispered loudly. “And your stalker. You didn’t say he was a real judge.”
“Shh,” I hissed.
While his attention was on the files the bailiff gave him, I slunk a little lower in my seat. The court clerk called out Kyndle’s name and charges.
Judge’s head snapped up, a predatory look on his haggard face. I swallowed a whimper, knowing he was going to take pleasure in what he was about to do.
The door to the gallery opened, and I nearly sagged in relief when Rita ran in. “Sorry, Your Honor.” She interrupted, rushing over to the other assistant district attorney. “If I could just speak to my colleague for a moment.”