Coming Up for Air (cole caufield x oc)

Fifty-One

𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕪𝕒

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Messages

Conversation with Kathleen Jones

Kathleen
hi beautiful, do you have time
to talk on the phone?

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Freya glances over at Tate, whose eyes are frozen on the road ahead of them. They only left Ottawa two and a half hours ago, now nearly back at home, but Tate has already complained half the ride about missing Josh. In the hopes that it might distract her, Freya pipes up, "Kath just texted me asking if I could call."

Tate shoots her a look, brows furrowed. "Are you gonna call her?" she prompts.

Freya shrugs: she supposes there's no reason not to. She puts the call on speakerphone.

"Hello?" Kathleen's voice greets.

"Hey," Freya replies. "I'm in the car with T."

"Hi Kath," Tate chimes in.

When Kathleen's voice comes again, it's a little soft. "I'm assuming you haven't heard any of the news," she begins.

Freya and Tate exchange a glance of uncertainty. "What news?" Freya presses.

"About Dalton," she explains.

The name sends a shiver down Freya's spine. Instinctively, she tightens her grip on the phone just a little. "What about Dalton?" Tate demands, perhaps sensing that Freya won't be able to find the words.

Nothing could have prepared her for the words that came through the phone next.

"He got arrested," Kathleen declares.

"What?" Tate and Freya shout in unison. It's a miracle Tate doesn't skid off the icy road as she yells it, her eyes flashing wildly to the phone between them. Freya waves at the front windshield, a silent instruction to pay attention.

"Yeah," Kathleen replies, voice weak. "He hurt some woman."

Freya's heart drops into her stomach. All of a sudden she's panicking, filled with fear and anxiety-but most of all the understanding that it was almost her who got hurt.

"What?" she stammers. "Who?"

She can almost picture Kathleen shrugging as she sighs, "Somebody at a bar. All of it was on security footage. He and one of his teammates got caught."

"When did it happen?" Tate urges, clearly as stunned as Freya.

"Late last night," Kathleen says. "It's why I figured y'all probably wouldn't have seen it on Twitter or anything yet."

Freya is at a loss for words. After several long moments she manages, "Thanks, Kath-I have to go, I think."

"Okay," Kathleen is quick to respond, not at all insulted. "I love you, and let me know if you need anything."

Freya ends the call, though her eyes don't leave the screen. Her feelings don't make sense to her: she should be happy, right? Dalton finally got caught being the piece of shit she's always known him to be. But at what cost? Some other girl had to get hurt, and there's no way to reconcile that.