His First Choice

He told her about Levi flailing around in his sleep and hitting Tressa in the face with his cast when she was trying to wake him up from his nightmare. About her losing it and shaking him. About him almost drowning and then her forcing him to learn how to hold his breath underwater.

“What about the broken arm?” she asked.

“Levi wasn’t really climbing up the bookcase. His mother had him up on the counter trying to wipe his nose and he wasn’t letting her. She grabbed his arm, meaning to haul him toward her and get him in a clamp-hold, but she pulled too roughly and he fell off the counter.”

“You’ve spoken to her, then?”

“Not yet. I had to talk to you first.”

The ice around her heart softened. But she knew she couldn’t advise him.

“Levi told me his version of things. Putting it together with what she’s said and what I know about her, I think I’ve figured out what happened.”

She wasn’t sure he had. But thought he could have. Still...

He hadn’t mentioned anything about himself, about Tressa’s misuse of him. To the contrary, he was still justifying her behavior.

Lacey wasn’t jealous about that. At least not much. She was concerned.

Jem was never going to be free of the woman’s manipulation unless he could see that what she was doing to him was wrong. Unless he could break away from her hold over him.

And she was the last person who could have that conversation with him.

“So what do we do?” he asked.

The “we” brought tears to her eyes.

“You need to call Sydney first thing in the morning, Jem. Tell her everything you just told me. She’ll work with you from there.”

“What do you think she’ll do?”

“I can only speak as your...person.” She’d tried to say friend, but couldn’t minimize what he’d become in her life. Right or wrong, she was laying claim.

And giving him to Sydney, too.

“You consider yourself my...person?”

For the first time since she’d answered the phone, that certain tone was in his voice. Her body reacted immediately.

And she wondered what that said about her.

“I do.” For now.

“Good. Because I consider myself your...person, too.”

She felt kind of stupid sitting there alone, grinning through tears.

“So...as my...person, can you give me a bit of practical insight as to what I might be in for when I make my call in the morning? Should I take Levi to school first?”

“Definitely take him to school, and leave strict instructions that he isn’t to be released to his mother’s care.”

“Can I do that without a court order?”

“Yes, because you’re the primary custodial parent. She can challenge it, but then they’ll either call social services or the police, and either one will protect Levi.”

“Okay, then what?”

“Then Sydney will probably want to meet with you. And maybe you and Tressa together. She’ll assess how bad Tressa’s situation is and go from there.”