Chapter 48

Hannah wasn’t sure what happened in the five seconds that followed.  But she found herself on top of Beth with her fingers wrapped around the b*tch’s throat, and Justin doing his damnest to pry her loose .  “Hannah, let go!”

She was jerked roughly to her feet, and a mountain of glee burst inside her when her fingernails drew blood on Beth’s skin, marring that perfect complexion...the vicious, evil demon spawn.

Beth sucked in a breath and soared to her feet.  “You little whore!” she screamed at Hannah.  Josie was sobbing into her grandmother’s bosom with a hand pressed to her red cheek, and Mr. Kirkland nearly tore the door off its hinges as he stormed into the house, the sheriff on his heels.

But Hannah was beyond all that.  In her mind, she replayed Beth’s palm connecting with Josie’s face, the horrible sound it made, the shock and fright it created in Josie’s expression, and her vision hazed over in blood red again.  She fought against Justin’s arm, unconcerned about how she acquired that, as he tried to hold the two women apart, but Hannah wasn’t about to let a blond giant stand in her way.

“Move, Justin!” she screeched, twisting, wrenching, jabbing with her elbows.  “Let me at her!” She leveraged her body against his grip savagely -- almost getting a hold on Beth's slut red dress -- until Justin was forced to curl her up against his side and imprisoned her as though protecting a football against a team of linebackers.  “I’m going to kill her!  Don’t you ever touch her again!”

And Beth struggled with Justin’s other outstretched arm as she howled profanities at Hannah.  Frankly, Hannah was surprised Justin could just stand there, not doing anything about Beth’s treatment of his daughter.  But somewhere in her rabid, insane desire to sink her claws into Beth’s flesh, she felt Justin’s wrath, quivering in his flexed muscles and sparking out of his green eyes.  He was likely to kill his ex-wife if he lost his composure for a miniscule of a second.  

How could he possibly control it?  Hannah wanted blood, more blood...Beth’s blood.  How dare she hit Josie?

“What the hell is going on here?” Sheriff Spokes roared.

Beth immediately straightened up and tugged her skirt down.  “Sheriff!  This woman attacked me!  I want her thrown in jail!”

Hannah stopped wrestling against Justin and snarled at Beth.  “You hit your daughter, you heartless cow!  Give me just two minutes -- two minutes alone with her! -- and I’ll gladly go to jail!”

Beth shot back another insulting remark, and Hannah bucked her body to get enough leverage to release her arms and surge after the dead woman.  “Let me go!” she yelled at Justin, who wasn’t giving her an inch of leeway in his hold.  And Beth used that to her advantage as she composed a calm smile and said, “See?  She’s lost her mind.  She’s crazy--”

“I’ll show you crazy!” Hannah shrieked.  

“Stop it, both of you!” the sheriff boomed, stepping between the two woman.  “Hannah, get control of yourself.  And somebody -- not you two -- tell me what is going on!”

Silence fell across the room.  Sheriff Spokes asked, “Justin?”  But Justin’s mouth remained locked down, his eyes hard and solid, and there were about six muscles ticking on each side of his jaw.  Hannah knew if he opened his mouth, he was going to lose it.  The silent, solid, poisonous glare he gave Beth promised retribution, and all that was holding that back were his clamped back teeth.  If he murdered his ex-wife, no judge in the country would let him see his daughter ever again.

Sheriff Spokes, too, apparently realized that Justin was battling to stay composed, so he turned to Josie.  His expression softened.  “Josie, is it?  Can you tell me what happened?”

Hannah was finally calm enough to stand upright and drag in some deep breaths, but Justin still kept an arm around her.  Josie darted looks to everyone in the room.  “She...she slapped me,” she answered in a near whisper.  She tried to look brave but tears still leaking down her face.

“Who did?”

Josie’s finger shook as she pointed across the room.  “My...my mother.”

Sheriff Spokes cut a look at Beth, who drew herself up indignantly, opening her mouth to defend herself, but quickly shut it when the sheriff stiffly shook his head at her.  “Then what happened, Josie?”

Josie hiccupped through a sob.  “I don’t...I don’t know...”  She looked at Hannah, horribly afraid to say anything else, unless Hannah got in trouble for what she did.  Hannah shrugged out of Justin’s arms and went over to Josie, pulling her into a hug.

“Oh, honey...it’s okay.  Don’t cry,” she soothed and turned to the Sheriff.  “What Beth said is true.  I attacked her.  She hit Josie, and I attacked her for it.  And I would do it again.”

Sheriff Spokes chewed on the responses, gazing thoughtfully at everyone.  Finally, he sighed heavily and turned to Beth.  “You have the right to press assault charges--”

Beth smiled evilly.

Sheriff Spokes held up his hand.  “But, if you do, then you will also be charged with suspected child abuse -- assault on a minor -- and since I am lawfully obligated to report any suspected abuse on a minor, it really won’t matter what you choose to do.  But you can walk out of here in handcuffs and spend the night in jail until a judge can see you in the morning, or you can walk out of here with only the report hanging over your head...your choice, ma'am.”

Those two ugly words -- child abuse -- hung in the air for a moment.  Then Beth raised her chin and said, “The girl sassed me -- her mother -- and I had the right to discipline her for it.”

Hannah saw Justin forcefully exerting the patience to stay calm and restrained, but she knew the exact moment he lost that battle.  It was when his pupils flared, creating a black hole in his green eyes as he slowly, carefully, fists clenched tightly to his sides, turned to the blond bitch.  “Sheriff,” he said, eyes still locked onto Beth’s face, “there won’t be any charges filed today, but I still want that report written.  I want it documented that my ex-wife purposefully hit my daughter, for no other reason than because she cannot control herself--”

“Control myself?” Beth retorted.  “Why don’t you tell that to your plaything over there?  She’s the one who attacked me!”

“And you’re damn lucky I didn’t let her rip you apart,” he shot back, his voice a cool veil of loathing.  “The only reason I don’t do it myself is because Josie does not need to see both her parents go off the deep end...and because I’ve come to realize that you’ve never been worth the anger I feel towards you.  After today, you will never see Josie ever again.  That I promise.”

Beth tossed her hair.  “You can’t stop me.  Unless you’ve got the balls to have me arrested today, I have legal rights to her.  And you can’t raise a child on your own...my lawyer will see to that.”

“I’ve been raising that child on my own for fourteen years, Beth,” he said.  “But that won’t matter after today, because I won’t be on my own anymore.”

Beth looked confused for a split second, then she said with a shrill laugh, “Let me guess.  The ragdoll?”

Justin nodded.

Beth tsked as she took a step forward.  Her foot landed on something and she blinked downward, peering at it.  Bending over, Beth picked up a small black box from the floor.  Justin sucked in a breath as he quickly patted his jacket.  Hannah frowned.  What was--

Beth cracked open the box and stared, her face paling considerably.  “Is this...an engagement ring?  For her?  Oh, Justin...you always had a horrible sense of humor.  You cannot mean to say that you’re going to marry that piece of white trash?”

White trash?!  Why you little--  Mary Alice’s hand clamped on her shoulder, restraining her.

“I’d watch what you say about my future wife,” he warned Beth as he snatched the jewelry box out of her hands.  Hannah caught a glimpse of what was nestled inside, and she gasped.  Josie and Mary Alice craned their necks to see the ring as well before he stowed it away inside his jacket again, but Justin ignored them, adding, “In the short time you’ve been here, Beth, you’ve insulted my daughter, my parents, the sheriff and the woman I love...”

Hannah felt faint, the image of a large, rose-colored gemstone floating in her mind’s eye.  He’s going to ask me to marry him?  Today?

“So, I suggest you shut your mouth and go back to your precious lawyer, because you’re going to need him when I’m done with you,” he finished.

Beth took a step closer to her ex-husband.  All three men in the room jerked into rigid postures.  Beth sneered as she hissed, “You marry that little slut and I’ll make sure you never get Josie.  I'm her mother, and I will be the one to take her to stardom.”

Hannah’s rage returned, but like mind-readers, the towering bodies of Justin, Sheriff Spokes and Mr. Kirkland moved to create a wall between her and Beth.  Oh, come on!  So not fair!

Justin looked down at Beth and said, “You're a selfish, petty woman, Beth, and you always have  been.  You have never been able to see past your own greed and vanity.  Josie does not want you or anything you can give her.  Not anymore.  You’ve got nothing but empty threats.  And after what you’ve done today, no judge on this earth will award you custody.”

Beth rolled her eyes and smoothed her dress.  “Please...I just want to make her famous.  Otherwise, I don't really care what happens to the ungrateful twit--”

Mary Alice covered Josie’s ears with her hands.

“--but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you and...her...have her either,” Beth said.  “Especially now that you’re going to marry her!  No judge on this earth will give you custody either, if you’re married a woman with a history of violence.”

Justin grinned...and it wasn’t a pleasant grin.  “Beth?”

“What?”

“You’re trespassing on private property,” Justin said.  “Buck off.”

She scalded with indignation.  “You can’t tell me what to do--”

Josie removed herself from her grandmother and approached Beth.  “Mom?”

Beth turned her head to Josie, hatred for the girl written all inside her brown eyes.  “What?”

“You never wanted me or loved me,” Josie began, and Beth belted out another one of her horrible laughs.

“So, you are smarter than you look,” she said, but Josie didn’t seem to care about the insult.

Josie looked her mother in the woman’s eyes and said, “From this day forward, do not try to contact me ever again.  I want nothing to do with you.”

Beth inhaled an irate breath.  “You’re just like your father,” she told Josie.  “Neither of you ever cared how my life was destroyed by you.  I wasted my best years being your mother.  I was supposed to be the famous one.  I’m thirty-five now, and the only thing I have to show for it is an ungrateful daughter and a second husband who would rather spend his weekends golfing than with me.  Well, I’m done with all of you.  Go to hell.”

“We’ve already been there, Beth,” Justin said.  “Now, leave.”  He stepped aside to allow her to leave, careful to move far enough away to not touch her but not giving her any leeway on getting closer to Josie or Hannah.

Beth eyed him hatefully.  “And just how am I supposed to leave?  Your father shot up my car.”

“I don’t really care, Beth,” Justin replied, and Josie grinned.

The girl glanced at Hannah for a second, love shining in her eyes, and Hannah returned the look.  “Maybe someone should have taught you to change a tire,” Josie said absently.  Hannah smiled back at her, so very pleased that Josie remembered that morning two months ago.

In a huff, Beth squared her shoulders and stomped to the door.  But Josie wasn’t quite done yet.  “Wait!” she shouted.

All eyes swiveled to the girl.  Beth stopped and sneered.  “What now?”

Josie dashed across the room and grabbed the guitar, saying, “You forgot this.”

Beth yanked it from Josie’s hands.  “Like I said...ungrateful.”

Josie’s spine straightened as she stared at Beth.  “No, Mother, I am very grateful.  You’ve shown me what real love is...by not loving me.  Now, I know how much my daddy loves me, and how much Hannah loves me, and I am grateful.”  Then with a grin of mischief, Josie added, “Now, buck off.”

Beth said not one more word.  She turned on her heels and departed through the front door about as elegantly as someone who’d been burned could leave.

Justin bent to kiss Josie on the forehead, whispering, “I’m proud of you, baby,” before he walked out to the porch to make sure Beth left the farm.  Mr. Kirkland and the sheriff went outside, too, leaving Hannah, Josie, and Mary Alice to stare at one another.

Hannah’s legs finally gave out and she sank to the couch.  Mary Alice sighed into a rocking chair, and Josie crawled up next to Hannah, looking about as worn out as the rest of them.  “Are you really going to marry Daddy?”

“I...”  Oh, heavens!  How to answer that, with everything that had happened?  “Let’s just wait and see, okay?”

A few minutes later, Justin came back in, his frame silhouetted by the screen door.  He glanced first at Josie.  “Is she gone?” Josie asked.

“Yes, sweetie, she’s gone.  The sheriff was, um, 'kind' enough to drive her back to town.  Are you okay?”

Josie smiled faintly.  “I’m fine, Daddy.  I'll be a lot better if you tell me you're going to marry Hannah.  So...are you?”

His eyes met Hannah’s and he seemed to deflate before her.  He was disappointed about something, probably her going after Beth like a psychopath, and maybe now he was thinking she wasn’t the right person to help raise his daughter.  Hannah finally felt shame for her behavior.  Her heart splintered into a ga-zillion pieces, and she lowered her gaze.

“Mom, Josie...can I have a moment with Hannah, please?”

Mary Alice stood up and ushered Josie out of the room to the kitchen, saying, “I think we’re going to need to make a big batch of brownies.”

*****

Once they vacated, Hannah rose slowly to her feet, whetting her bottom lip as she faced Justin.  “You don’t have to say anything,” she said.  “I know I shouldn’t have done that, gone crazy like that, and you’re thinking I’ll be a bad influence on Josie now, and...”

“I’m thinking that, huh?”

“Yes...I know you’ve tried to protect Josie from volatile women, and I just did the worse thing possible by attacking her mother.  I understand if you’re rethinking this whole relationship now, and you just told all that stuff to Beth to make her mad.”

His lips twitched.  "I did, huh?”

Hannah raised her chin.  “Of course, you did.  You have some bad history with horrible women, and...and even though we love each other, I know you feel it’s best that Josie not be subjected to that again.  I’m not going to make a scene about giving me a second chance.  You’ll be doing the right thing by keeping Josie away from me--”

He smiled softly.  “Hannah, shut up.”

Hannah inhaled a lungful of air.  “I’m sorry, really I am.  I’ll never hurt Josie or you, but...but she slapped that sweet girl, and I just couldn’t stop myself.”

“Good,” he said, “because Josie will need a mother to stand up for her, even if it means beating the crap out of someone else.”

“What?” she asked with a frown, thinking he’d lost his mind.  “No, no, you can’t forgive me for something like that.  It was stupid and reckless and...”

He walked over to her and cupped her cheek.  “Hannah...I love you.  Don’t ever change.”

She blinked at him, then closed her eyes and moved her head into his touch.  “Justin, please!  I lost control--”

“Hannah...look at me,” he softly urged.  She opened her eyes and huffed.  “You were wonderful,” he said.  “Josie isn’t afraid of you because you came to her rescue.  She loves you for it.  I love you for it.”

“Justin...”  A glimmer of that old hope flickered back to life.  "So, you what you told Beth is still true?  You're going to propose?"

He reached into his jacket and retrieved the black box.  Sighing heavily, he opened it.  “It took me over two freaking hours to decide on this ring today.  But then Beth saw it first and...”

Hannah got her first true look at the ring.  It was...magnificent.  Totally unlike any she’d ever seen before.  Her skin flushed with excitement.

But Justin snapped the box shut in her face.  “And now, I can’t let you have it.”

She blinked from the box to his face.  “What?  But you said...”

He looked miserable.  “I love you, Hannah,” he whispered.  “I wanted to ask you to marry me under the stars and make it perfect for you, but now...Shit!  Beth saw the ring first!  I’m not beginning our life together with her curse over us!  I’ll take you to the jewelers tomorrow and we can get whatever you want.  I promise.”

Hannah stepped away from him and grabbed the ring box, holding it to her chest protectively.  “I want this one.”

He shook his head and took it back from her, grappling a little to uncurl her fingers.  “Hannah...no.  Beth has tainted even this part of us, and I won’t allow it.”

“We can wash it, “ she argued, snatching it from him.  

He pressed his lips together as a muscle twitched in his jaw.  “There’s not a soap on this earth that can erase her evil.”

“I’ll soak it in vinegar,” Hannah said.

“Dammit, Hannah!  Don’t make this difficult!  I’m trying to do the best thing for us!”

Hannah glared at him.  “Then get your @ss down on one knee and ask me to marry you!  With this ring!”

Justin thrust his fingers through his hair in frustration.  “Jesus Christ, Hannah!”

“Watch your mouth, young man!” came Mary Alice’s stern voice from the kitchen.

He blanched.  “Sorry!”

“That’s okay,” his mother yelled back.  “Now hurry up and ask Hannah to marry you so I can kiss my new daughter-in-law!”

Hannah bit back a grin.  Justin scowled, but he looked down at her thoughtfully.  “Are you sure?  Once I put a ring on your finger, it stays there.  Forever.  Tainted curse and all.”

“You know...since you’re being so obstinate about this,” Hannah said, slowly crouching down in front of him, “maybe I should be the one to propose.”

Justin’s green eyes widened and he jerked her back to her feet.  “Like hell you will!”

And then he did the corniest, sweetest, most perfect thing she’d ever seen.  He got his cute @ss down on one knee in the middle of his parents’ living room, smiled up at her and asked, “Hannah Baker...will you marry me?”

“Say yes!” Josie shouted from the kitchen, and Mary Alice said, “Shh!  You’re not supposed to be listening!”

And then Mr. Kirkland walked through the front door, saw Justin on the floor, and asked, “Son, what are you doing?”

Justin groaned, but grinned.  “I’m proposing, Dad, so shut up for a minute.”

Hannah smiled with such relief and joy, she could barely speak.  He was actually doing it!  “Justin, I...”

“Marry me, Hannah,” he repeated.  “Make me the happiest jack@ss in the world.”

Her eyes began to leak.  “You are a [email protected] you’re my jack@ss.”

“Is that a yes?”

Josie shouted, “Yes, that’s a yes!  Don’t you know anything about females?”

Hannah began giggling -- and couldn’t stop.  The whole thing was