Wesley

“Wesley Scott.”

The clipped voice of the officer catches me by surprise. I almost don’t respond, not expecting anyone to call my name.

“That’s me.” I raise my hand when he scans the other men in the room.

“Come with me.”

His monotone voice and stony expression give no clue as to whether this is good or bad. He brings me to a room and plops a plastic bag on the counter.

“You can change in here. Open the door when you’re done,” he instructs and then closes the door.

It shuts with a snick, and then I’m alone, left to wonder what the hell is going on.

The contents of the bag are the clothes I was wearing last night and my wallet.

This can’t mean…

Hope is the worst trick of the heart. Every time I hope for something, life teases me with it, only to take it away in the end. You’d think I wouldn’t have any hope left in me at this point, but my heart is a traitorous bastard. It pounds in my chest, a staccato beat against my organs, pumping optimistic thoughts throughout my cells.

Are they releasing me? Why else would they have me change into my clothes? Why would they let me have my wallet?

This day has been full of meetings and questions. Much to my surprise, a lawyer showed up, saying he was hired to represent me. He was present during all interrogations, and there were many. The same questions were asked over and over again. He explained that the purpose was to trip me up and uncover the lies, so as long as I continued to tell the same story again and again, the more they would believe I was telling the truth.

Winston Ross showed up. Turned out, his daughter had a baby last night, and there was no cell reception at the hospital. He worked with Mr. James—the lawyer—and they both had a lot of questions for the police, too. It seems Eddie and Austin both gave a statement matching mine.

Only they didn’t witness Mr. Bat-man emptying a baggie of cocaine in my car, so at the very minimum, I could be sentenced for possession of drugs.

Fucking drugs. I hate them.

They’ve ruined my life, and I’ve never even ingested them.

My only hope is fingerprints. None of my fingerprints are on that baggie because I never touched it. I told them this, to which they said I could have easily just wiped off my fingerprints. Still, if they find the other guy’s prints and not mine, that could mean something, right?

Once my clothes are on, I pocket my wallet and open the door. Officer Stone Face is waiting for me.

“Right this way.”

I follow him to the front of the station where I’m startled to see a clan of familiar faces on the other side of the counter, a glass wall separating us.

“Sign here, please.”

“What’s going on? What is this?”

“The charges have been dropped. You’re free to go.”

It takes a moment for me to process the words. I hear them, but I don’t understand them.

“The charges have been dropped. You’re free to go.”

The words echo in my brain, and I grasp at the meaning.

The charges have been dropped!

I’m free to go!

Free.

My signature is illegible as I take the pen and hastily scribble something next to my name. It starts with a W and ends with a T. Good enough.

I’m buzzed through a door and immediately surrounded.

Mrs. Bellamy hugs me, telling me never to scare her like that again. John slaps my back, and Mr. Bellamy hugs me, too. Eddie smiles his kind smile and assures me he wouldn’t let those assholes lock me up again. Neil pulls me forward, wrapping his arms around me and sighing a relieved sigh. Tae’s hug is stiff, his jaw clenched, knowing how hard this must’ve been for me. Mr. James and even Ross are here, shaking my hand, telling me they had my back. Anna’s friends, Christy and Desirae, are here, too, each one taking their turn to give me a hug. I don’t miss the way Desirae hovers near Tae’s side.

I accept all of the hugs and handshakes and pats, but there’s really just one person I need right now.

“Wes!” Her voice rises above the excited chatter, and I spin to follow the sound.

She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, even with tired, red-rimmed eyes and disheveled hair from running her fingers through it with anxiety all day. When I see those chocolate-brown eyes, I finally allow my heart to believe I actually get to be with the love of my life.

I stride over to her, and before I know what’s happening, she’s in my arms, kissing me. She kisses me like no one’s watching—hungry, desperate…in love. Everything disappears as I lose myself in her. Her peach scent, her soft curves, her lush lips. I almost lost her again. The thought has me clutching her to me even tighter.

Anna’s in love with me.

And, fuck…I’m in love with her, too.

My angel. She was my personal guardian angel today, overseeing everything to make sure nothing bad happened to me.

Our frenzied kiss slows, turning into a hug.

We both become aware of our audience at the same time as they chuckle and stare at us, smiling.

John’s trying to look disgusted. “For fuck’s sake, Wes, stop mauling my sister.”

The soft smile gives him away though.

Mr. and Mrs. Bellamy have their arms wrapped around each other, and they’re smiling from ear to ear at our display.

I lace my fingers with Anna’s and feel like I can finally breathe. God, it feels good not to hide our relationship anymore.

I don’t care who knows she’s mine.

Scratch that. I want everyone to know she’s mine.

Because I’m hers. I always have been.

I always will be.

Past mistakes be damned.