Page 45 of Jumping In

MJ

I’m surrounded by colors and beauty, but it’s all muted because the man sitting next to me—my best friend and possibly the love of my life—is freaking me out. It was completely unplanned to run into Jake, but the strange encounter has been consuming my thoughts ever since. Something was off, and asking Mac should have been straightforward. But it wasn’t, and now here we are in a field of wildflowers we visited just a few weeks ago. The energy was playful and fun then, but now the air is heavy with stress and indecision.

Mac sighs. “So, the robbery . . .” he begins. My eyes widen with curiosity. I keep my silence, nodding for him to continue. “It happened, but not how you think.” He rehashes everything I already know about the robbery. Everything in his case file and pieces that have come together through the meetings with Dad. A fog fills my head as I try to work through what he’s not saying. My cheeks heat with frustration until he says the next words that send my heart to my stomach. “It all happened except . . . it wasn’t me.”

My eyes widen, and it feels like my heart is going to jump right out of my chest. What does he mean it wasn’t him? They have video, his car, andHenry’s eyewitness account. So many scenarios play through my head until his voice pulls me back into the present.

“Jake had been getting into trouble. I’m sure you’ve heard through the grapevine all the shit he’s gotten into.”

I nod. Even when I was in Piermont, Shannon, Mom, and the twins kept me updated on the goings on in town.

“Jake had two strikes already. If he had gotten into more trouble, anything serious, even a misdemeanor for petty theft, he would have been headed to prison. He’s been trying to clean up for the last six months, but I guess his previous supplier came out of the woodwork looking for money that he didn’t have.” Mac takes a breath and continues. “He was in town for just a few hours to check on our mom and dad when that piece of shit found him and threatened him. He panicked, ran into Henry’s with the intent to steal some cash, but chickened out at the last minute and just ran with the beer and cigarettes instead. He came home, asking me to take him to Cedar Bend to sell the cigarettes and beer for quick cash, but I refused.”

I shake my head, still not understanding how Mac got caught up in everything.

“I pulled some money from my emergency stash and told him to pay off the guy and head back to Cedar Bend and stay there until he was clean. He was doing good, Em. He was finally cleaning things up, and it was a stupid mistake. I couldn’t—” He shakes his head. “I couldn’t let them put him away for who knows how long for something stupid when all he’s been trying to do is turn things around.”

My eyes burn with tears threatening to fall, and I squeeze Mac’s hand.

“I came up with a plan and executed it,” he continues. “I knew I was going to get caught, but I also knew since it was my first offense, the consequences wouldn’t be as bad as if it had been Jake. Mom and Dad tried to talk me out of it—told me Jake would have to own up to the consequences of his actions but I just . . .” He drops my hand, running his fingers through his hair. “He’s my big brother. He may talk a big game, but he wouldn’t make it in prison. He’d probably end up getting into worse stuff than the drugs. Plus, Mom and Dad wouldn’t be able to visit. Dad can barely sit in the car long enough to get to his doctor’s appointments in Cedar Bend. I couldn’t watch my family get torn apart like that.” Mac looks down, his cheeks wet with tears.

“So your parents let you take the fall? What if you end up going to jail instead? What will happen then?” The thoughts are coming too fast, but I know one thing for certain. “Mac, we have to tell my dad. He can talk to Henry, or the judge, we can—”

“No! Emmalynn, no. We can’t. I have to take the fall. Jake can’t go to prison. I can’t stomach it. My family will be so broken.” His voice cracks as tears roll down his cheeks.

“But Mac.”

“No. Your dad is a good lawyer; he can get me out of this.”

“But what if he can’t?”

“He will. Please just be on my side. Blake and Austin have been trying to talk me out of it. But I can’t. It has to go this way.”

Blake and Austin know he didn’t doit? Who else knows the truth? And why am I the last person to know? I open my mouth to say as much but I instantly swallow the accusations when I see the broken man in front of me. His eyes are soft and innocent, pleading with me to take his side. He’s innocent. Which means he’s been dealing with the town talking about him—all that judgment—for no reason at all. In a way, I feel like I owe it to him to be on his side. I wasn’t given the chance to be there for him before, but I can now.

“Mac.”

“It’s gonna be okay, MJ. I know it.” He reaches forward, tucking my hair behind my ear and I close my eyes.

“What if it’s not okay? Have you thought about what happens if you get jail time?” I can’t help myself. There are too many unknowns running through my head.

Mac nods. “Yeah. The other day when your dad reminded me of the worst-case scenario I had a bit of a panic attack.” I tilt my head, and he nods. “I had hoped you didn’t notice. But yeah, it hit me that if for some reason the trial doesn't go the way we’re hoping, I’ll essentially have set my family up for failure anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“My dad can’t run the shop anymore. He hasn’t in years, you know that now. We don’t want Jake in town; he needs a clean slate in Cedar Bend. There’s really no one else that could do what I do at the shop unless we called in outside help from Cedar Bend or a neighboring town.”

“Have you asked?”

“Not yet. I’ve been avoiding it if I’m being honest.”

“Mac! You have to have a backup plan.”

“I know. I know. I just . . . I’m really hoping things work out.”

I nod. “Do you want my help calling around?” I ask, but he shakes his head. “Mac, I’m here and I want to help. Tell me what I can do.” He shakes his head again.

“Just knowing that you know the truth helps a lot. I know it can’t be easy tying yourself to a criminal but—"

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