“There’s a slew of press out there waiting to find out why I’m not teeing it up on the third hole.”
“I know.”
“My PR people are on their way, and they’re going to want to know what the deal is with you and that girl.”
“Shayna.”
“What?” He stopped in front of me again.
“Shayna. Her name is Shayna, not ‘that girl.’”
“I know her fucking name!”
I flinched.
He blew out a big breath. “What was your point of coming here? What is this family emergency?”
Those were really good questions. An hour earlier, while running on pure adrenaline from my livid emotions, I had a whole spiel in my head. It sounded good at the time, the kind of good that would make Everson rethink his rash decision to give away his sister.
Under the intensity of his gaze and the heat radiating from the nearness of his body, my entire case for doing what I did just sort of… crumbled. I would say the words because just like the box of crispy rice cereal, I owned my craziness at all cost.
“Shayna’s Ne-ma… your Ne-ma, died a few days ago. Your mother died two years ago. You have friends, a team, a family of sorts, and money. Shayna has nothing but a promise from Judy that you are going to love her, take care of her, and buy her dolls. If you take that away, she’ll have nothing. And I worry that no matter how wonderful the family that might adopt her will be, she will never recover from the abandonment she will surely feel when you, too, disappear from her life.”
Yes, it sounded better in my head. Coming from my mouth it sounded childish. Everson had a job that required his undivided attention. He wouldn’t have much time to spend with her. She would be raised by a nanny and how would that be better than a loving family with a big yard, other kids to play with, and maybe a big, fluffy dog who chased rabbits?
The officer opened the door to the office. Shayna sat beside me, holding a soft pretzel with salt.
“We’re taking Miss Jones to the station now.”
Shayna looked up at me with pleading eyes, the kind that asked a million heartbreaking questions without a single word. I don’t think she knew what exactly was about to happen, but she sensed something. I felt her fear as much as I saw it in those eyes.
I leaned forward, my handcuffed wrists drawing my shoulders back. Then I kissed her on the forehead. “Shayna,” I whispered. “Repeat after me. ‘I’m beautiful.’”
She blinked several times but never stopped looking intomy eyes.
“I’m bootiful.”
I smiled, nodding. “Say, ‘I’m loved.’”
“I’m loved.”
Another nod. “Say, ‘I’ll be happy.’”
Her eyes shifted to Everson for a brief moment then back to me. “I’ll be happy.”
After depositing one last kiss on her head, I stood.
I nodded to the officer.
“I’ll get you bailed…” Everson started.
“Don’t worry about it.” I didn’t look back as the officer led me out of the room.
A mobof press waited by the entrance. Only a few snapped photos of me. After all, who was I? I should have been humiliated, but no one knew me.
“Lake?”
I looked over my shoulder as the officer escorted me to the police cruiser.
