SWNOVELS A Drop of Pretty Poison: Chapter 10
There’s a sort of helplessness that you feel when someone so close to you is hurt or in trouble. I felt it every night I listened to my mom cry after my dad left. I felt it when Devin finally broke down after realizing he was never coming back. And I feel it now, while Cam sits in prison and Laiken looks like she’s aged ten years in the last few hours.
Her hair is piled on top of her head, and she looks like she wants to sleep, but she can’t. None of us can. Instead of going back to her house, we got my truck and came to mine. It’s the only place where we can figure out how to help Cam without worrying about someone hearing us.
“I’ll press my own charges,” Mali says.
Laiken shakes her head. “You couldn’t even say what he did out loud tonight. You would have to relive that in front of an entire courtroom.”
“I don’t care,” she spits back. “This is my fault.”
“Mali,” I warn, but it’s too late.
Laiken glares at her best friend. “Say it’s your fault one more time and I’m going to duct tape your mouth shut. You. Did. Not. Ask. To. Be. Assaulted.”
“No, but I’m the one that called Cam.”
“To get out of a dangerous situation!” Laiken snaps. “Stop beating yourself up for this! It’s not doing anyone any good.”
Mali drops her head, and I can tell Laiken feels bad for yelling at her, but I’ve been watching her patience thin every time Mali says something self-degrading for the last few hours.
“Besides,” I add. “Even if Isaac went to jail, it wouldn’t get Cam out.”
It’s well past one in the morning when my phone vibrates, showing a text from Owen.
What’s going on? Any updates?
The girls toss a few more ideas back and forth as I type out my reply.
He’s stuck in jail until his bail hearing. Should be within the next week or so. It doesn’t look good tho.
Damn. That fucking blows. Is there anything we can do? You know we all have his back.
Always, but I don’t think so. We’re trying to brainstorm now.
Okay. Let me know if that changes. In the meantime, I’ll let Coach know tomorrow that you and Cam won’t be at practice.
“The lawyer said that Craig took a video, right?” Mali asks. “So, what if you pretend to be into him again? That way you could get his phone and erase the video.”
That grabs my attention and I look up from my phone to glare at Mali. “If that motherfucker comes anywhere near her, I’ll be in jail next to Cam.”
Mali pouts. “Come on, you can’t shut your inner caveman off for a second to help save your best friend?”
I chuckle humorlessly as I put my phone down. “Do you really think Cam would be on board for pimping his sister out to her sleazy ex?”
She grimaces, realizing she’s got nothing. “Okay, I’ll count that as a veto.”
I go back to texting Owen, letting him know I appreciate it, when Mali curses under her breath. My brows raise as I watch her and Laiken gaze at each other as if they’re having a silent conversation, and I am not in the loop.
“We can’t,” Laiken tells her.
Mali smiles sadly. “I can’t think of any other option, can you?”
Running her hands over her face, Laiken groans. “No. Fuck!”
“Uh, one of you want to fill me in?”
They both look at me and then each other. I didn’t know it was possible to feel so much like a third wheel while in a room with my own girlfriend. Whatever it is, they already know I’m not going to like it.
Mali holds her hands up. “You have to be the one to tell him. I got his best friend thrown in jail. I’m not his favorite person right now.”
Laiken’s head drops as she sighs, and when she turns it to the side to look at me, I realize I won’t just not like it—I’m going to fucking hate it.
WE STAND IN THE very public park, with kids running around and moms bitching about other moms. Someone should really record this shit, then put them all in a room with a big screen and press play. They could sell tickets and popcorn. It could break the world record for the biggest catfight.
I lean against the picnic table, my arms crossed in front of my chest. If it were possible to trade places with Cam right now, I’d do it. Then again, depending how this goes, I may end up in there with him.
“H,” Laiken says, resting her hand on my arm, but I can’t look at her right now.
It’s not that she did anything wrong. I know this is the only option we have that even has a chance at working. But that’s what I hate most about it. It’s not her I’m angry at—it’s myself.
“He could have stayed home,” Mali tells her.
I scoff. “And let her around him alone? Not a fucking chance.”
“She’s not alone. She has me,” she argues.
“You’re biased.”
“Stop bickering,” Laiken chastises us both. “I think that’s him.”
Turning my head, I see the one person I dislike more than Isaac coming toward us. The one person I never wanted to see walk back into our lives.
Montgomery fucking Rollins.
“Hey,” Mali greets him with a hug.
“Hey, Mal,” he replies.
When he goes to say hi to Laiken, he stops, and his eyes meet mine. I wait to see if he’s going to try hugging her too, but he must have some sense of self-preservation because he nods his hello.
Moneybags put his thinking cap on today.
“Sorry for making you come out here,” Monty says as he looks around. “I had to be sure this wasn’t a setup so Hayes could jump me.”
I snort, because if we weren’t about to discuss my best friend’s freedom, that’s exactly what I would be doing. Laiken turns around and gives me a look, silently telling me to knock it off, and I roll my eyes.
“It’s fine,” she tells him. “I’m just grateful you’re willing to help my brother.”
“It’s no problem. I’m happy to do what I can.” He slides his hands into his pockets. “So, tell me what’s going on.”
“Cam was on probation for an assault case he should’ve never been charged for,” Laiken explains. “He was just defending his satanic girlfriend at the time, and the guy was drunk. He got hurt, pressed charges against Cam, and Cam almost went to jail for it. Since being put on probation, he’s done really well at staying out of trouble.
“But a guy Cam got kicked off the hockey team had a vendetta. He came onto Mali at a party a little…aggressively, and because of it, Cam beat the shit out of him. So, the cops showed up last night and arrested him for it.”
“Ouch,” Monty cringes and looks at Mali. “Are you okay?”
She hums. “I’d be better if Cam wasn’t behind bars.”
He nods. “Understandable.”
“We thought it would just be his word against the other guy’s, but apparently his prick of a brother recorded the whole thing,” Laiken adds.
Mali scoffs. “What kind of person records his brother getting his ass kicked instead of helping him, anyway?”
“The kind who knew Cam was playing right into Isaac’s hand,” I answer. “They’re both scumbags. They knew exactly what they were doing.”
“That’s what it sounds like,” Monty agrees with me. “Well, for starters, from what I know about the legal system, our first goal is getting Cam out on bail. How is his representation?”
Laiken shrugs. “It’s okay, but it’s not great. My parents can only afford so much, and they’re still paying off the legal fees from his previous case.”
“Okay, well…” Monty pulls his phone out of his pocket. “First things first, I’m going to have my dad’s lawyer take him on. I’ll make sure his retainer is paid for, so you don’t have to worry about it. He should be able to make sure Cam is granted bail, but are you going to need money for that also?”
“No,” I answer before Laiken can. “I’ll take care of paying his bail.”
The realtor let me know last night that the owners of that house accepted my offer, but there are inspections and things that need to be done before I actually have to pay for it. Hopefully, that’s enough time to get this shit dealt with. And if it’s not, there will be other houses.
“Okay,” he says. “I’ll get on this and keep you updated. I know it’s hard, but just keep your heads down and try not to get in any other trouble. I’ll make sure he comes home soon.”
Laiken sighs in relief. “Thank you, Monty. Really. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”
He smiles at her in a way that makes me want to knock him out. “It’s the least I could do. I’m glad to see you two worked it out.”
“I’m sure you are,” I mutter under my breath, and Laiken smacks me lightly.
“Thanks again,” Mali tells him. “I’ll walk with you to your car.”
As the two of them leave, Laiken turns to me, and she does not look happy.
“What?” I ask indignantly. “I hate that guy.”
“I know you do, but do you really have to be such an ass?” she sasses. “He might be our only hope at keeping Cam out of prison for the next few years.”
I stay quiet, not because I don’t agree with her, but because I do. There is nothing I hate more than the fact that we had to turn to Monty for help with this. That there was nothing I could do, and everything he could. She needed a hero, and I couldn’t be that for her. She has to get Monty to save her.
And for that, I hate him a little more.
I PULL UP IN front of the rink, and when she realizes I’m not parking in a spot, her brows furrow.
“You’re not coming in?” she asks worriedly.
I shake my head. “Nah. I just have a couple things I need to take care of. But I’ll see you after.”
Her eyes bore into mine, like she’s trying to figure me out. “Okay. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
She gives me a quick kiss and then hops out of the truck to go to work. I watch her until she’s out of sight, hating how I feel so useless right now. Once she’s gone, I spin the truck around and pull out of the parking lot.
And later, as I spend four hours of her eight-hour shift smashing shit at the old surf shop, I think about how I’ll never forgive myself for failing her.
If he steals the only girl I’ve ever loved away from me, there’s no telling what I might do.