“Get in the car, Jess. You’re causing a scene. We can talk about this at your place.”
She leaned backwards, away from him, pulling as best she could to get out of his grasp. “No, I’m not taking you to my place. Leave me alone!”
He pressed his other hand over her mouth, stifling her cries for help. Then he shoved her toward the car. She pressed one foot against the door, pushing away from it. There was no way she was getting in her vehicle. Not with him. Not again. If she did this time, she was worried she’d never be seen again. The look in his eyes was wild, like he didn’t see her but was looking directly through her.
They struggled against the car door with Hilton trying to reach into her purse to get her keys. She had to get away from him. White-hot anger made her head spin. She kicked him in the shin and felt some satisfaction when he cried out in pain. But still, he didn’t let go.
Then, something pulled him away in one quick jerk. He released his hold on her wrist and she stumbled back into the car, her purse dangling from her forearm.
She looked up and saw Tyler — he had Hilton on his knees with his arm behind his back.
“Are you okay?” he asked her, concern etched across his handsome features.
His truck was parked askew behind her car, the driver’s door flung open and dinging.
She nodded, puffing hard from the struggle, and leaned on the car door. Her legs felt weak.
Hilton tried to stand up and Tyler shoved him to the ground, face down, hands still behind his back. Hilton cried out in a high-pitched voice, but Tyler gruffly told him to be quiet.
“You sure you’re okay? Who is this guy?”
She finally caught her breath. “It’s Hilton, my ex. The one I told you about. And yes, I’m fine. My wrist hurts, but otherwise I’m fine.” She rubbed the bruised flesh gently.
“Someone call the police,” Tyler said to the few people who had run over to see what was going on.
“I called them. They’re on their way.” The teacher she’d seen before spoke up. She nodded gratefully at him.
When the sheriff arrived, they put Hilton in handcuffs and spoke to Jessica about what’d happened. She told them about the restraining order and his history of stalking her. The sheriff told her that she shouldn’t be too optimistic as these were complicated cases, but it was likely Hilton would spend some time in jail. She thanked him and climbed into her car.
One of the deputies was still speaking with Tyler. She decided to wait inside, as it was cold and she’d begun to shiver. They’d asked her if she wanted them to send an ambulance to check her out, and she assured them that she was okay. She hadn’t been hurt, apart from the pain in her wrist. They’d asked her to come in the next day for photographs, and she’d agreed.
She leaned against her car, her breathing ragged. Finally, Tyler came over to see her. He squatted in front of her and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“Thanks for coming,” she said through a veil of tears.
He nodded, his brow furrowed. “I was worried about you. You hadn’t responded in a couple of days, and I wanted to talk to you.”
“Now you know why.”
“But you should’ve told me,” he said. “I could’ve helped.”
“I see that now. It was stupid. But I’ve never been smart when it comes to Hilton. I’m always trying not to escalate things, to keep him calm, to make sure he doesn’t get upset. It was all pointless. I don’t know why I did that.”
“Instinct,” he replied with a shrug. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
“I didn’t want you to get hurt.” She sobbed softly.
He quirked an eyebrow. “Me? Um… yeah, I think I can handle a little guy like him.”
She laughed through another sob. “Another thing I should’ve known. What did the sheriff want?”
“They asked me for my side of things, and then what kind of work I was involved in. I told them about my previous roles and that I was currently looking for a job. They suggested I applied at the sheriff’s office. Said I have a knack for it.”
“Wow, really? What did you say?”
“I told them I’ve already applied. Weeks ago. I didn’t tell anyone because I thought it was probably a long shot. I’ve been going through the process… there’s a lot of paperwork. The sheriff said he’d look for my application and expedite it.”
“That’s amazing! I’m so glad.”
