It was finally the day I needed to appear in court for both speeding and underaged drinking and I had just barely scraped together enough money to pay my dues.

Darcy and I made a deal that she would cover the entirety of the rent this month if I did the same the next month. I would probably have to live on a tight budget for the next four months to get back on track, but this deal was a blessing.

I loved my parents, but moving back in with them would've been the death of me.

What sucked the most was knowing I wouldn't be able to go to Taco Bell until further notice.

I arrived bright and early to the courthouse and the lot was mostly empty except for a Lexus and two cop cars. I had a medication exam later that same morning and needed to study.

I hugged the textbook in my arms and stepped out onto the slush-covered asphalt. Thanks to the snow we had gotten a day ago, that melted and then turned into ice overnight, my venture across the lot was a sketchy one.

Although the ramp up to the building was covered in salt, I still needed to grip firmly onto the handrail to keep from sliding.

I took small steps, staring down at my booties that had no grooves in the sole (I admittedly picked style over function) and willed them not to slide.

Who would've thought that the courthouse of all places wouldn't be salted enough?

I huffed, causing the warmth of my breath to fill the air and ran my mitten-covered hand further up the handrail.

Finally, I made it up the ramp without any casualties.

It was a completely different space inside. The heat was blasting and thanks to the strenuous hike I'd just had, I was already starting to sweat.

I pulled off my puffy jacket and hung it onto the coat rack, placing my mittens in the pockets.

Our courthouse was small, but still had intricate details around the space with random stone structures and pillars.

I walked up to the receptionist I'd seen a few times before, with long dark hair she had tied in a bun and piercing blue eyes that seemed magnified by her square-framed glasses.

"Good morning," She greeted me politely. Behind the safety glass, I saw an open container filled with what looked like a caesar salad.

"Good morning. I'm here for a hearing at nine. Cala Bonilla." I told her, adjusting the weight of the textbook in my hand.

"Sure thing, you can have a seat and the judge will be with you shortly." She beamed at me.

I took the seat furthest from the front door, to avoid any wind chills from someone entering the space and flipped open my textbook to the page I had tabbed with an orange sticky note. I grabbed my highlighter and pen from my purse and began marking up the book.

I had originally intended to return the book for a discounted rate at the end of the semester, but I'd accidentally spilled cherry coke all over it, so it would now be mine forever.

Even after all the blotting I did, pages were still stuck together and the tip of the back cover had fizzled away. With all the papers and sticky notes sticking out of it, the book looked like it had gone with me to war.

And with the struggle I'd been going through to finish this class with at least a B minus, that wasn't too far off from the truth.

"Tramadol is man-made," I said under my breath, hoping the verbal reminder would help the information stick.

I got into a good groove of studying, writing down quick descriptions of each medication that would most likely be on the test and then repeating it in my head five times. I felt confident, like I might actually ace my first medication exam.

Then, a cold wave hit and I looked up to see a policeman entering the space. I tried to pretend a rush of butterflies didn't just attack the inside of my stomach.

What were the odds?

No, there was no way that this was a freak coincidence. Officer Leo had come by specifically because he knew it was my hearing date. Was he really going to argue that I was guilty? Just so that I got points on my license?

It would've been the first time I've ever heard of an officer actually doing that.

He blew a bubble of gum from his mouth and as it popped, he saw me.

I quickly shifted my focus back to my textbook, internally screaming a string of profanities.

No, I thought to myself. I wasn't going to let this guy break my cool. I was going to plead not guilty, pay my fine and be on my way. I wouldn't let him intimidate me.

This guy could kiss my—

My thoughts were quickly broken when black leather shoes stepped up to my textbook. I slowly scanned upwards, already knowing who it was.

"Miss Bonilla," Leo smirked at me. He truly enjoyed this harassment. Like I couldn't touch him because he was a cop.

"What?" I slammed my textbook shut, "It wasn't enough for me to have to pay these fines, you want it on my permanent record too?" The sass was evident in my tone, "You don't intimidate me."

His smile was wicked, bringing a brightness into his dark brown eyes.

I clenched my jaw, because no matter how terrible he was being, I was the only one who'd get in trouble for assault.

"So much hostility. You know you can't pay anything today without this," He pulled my ID card out of his pocket, waving it in the air before handing it over.

I took it into my hands, feeling my face go beet red as I looked at the terrible picture of me smiling like it was the best day of my life.

"Where did you?—" I started, already rummaging through my purse to find my wallet. Lo-and-behold, my ID wasn't in the spot I usually kept it.

"For some reason you just keep leaving this thing with me," He explained and I remembered the drunken night I handed it to him so he could have my address and take me home.

"Uh," I responded. This was the second time he managed to make me speechless and I was not liking it.

"You know it's illegal to drive without a license, right?" He said and before I could protest he turned to walk away.

It occurred to me then, that what I clearly knew was harassment, was his way of teasing. He thought my air-headedness was funny.

I watched him walk out of the building without looking back. Jerk.

Finally the judge called me up and I took my money, and ID, up to his little window.

"Cala, Cala, Cala." The judge shook his head at me, saying my name in the same way someone would say, tsk, tsk, tsk. He was an older man with long, thinning hair and a cropped white beard. There was sadness etched into his features.

"Judge Wiedemann." I greeted him, handing him my ID. Again, just for clarity sake, everyone knew everyone in small towns.

Although, my acquaintanceship with the judge was majorly the result of my multiple courthouse trips.

"Ever since you've turned eighteen, I see you here more and more often." He started, adjusting his tiny wire-framed glasses to look at my file. "Speeding and underaged drinking this time around. What's going on with you?"

Small towns were terrible. If your parents weren't scolding you, the freaking judge was.

"It's not me, it's your cops. Your new guy is bullying me." I told him, handing him the money. I was far too used to the protocol.

"Are you saying they've made this up?" He asked.

I deflated, "Well, not exactly. I mean—I'm not guilty! If that's what you're asking." My cheeks warmed up again and Judge Wiedemann chuckled.

"No, you wouldn't want to self-incriminate." He laughed some more, signing off on the tickets and handing me my copy.

"Thank you, your honor." I smiled at the papers. He was letting me get off real easy. He didn't give me one of his infamous speeches about right and wrong.

I neatly placed the copy of my freedom statements into the outside pocket of my purse and took a step back, readying to leave.

But of course, the Judge was quicker.

"Cala," He called to me.

I was so close to getting off easy.

"I'm worried about you. I know you're a good girl, but these acts aren't looking too good," He frowned, "I'm afraid I'll have to start adding points to your license or worse, your permanent record."

Back at the coat rack, I scowled as I pulled on my coat, thinking about how close I was to being labeled a criminal.

I couldn't even imagine telling a possible employer that. Oh yeah, don't worry about my background check, I just got in trouble for drinking as a twenty year-old.

That would've been humiliating!

I pulled the front door open, getting a face full of wind and stepped out into the world, no more fines lingering on my conscious.

As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw Leo down the lot, leaning on his cop car and facing my direction.

I wasn't even surprised anymore, just mad. Super duper mad.

I tightened my grip around my textbook and wrapped a mitted hand around the handrail and slowly slid down the walkway. As I went down, two other cops beside me walked up, as if the floor wasn't slippery at all.

Stupid cops.

My right foot slid down and I used my left as an anchor to keep myself from sliding too fast. I probably looked ridiculous, but I preferred that to falling.

I could see Leo walk up toward me from my peripheral vision and my scowl deepened.

Once I was off the deadly ramp, I tilted my chin up high and tried to walk past him. Our shoulders just barely brushed together as I walked past, looking directly at me car. My beautiful blue beater who was going to drive me away.

I heard him chuckle, before his feet slushed up the ice next to me, "I think we started off on the wrong foot." He fell into step beside me.

What was up with this guy?

"You think?" I said. I stopped walking abruptly and he smoothly came to a halt, standing in front of me.

It was way too cold to be out and my shoes were not waterproof enough to be standing in the partially melted ice.

I don't think I could've frowned harder if I tried.

"My name is Leo Lombardi," He offered me his hand. I looked at it, before returning my gaze up towards his face. He had a lot of nerve.

His pale cheeks were tinted red and he had a slight shadow of a beard growing in. He looked like one of those male strippers that dressed up as cops.

"I'd tell you my name, but considering how much time you've spent with my ID, I'm sure you know it." I retorted.

It was like he couldn't help himself from smiling at the things he found amusing, because there came his smirk. He licked his full lips quickly, making them turn a bright red.

I couldn't help myself from thinking he was super freaking cute.

Which was absolutely terrible since I hated this guy.

I hugged my textbook closer to my chest.

"Maybe it's my ego, but I don't like it when people hate me." He said.

Question marks bounced around in my head. Was this guy serious? "Then maybe you shouldn't have handed me two tickets."

He stopped his self-righteous smirking and studied me for a second. "That's my job." Came his oh so wonderful response.

My response came even quicker, "Then don't be surprised when people hate you." He had no idea how close I was to cursing him out. It was the scenario I created in my head when I thought of all the situations I'd possibly run into him again.

Before I could give myself the opportunity to get sent back into the courthouse, I tried walking away. But something about him saying, that's my job, wouldn't allow me to let it go. "That's all you cops ever say when you do the terrible things you do. That's my job. It's my job to be rude. It's my job to hand out tickets. It's my job to shoot innocent people. Whereas, here I am, thinking it's your job to serve and protect. Silly me."

I could feel my legs shaking at the adrenaline that was rushing through me. I made it a habit to speak up for the things I believed in, but that didn't mean confrontation terrified me any less.

"Ah, I get it." He responded, no longer looking so chipper, "No matter what I did, you would've hated me anyways because of my occupation."

"Bingo," I said, "You're a smart cop, huh?"

I was definitely pushing the boundaries, which was evident when he clenched his jaw, but I didn't care. The adrenaline was now pumping through me and I was on a roll.

As ready as I was to continue down a path of verbal harassment, I had medication exam to get to. And I was not going to let him pull me from my focus.

He didn't follow me when I walked away. Thank goodness.

My key was in the lock of the door when he called after me, "It's always easy to hate something you have no idea about," I turned around, looking at him in the middle of the lot. "You have no idea what we go through." He said.

Thankfully, there was no one else in the lot to hear the commotion.

"Well then cry me a river!" I called back and opened my door, turning away from him. I was sure Darcy would get a kick out of that line. I took it from her personal list of favorite phrases.

I slammed my door shut, making sure to push down on the lock. I tossed my purse and textbook to the side and started the ignition. Air that was still warm, blew out in full force from the vents.

Once I was settled with my seatbelt on, I looked out my rearview mirror, but Leo was no longer there.

Thank goodness.

I backed out of the parking space and drove out of the lot. I took one last look at my rearview mirror, checking that there was still no Leo behind me.

There wasn't.

Thank goodness.