"Please . . . don't cry. You had to have known I'd do this at some point."
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Parker Sims is the class clown but that doesn't mean he's easy to fool. And that's just what Nola B. is good at - fooling people. She's got the whole school believing th...
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ChapterSeventy-Three:
Nola nervously stood beside the doorway, which led into the room where she was supposed to speak with Mitch. Apparently, or so she had gathered, he was already in the room but was being informed of some rules and regulations.
Standing there, Nola lost all reasoning as to why she was there. Mentally, she pondered on what in the world had compelled her to allow Mrs. Sims to take her to the jail. Ever since she had stepped foot into the building, Nola felt as if she was operating on autopilot. Every move and words she spoke had come out of a haze, she was in, as she tried to figure out why she was there and what Mitch wanted.
Nola leaned her back against the wall's sturdy surface. She closed her eyes and took a long inhale, getting a heavy whiff of a scent she associated with Pine-Sol. Nola was trying to calm her nerves, which was rising by the second.
In that moment, she wished more than anything that Parker was there. She realized then that she should have brought him and not kept him in the dark about going, even if it was a spontaneous decision on her part.
If he was there with her, Nola knew that Parker would be saying soothing words that would relax her. His voice, which never ceased in providing her peace and comfort, was not the only thing she missed at that time. She also yearned for his tranquil presence that always seemed to do the trick for her, in any state.
"Are you okay, Ma'am?"
Cracking open her eyes, Nola came face to face with a female officer. Nola was relieved that it wasn't a male, still finding encounters with the opposite sex to be nerve wracking - only being able to be calm and normal when she was around Parker. "I'm fine, just nervous that's all."
Seeing the panic written across Nola's face, the officer gave a warm smile in an attempt to ease Nola's worries. "You'll be safe in there. He's cuffed, both hands and feet. Plus, I'll be outside the whole time. All you need to do is holler for me if something goes wrong and I'll be right in."
Her words were meant to provide reassurance that Nola was not going to get physically hurt, and therefore should have no fear. However, that was not Nola's main concern. She was more scared about what Mitch had to say than what he could do. She was use to the physical pain but something about Mitch's emotional abuse was something Nola did not think she could ever get over. It was always there, even if he wasn't. To Nola, she only feared it getting worse after she leaves - ruining the strides she had already taken towards becoming who she was before Mitch.
Nola pushed her thoughts down as she glanced over at the officer's name tag. "Thank you, Ms. Pankhurst."
The officer nodded, "Call me Glenda." Right after the officer introduced herself, the door beside Nola opened.
