A Foot In Both Worlds| JJ Maybank|Topper Thornton

Chapter 23: I'm Sorry

The ride to the police station was quiet. Evelyn just hoped that they'd get their in time before Luke showed up. She didn't even know if they'd let her dad bail JJ out since he wasn't his guarding.

"Thank you so much dad," Evelyn said getting out of the truck.

"Don't thank me yet, kiddo," he said, "We don't have him out yet."

"Get in!" someone yelled getting their attention.

Evelyn looked to see JJ opening a car door.

"JJ!" she yelled, but he didn't hear her.

"Looks like he's already been bailed out," Jake said.

"No dad, you don't understand," Evelyn said, "That was his dad. If his dad knows then that means—

A loud bang made Evelyn looked toward the car. The car started to shake, indicating that JJ's dad was hitting him.

"JJ!" Evelyn yelled starting to run toward the car.

Her dad caught her around the waist stopping her.

"Let me go!" Evelyn squirmed as her dad carried her to the truck placing her in the passenger seat, "I have to help him."

"And how exactly are you going to help him?" Jake yelled, "Are you going to fight off a grown man yourself."

"Dad we can't just leave him defenseless," Evelyn cried.

Jake signed hands on head, "You stay here. I will go in and get a police officer."

"Hurry," Evelyn said as more tears ran down her face.

She couldn't see JJ's car from where they were parked, but she was almost thankful for that. If she could see the car shake, see JJ's dad hit him, she'd be out of that truck faster than her father could go get an officer. She knew her dad was right though, what would she do? JJ could barley fight off his dad most times, what made Evelyn think she could? If she went over to the car it would probably just make things worse for JJ.

After what felt like hours, her dad finally came back to the truck.

"Did they help him?" Evelyn asked.

"They were already gone by the time the officer and I got out there," Jake said.

Tears streamed down Evelyn's face as her dad sighed.

"I'm sorry hun," he said.

"I should have been here. I should have just come straight to the police station. I—

"There was nothing else you could have done," Jake said taking his daughters hand, "You can't blame yourself."

"I just wish I could have helped him," Evelyn cried.

"You did your best," Jake said.

He squeezed his daughter hand twice to tell her that he loved her before starting the truck. It had always been the two's silent way of telling each other I love you. It had calmed Evelyn down multiple times as a child.

"Let's go home," Jake said.

Evelyn stared out the window as they drove back to their house. She didn't understand how this summer had gone too complete shit. She went into it thinking it was going to be one of the best summers of her life, and now JJ had been arrested. Hopefully since they were cooling it on the Royal Merchant stuff things would go back to normal.

She looked out of the front window seeing a familiar house coming up. Anger boiled in her body as she looked at it.

"Can you drop me off at Toppers," Evelyn said looking at her dad.