Page 123 of Catch
I can hear his words, but everything sounds muffled. I lean over and do as Phoenix says, inhaling slowly and exhaling the same, and eventually I calm down.
As soon as I feel able to speak, I call Ethan. Hearing his voice makes me shudder with relief, but I’m still so distraught that I can barely get any words out. I give my phone to Phoenix with a shaky hand. Phoenix calmly tells Ethan what’s going on, passes the phone back to me, then offers me a glass of water. I take a cautious sip, worried I might puke. It’s only then that I realize the restaurant is empty.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were closed.”
“Don’t apologize. I’m glad I was here and heard you knock. Thank God I’m a workaholic who never leaves the premises.”
After another sip of water, I call campus security and the local police. I don’t know how much time passes, but after I’m done talking to them, I can’t move. I sit there and stare at my hands. Despite the warmth of the restaurant, and my jacket, I’m shivering.
There’s a knock at the door, and I startle. Phoenix motions for me to stay put as he walks over and looks out.
“It’s Ethan.”
How did he get here so fast? I don’t know and I don’t care.
Phoenix opens the door and Ethan rushes in.
“Baby, are you okay?”
I launch myself at him, burying my face in his wool jacket.
“Jett?”
“I’m fine. I’m okay. He didn’t hurt me.”
He was going to.
I push the thought away.
Ethan cups my head with one hand and hugs me tightly with the other. Both of us are shaking hard.
“Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No,” I whisper. “He yelled and scared me, and then I ran because he was so angry. That’s all. He didn’t touch me.”
I don’t know how much time passes—a minute, ten, twenty.
There’s another knock at the door and it turns out to be the local police. Phoenix lets them in, offers everyone a round of coffee, and leaves us to talk in private. I give them my phone so they can listen to the recording, and then I send them the link and sign off on filing a restraining order against Renner. Then a rep from campus security shows up, and I repeat the same information.
An hour later, I’m hoarse from talking and all I want is to head back home and crawl into bed.
Ethan’s my rock the entire time, but even though he appears calm, I sense a storm waiting to unleash. He’s pissed at Renner and frightened for me.
“Shit, I missed my biochem class,” I whisper. “And I need to call Archie and Hudson and?—”
“We’ll send your prof a note later. I’ve already texted our friends to let them know what’s going on,” Ethan reassures me. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll call my therapist tomorrow.”
“Alright, let’s go home.”
We thank Phoenix and step outside the restaurant. I’m still shivering, and Ethan clutches me close.
“Don’t worry. He’s suspended, and given what he did today, he’ll be charged. He’ll be gone for good and that’ll be that.”
“I tried to tell him to walk away. He wouldn’t listen.”
“You did everything you could, Jett. This is not on you. He’s the one with the problem.”
