Davina was glad that Betsy got to meet her parents and even more so that things were slowly becoming intimate between them, just when she was beginning to wonder if they ever would. She still wasn’t sure that Betsy was as into the idea of a relationship as she was, but she was determined to do all she could to please her and enjoy every minute of it while she was at it.
The evening they had company after meeting with Davina’s parents turned out to be an interesting one because it increased her suspicions about Detective Knight being into her. It was obvious in the way she looked at her, but the detective managed to do it in a subtle enough way that others wouldn’t pick up on it. If they did, they weren’t saying anything about it.
Davina’s knowledge of the fact that she was into her made her feel not only flattered but more grown-up in a sense. She really didn’t have a lot of relationship experience under her belt, so it had a way of making her feel a little more experienced than she actually was.
It had been a fun night. They all shared pizza and wings together, and then the three officers engaged in a card game at the kitchen table. Davina was happy to serve them drinks and snacks whenever requested and to periodically sidle up to Betsy in a cozy way and cheer her on as she competed against the others in the game they were playing. She would steal an occasional glance across the table in Detective Knight’s direction, never failing to notice that her gazes were usually returned.
Following a full day and night of food, friends, family, and wonderful, smart, hot Betsy, Davina fell into bed that night a happy young woman. She felt content to the core. Everything was falling into place wonderfully. She would love to be Detective Bradshaw’s significant other and remain under her roof rather than go back to sharing an apartment with friends, no matter how well they may get along.
At first, she was a little worried about Betsy changing her mind and asking her to leave once Lane’s trial was over, but she didn’t. Instead, they could enjoy being relieved that the testimony, trial, conviction, and sentence were finally over, and the city could be a little safer if only for a while.
The part that was the most disturbing came at the penalty phase when even despite the terrifying testimony from the victim and her own testimony as a witness, the bastard was given just three years. Three years for strangling someone nearly to death!
Davina had long since heard all kinds of stories about unfair sentences ranging from robbery to rape to murder, and even Betsy had warned her that the system was often twisted and tended not to take violence as seriously as it would for those who kited checks, for example, but three years for attempted manslaughter? Apparently, it was believed to be a heat-of-the-moment attack that somehow turned what Davina fully believed was attempted murder into attempted manslaughter. Lane would be out in three years, fair or not, and that wasn’t counting any time off for good behavior.
That brought Davina, and no doubt the victim as well, to the next question. How safe would they be once Lane was released?
Depends on if he’s still angry at the time, they were told, which was anything but comforting to know. They would receive a notification upon his release but no guarantee that he wouldn’t come after them.
The courtroom had erupted in protest when it was announced that the sicko could be out in as little as eighteen months, depending on so-called good behavior, but the judge hadn’t seemed to care. It was business as usual for him no matter how many shitty decisions were made.
Lane would be on probation for about a year after his release with orders to undergo anger management therapy, but Davina wasn’t so sure you could teach someone with such an ill temper to calm down. He would have to do community service as well for a certain number of hours, but so what? None of this would stop him from at least trying to seek out his ex or her if he really wanted to.
On one of their visits to her parents’ place, Davina’s mother suggested learning to shoot and getting a small handgun. Betsy agreed to help teach her to shoot, but there was no hurry since Lane at least had some time to do before he would be free to be a danger to society once again.
Davina met Betsy’s father a couple of times and found him to be a likable enough guy. Due to his injury from the accident he was involved in, he now did consulting and online research by phone.
Until Davina had to face any potential problems that may or may not happen in the future, she was urged to just relax and enjoy life. She agreed, and that was exactly what she did. She loved her job, and she loved being with Betsy even more. With great friends and family and the ability to do something she loved doing, even if she wouldn’t do it forever, what more could she ask for?
But then things began to slowly change. Betsy would be tired more often or too busy to spend time with her. She found fault in her more often, and when they did have time alone, Betsy mostly preferred to spend it doing things that didn’t involve her, such as working on some cases from her laptop well into the night. Davina began to see why so many women left their partners who were in law enforcement.
Eventually, things went from bad to worse when Betsy suggested they think of splitting. “I know you don’t have much money, but I’ll help you, and so will your parents.”
“Oh, how kind of you,” Davina said sarcastically, heartbroken and on the verge of tears the more she realized that Betsy was dead serious.
“Davina, it isn’t that you’re a bad person or that I don’t care about you. It’s just that I don’t have the feelings you do. I mean, I have feelings, sure. They’re just not as deep as yours are.”
Davina broke down in tears.
“Hey, hey,” Betsy said, placing a gentle hand on Davina’s shoulder.
Davina pulled away and said, “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.”
“Do you want me to lie to you instead?”
Betsy’s phone vibrated, and while she apologized to her for the interruption, she insisted she had to go.
“Why not? The job was always more important to you than me anyway.”
Betsy left, saying she didn’t have time to argue.
Davina hopped on her bike and rode ferociously to her parents’ house, nearly getting hit at a cross-section along the way.
Once there, she let herself in with her own key and found her mother in the living room on the sofa.
Her mother turned to her and noticed her tear-stained cheeks. “What happened, honey?”
Davina collapsed on the couch next to her mother, sobbing.
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