Free Come What May (Heartbeat) by Faith Sullivan

instead of being so caught up in my problems. Maybe Katie’s message is rubbing off on me after all. Even if I don’t ‘love’ Jada like that, I still care about her. So far, she has turned out to be a pretty good friend to me—at a point in my life when I sure as hell didn’t deserve one.
    ***
    I get there early and save a table. Easing into the hard wooden chair, I toss my backpack at my feet. A lot of students are on the computers, no doubt checking email and surfing the net rather than doing any research. I don’t usually spend a lot of time in here. When I have to hit the books, my kitchen turns into my study area. My mind is already wandering, watching everybody milling about. I’d never be able to concentrate with so much going on around me. But then it takes me longer than most anyway. I’m not exactly at the top of my class.
    Jada breezes in and I’m struck by how she carries herself. She’s pretty petite, but her posture makes her appear much taller. She walks with purpose. There’s nothing hurried or frazzled about her. She’s unflappable. Even yesterday, when I was getting the crap beat out of me, she was levelheaded enough to stay calm and fend off our attacker. She didn’t hide in the house and lock the door. No, she came to my defense when I needed her the most. Again, a twinge of embarrassment runs through me. How could I even think about blowing her off when she practically saved my life? Yeah, I need to reexamine my priorities a little bit. My selfishness needs to be held in check.
    “Hey, how are you feeling?” As she gets closer to the table, her concern is apparent. I’m hunched forward, leaning on my elbows, trying to shift the pressure off my ribs. I didn’t take another painkiller this morning because I wanted my head to be clear for our study session.
    “As well as can be expected, I guess. What about you?” I watch as she removes her jacket and drapes it over an adjacent chair.
    “My roommate and I had a couple glasses of wine before I was able to fall asleep. The cops called late last night and asked me a few more questions. They don’t like that I disturbed the crime scene when I picked up the gun. But they didn’t see how that maniac was acting, and at least the eyewitness accounts from the neighbors are backing up my story.” She smoothes a stray hair into place while methodically lining up her worksheets in front of her textbook. She wants to appear like she’s in control, but I can tell there’s a lot going on under the surface.
    “They can’t possibly be giving you a hard time about this. I mean, c’mon, it was self-defense.” I’m agitated that they’re even questioning her. “Do you want me to call them and set them straight?”
    “No. Don’t do that, Adam. It’s fine, really.” Her hand grips my arm and she levels me with her gaze. “I’ll deal with it. It’s not like I’m covering up anything. I’m telling them the truth.”
    “Well, it turns out that asshole works in the mayor’s office, so that might have something to do with it.” I don’t want to make her nervous, but small town politics always have some role to play when it comes to a high profile murder investigation. “The cops are being extra careful that everything adds up.”
    “You don’t think they’re going to try to pin this on me, do you?” There’s a slight tremor in her voice. But where most girls would be breaking down in tears, Jada’s as solid as a rock.
    “They’d be crazy to even think about it. Plus I’m sure Lizzy saw a lot. She’s just a little kid, but she was there.” I pat her hand and she gives me a tight smile. I really wish she didn’t have to deal with this. She was just doing her job, and everything went haywire.
    “Thanks, Adam. I really needed to hear that, especially from you.” She withdraws her hand and begins opening her notebook. For a moment, I miss the warmth of her touch. But I return to the task at hand as she shoves a stack of