Grand Slam (The Boys of Summer 3)

“And crying,” he points out.

I nod and excuse myself to the bathroom. As soon as I look in the mirror, I cringe. Not only am I cursed with dark bags, but also my makeup is streaked down my face in dark lines, making me look like something from a horror movie. I cried myself to sleep last night, never bothering to wash my face, not caring because there wasn’t anyone here to see me. I freshen up as much as I can and go to check on Lucy, only to remember that my mother took her for the night. I led my mother to believe that Travis would be over later, and she wanted to give us some privacy, when all I really wanted was to be alone.

“Rough night?” Irvin asks when I step back into the room. I nod and head into the kitchen.

“Are you sure you don’t want some coffee?”

“No time. I’m due at the courthouse in twenty.”

“The day after Christmas? Must be a serious case,” I say as I spoon the coffee grounds into the filter.

“You haven’t heard? I assumed because you were crying…”

“Heard w-what?”

He runs his hand through his hair and sighs. “Travis was arrested early this morning and is being arraigned at eight.”

“For what?” My tongue is thick in my throat. I grip the edge of my countertop, waiting for Irvin to tell me.

“Rape and assault. It seems that he followed Rachel Ward into a restaurant and assaulted her in the bathroom.”

But he didn’t!

I step back and cover my mouth to hold in my sob. This woman is vile, lying like this. I know for a fact that he didn’t do anything to her at the restaurant because I was there, just like I had been at the bar.

“Anyway, I’m here because I want to hold a press conference after his arraignment.”

“Okay,” I sa

y as my stomach threatens to expel my dinner from last night.

“I’m convinced this is a witch hunt, and the DA is only doing this to boost his reelection bid. If he had evidence to arrest Travis for rape, he would’ve done so weeks ago. He’s stalled repeatedly, and the rape kit has suddenly disappeared.”

“How can they arrest him, then?”

Irvin sighs again and shakes his head. “According to the complaint, Travis has been following her for weeks. Showing up where she is, trying to bribe her to make everything go away. When she wouldn’t take the money, he beat her up. The DA wanted to arrest him two nights ago but felt after the holiday would be better.”

Is that why Travis left us standing outside in front of my apartment, to go look for her? I don’t want to believe it, but it’s possible. This woman is ruining his life, and at some point, your willpower breaks and you do stupid things.

“I’m coming with you. I’ll be ready in ten minutes.” I hustle off to my room and try to keep the tears at bay. I have no doubt I’m the last person Travis wants to see, but I have to be there. He has to know that I support him. I know he didn’t rape that woman but can’t be sure he didn’t go out and look for her after we left the restaurant. But why would he? Why would he risk everything to confront her when he could’ve easily done it at the restaurant?

I slip into a sweaterdress, fleece tights, and boots before putting my hair up into a bun, and quickly do my makeup, dabbing on some lipstick after brushing my teeth.

“I’m ready,” I say as I enter the living room. I grab my coat and slip it on before holding the door open for Irvin and following him out. “You know I’m on vacation,” I tell him as I pull out my phone and start messaging all the media channels.

“I heard. So is Jeffrey, but he’s out of town.”

“So that was my mistake, huh?” It’s a joke, but even I’m not laughing. I had planned, albeit sort of late, to spend time with Travis and Lucy, exploring Boston and making sure to visit the ice sculptures. I was looking forward to New Year’s Eve and watching the fireworks from the top of the hotel during the Boston Rotary dinner and then spending the next day watching football. It’s nothing but a fantasy now and something I knew I should’ve never even allowed myself to dream about.

We take a cab to the courthouse, and by the time we arrive, the news stations are setting up. I speak to each one briefly before entering through the heavy double doors. Not surprisingly, the halls are quiet, making it easy to find Travis.

“All rise,” the bailiff says as I slip in. I take a spot behind Irvin and Travis, who is dressed in an orange jumpsuit. Seeing him like this pisses me off. He doesn’t deserve this type of treatment.

“Be seated,” the judge says. He immediately starts shuffling papers and yawns. “This is the matter of the state of Massachusetts versus Travis Kidd on the counts of rape and assault. How do you plead?”

“Not guilty, Your Honor.”

I’m taken aback by the hollowness in his voice. When he turns and makes eye contact with me over his shoulder, I start to smile, but his eyes are vacant. To him, I’m nothing more than someone he pays to make him look good, and I haven’t been doing a very good job of that lately.