back my own emotions. I want to remain strong, not only for myself, but for Cole, Hope, and of course, Jocelyn.
She pulls back, retrieving a tissue out of her pocket and starts to wipe her face, sniffling.
“I’m sorry, sweetie. You don’t need to see me like this.” I see her visibly shaking herself off.
“Thank you for all you have done, Jocelyn. Cole told me how hard you and Mr. Peterson have worked with the police and the authorities.”
She pushes her shoulders back, straightening herself in front of me. “Damn straight we have. I wasn’t going to rest until that evil scumbag was caught.” She takes a deep breath. “But you know we need to go to the station and make statements, right?” She looks at me tentatively, dropping her head to meet my eye. “I will be with you every step of the way,” she says, kindness lacing her every word.
“I can do this, Jocelyn. I know I can.”
I feel a little hand tugging at the back of my top. I turn my head to see Hope grinning at me widely.
“I think someone wants to say hello.” I smile at Jocelyn.
“Hi.” Hope waves, peeking from behind me.
“Well this must be Hope. I’ve heard so many lovely things about you, my girl.”
“You have?” she questions, stepping to the side of me and taking my hand.
“I heard you’re the bravest little girl in the whole wide world.”
“Hmm hmm,” she answers coyly.
“Have you come to take me away? Because I really want to stay with Kennedy.” She clings even tighter to my side.
“You do? Well you know Kennedy lives with me and Cole, don’t you?”
“She does?” she asks, her voice full of confusion. Hope looks up at me as I nod slowly.
Jocelyn drops down on to one knee in front of Hope. “You really need someone who can take care of you, honey. Kennedy and Cole have to go to school and I will be out at work all day, so will my husband. As much as we would love to have you, I’m really sorry, sweetie. It just isn’t possible. But, I’ll tell you what…”
“What?” Hope sniffles.
“We will arrange for you to come to us for sleepovers. How does that sound?”
“Okay, I guess.”
Jocelyn holds out her hand to Hope. “Deal?” she muses.
“Deal.” Hope smiles back at Jocelyn.
I see her look behind me at the noise coming from the table.
“Scary looking dudes, aren’t they,” she whispers to Cole, pointing over to Chuck and the others.
“If it wasn’t for them we would never have found Ken. We’ve a lot to thank them for.”
Jocelyn wraps an arm around our necks pulling us both in. “I’m just glad the two of you are okay. This whole mess has devastated all of us, not to mention poor Abbey.”
“What’s wrong with Abbey?” I rush out.
Jocelyn’s face falls as I look between her and Cole, confused and not knowing what the hell she’s talking about.
“Well, talk to me. Someone. What’s wrong with Abbey?” I demand.
“Abbey’s in hospital. I thought you knew. I’m sorry, Ken. I wouldn’t have blurted it out like that if I thought you didn’t know.”
“What the hell! Abbey’s in hospital? What for? What happened?” I feel my voice tighten at the fear of not knowing what is wrong with Abbey. My best friend.
Cole takes my hand. “Let’s go talk about this somewhere quiet,” he whispers in my ear.
I snap my hand back and start walking toward the door.
“Come on then. Let’s go,” I shout over my shoulder. As I glance back to Pete, I see sadness written all over his face. Whatever has happened I know it’s not good.
Cole
I stand in front of Kennedy. Her eyes never leave mine as I retell the whole damn story. Starting with how we followed her and ending with the crash. I see the pain flicker in her eyes as I explain it all to her.
“Please, baby, don’t be mad at me. There was no good time in the last twelve hours to tell you. There has been so much going on. It never felt right to blurt it out.” I sigh heavily, trying to get her to understand
She pulls back, retrieving a tissue out of her pocket and starts to wipe her face, sniffling.
“I’m sorry, sweetie. You don’t need to see me like this.” I see her visibly shaking herself off.
“Thank you for all you have done, Jocelyn. Cole told me how hard you and Mr. Peterson have worked with the police and the authorities.”
She pushes her shoulders back, straightening herself in front of me. “Damn straight we have. I wasn’t going to rest until that evil scumbag was caught.” She takes a deep breath. “But you know we need to go to the station and make statements, right?” She looks at me tentatively, dropping her head to meet my eye. “I will be with you every step of the way,” she says, kindness lacing her every word.
“I can do this, Jocelyn. I know I can.”
I feel a little hand tugging at the back of my top. I turn my head to see Hope grinning at me widely.
“I think someone wants to say hello.” I smile at Jocelyn.
“Hi.” Hope waves, peeking from behind me.
“Well this must be Hope. I’ve heard so many lovely things about you, my girl.”
“You have?” she questions, stepping to the side of me and taking my hand.
“I heard you’re the bravest little girl in the whole wide world.”
“Hmm hmm,” she answers coyly.
“Have you come to take me away? Because I really want to stay with Kennedy.” She clings even tighter to my side.
“You do? Well you know Kennedy lives with me and Cole, don’t you?”
“She does?” she asks, her voice full of confusion. Hope looks up at me as I nod slowly.
Jocelyn drops down on to one knee in front of Hope. “You really need someone who can take care of you, honey. Kennedy and Cole have to go to school and I will be out at work all day, so will my husband. As much as we would love to have you, I’m really sorry, sweetie. It just isn’t possible. But, I’ll tell you what…”
“What?” Hope sniffles.
“We will arrange for you to come to us for sleepovers. How does that sound?”
“Okay, I guess.”
Jocelyn holds out her hand to Hope. “Deal?” she muses.
“Deal.” Hope smiles back at Jocelyn.
I see her look behind me at the noise coming from the table.
“Scary looking dudes, aren’t they,” she whispers to Cole, pointing over to Chuck and the others.
“If it wasn’t for them we would never have found Ken. We’ve a lot to thank them for.”
Jocelyn wraps an arm around our necks pulling us both in. “I’m just glad the two of you are okay. This whole mess has devastated all of us, not to mention poor Abbey.”
“What’s wrong with Abbey?” I rush out.
Jocelyn’s face falls as I look between her and Cole, confused and not knowing what the hell she’s talking about.
“Well, talk to me. Someone. What’s wrong with Abbey?” I demand.
“Abbey’s in hospital. I thought you knew. I’m sorry, Ken. I wouldn’t have blurted it out like that if I thought you didn’t know.”
“What the hell! Abbey’s in hospital? What for? What happened?” I feel my voice tighten at the fear of not knowing what is wrong with Abbey. My best friend.
Cole takes my hand. “Let’s go talk about this somewhere quiet,” he whispers in my ear.
I snap my hand back and start walking toward the door.
“Come on then. Let’s go,” I shout over my shoulder. As I glance back to Pete, I see sadness written all over his face. Whatever has happened I know it’s not good.
Cole
I stand in front of Kennedy. Her eyes never leave mine as I retell the whole damn story. Starting with how we followed her and ending with the crash. I see the pain flicker in her eyes as I explain it all to her.
“Please, baby, don’t be mad at me. There was no good time in the last twelve hours to tell you. There has been so much going on. It never felt right to blurt it out.” I sigh heavily, trying to get her to understand
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