Bad Cruz

Thirty minutes later, I was calling Cruz. He answered on the first ring, which told me that he already knew what was happening. Actually, I was sure everybody on planet Earth was aware of my situation.

“Tennessee.”

“Hi,” I replied calmly, desperate not to be a wuss on top of being a pushover. “Sorry I’m calling. I know we haven’t spoken in three days—”

“Your bail was set for five-thousand dollars. Your dad pulled some strings, plus that’s your first offense, and frankly, everybody knows it’s bullshit.”

I heard him moving around. His car door slamming shut. He was already on his way here to bail me out. My heart surged with unexpected pleasure and warmth.

“Oh. Okay. So my dad knows.”

“He knows.”

“He’s not here.”

“He said you should sit there for the night and think about what you’ve done.” Cruz delivered the sentence wryly. There was a brief silence as I digested this.

“So not everyone knows I’m innocent.”

“Suppose not.”

“And you?” I asked finally.

“I know you didn’t do it,” he said simply.

Thank you.

I mouthed the words, but didn’t say them.

I couldn’t say them.

I still couldn’t show weakness to the man who was so outrageously out of my league, no matter how much I wanted to. I choked on them. Tried to get them out. Failed.

“Have you spoken to Bear?”

“Yes. He’s with his father,” Cruz answered shortly.

I heard him driving. The sounds of the summer crowd on the street, of cars honking, and teenagers laughing in the background.

“Is he freaked out?”

“He is upset with the situation, but he knows it’s not going to amount to anything. Your sister will pick him up from Rob’s in a couple hours, and he’ll sleep over at your parents’.”

“So everyone knows I’m in jail, and yet nobody has bothered to show up.” The taste of these words in my mouth made me want to throw up.

“They know it’s only a matter of time until you get released.”

“Still.”

“I’m on my way,” he said.

“But you waited for me to call.”

It dawned on me that he only got into his car after I made the call, even though he already knew what my bail bond was.

“Yes.”

“Why?” I gulped.