Brianna

I usually look forward to the end of school and the torture it puts me through, but today, I've been dreading it since lunch.

I know that Jace would come with us if I told him, but I don't to burden him like that. He walks me to the curb, and I point to a random car in the line that are picking people up.

"That's my parents. You better go... they'll get mad if they see me with a boy I don't know."

He nods understanding. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Hang in there, Bri."

I look away while nodding, and he walks out to the parking lot where I'm assuming he has a car.

I take a deep breath, and turn the other way, to head home by myself. Maybe Lincoln was just throwing around empty threats.

My heart sinks when I see him waiting for me on the sidewalk that heads away from the school. But I set my shoulders and keep walking, straight towards my awaiting hell.

I pass a cop car as I do, and glance at it for a moment before shrugging it off. They're around the school every once in a while. It's nothing especially unusual. And anyway, I have bigger problems to worry about.

"Ready to go, zombie baby?" Lincoln asks as I get closer. "You're too little and immature to walk home by yourself. You might do something stupid like walk out in front of a car."

I feel my jaw tighten at the obvious double-reference... to both me being a child and suicidal... but I don't say anything. I try to walk right past him, but his hand locks around my arm, jerking me back harshly.

"Stay by my side, you little ****," he snarls. "I've gotta be able to grab you if you run into the street."

"Are we going to my house, or not?" I ask quietly, trying to hide the tears that are making it hard to breathe as I hold them back.

Faster than I can react, the back of his hand comes across my face. "I give the orders, *****!" he snaps. "Now come on."

And he starts to half-drag me down the sidewalk, his hand on my arm intentionally pulling me off balance so I can't walk normally.

We continue like this, ignored by person after person that we pass, until we reach the park that's about a block away from my house. It used to be our favorite place to hangout... from the time we were small children, all the way until... he happened.

"Let's stop here," he says, smiling without using his eyes. "For old time's sake."

"Just take me home," I whisper, planting my feet on the ground and locking my knees.

"Oh, come on," he says, his tone scaring me. "Let's just have a little fun, Bri. Just you and me."

I swallow hard, hating the expression in his eyes as he looks at me. His free hand comes up, beginning to run down my back. I feel myself beginning to panic, and jerk away sharply, though his hand on my arm refuses to let go.

"Don't touch me!" I hiss, trying to keep my wits about me as fear steadily takes over.

"What?" he taunts me. "You mean... you don't like this?"

And that free arm wraps around my back faster than I can jerk away, pulling me into him.

I scream, the minute before our mouths touch in a one-sided kiss.

The arm around my back holds me despite my struggling, and the other one releases my arm, running down my lower back slowly, like he's lavishing every moment of my fear.

I kick him in the shins, allowing myself a little room, though he catches me before I can run.

I scream again, too scared to do anything but fight him.

His fist connects with my stomach, cutting off my yell.

"Shut up or we'll take it to the bedroom again!" he hisses. "Is that what you want, you little *****?"

"I think you know very well that it's not." A voice from behind him beats me to the answer.

A voice that's slightly familiar. My eyes snap over my attacker's shoulder, and I feel myself stop breathing. Because there, striding towards us in his perfect uniform, is Caleb.

Lincoln whirls on him, letting go of me in his hurry.

Without the senses remaining to think, I sprint across the lawn, tripping in my hurry and falling. I don't have the strength to rise, and anyway, I got where I wanted to go... so that Caleb is in between me and Lincoln. The realization, for some stupid reason, makes me burst into tears that I can't seem to hold back.

Caleb's eyes don't leave the shocked ones of my attacker. "Son, I'm afraid what you were just doing would qualify as sexual assault, and that's not a joking matter."

"I wasn't doing anything!" Lincoln retorts stubbornly. "What, am I not allowed to make out with my girlfriend anymore?"

"Not if she very obviously doesn't want to be kissing you, no," Caleb says steadily. "And anyway, I believe that you may be mistaken about your relationship in her eyes." He looks at me. "Ma'am, is this your boyfriend?"

I shake my head desperately, unable to speak through my tears.

"You lying little *****!" Lincoln screams at me. "Since when?"

I don't answer, and Caleb closes the distance between him and Lincoln and takes ahold of his arm. Lincoln starts to jerk away, but Caleb holds up one hand in warning.

"I've already got you for sexual assault. Do you really want to add resist of arrest to the list?"

Lincoln hesitates, looking at me with pure hatred in his gaze. But he doesn't struggle anymore.

Satisfied, Caleb pulls out his radio and says something into it. Less than a minute after he does, a cop car pulls up to the curb to our right. It's the same car that I saw outside of the school.

An officer who looks to be about forty, tall, and handsome for his age, steps out and strides across the lawn to meet us.

"Take him in for me?" Caleb asks, handing Lincoln over to the older officer. "I've got some stuff to deal with here."

"You've got it, Phipps," the older officer says easily, making it obvious just by his tone that the two are close. "Do what you do best."

Caleb nods to him, and without further conversation, he takes Lincoln back to the car.

Less than a minute, and they're pulling away once more. The realization only makes me cry harder.

Gentle arms wrapping around me is my first warning of Caleb's presence at my side. Yet he knows how to do it so it doesn't scare me, and I can't help myself but fall into his embrace, shaking as he hugs tighter.

"I know," he murmurs. "I know. It's okay now."

I don't say anything, just crying until I can't any longer.

When I've finally learned to be quiet and stop shaking, I pull back slowly. And it really sinks in what just happened. But... how is that possible.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Caleb says quietly. "So sorry. But now you're not gonna lose that case on Saturday, Bri. I can promise you that."

"But... what will make them believe me this time?" I whisper.

He smiles slightly. "Sweetheart, I'm a police officer. No one is going to tell me that I'm lying about what I saw. Besides..." He turns and points to one of the street lights. "Security camera. Just caught everything that happened. They're all over in big cities like this."

I nod slowly. So... is Lincoln actually caught?

Gently, Caleb helps me to my feet. "Come on. I know it's been a long day for you. I'll walk you the rest of the way home."

I don't have the strength to protest, and anyway... even though I'm not letting him come in and see anything, I feel just a little safer going back to the abuse at home with him by my side.