“It’s okay to want to know.” He meets my
eyes while I wrestle with the millions of emotions tugging me in different directions.
I nod and he continues, “She accepted the plea bargain and will be serving six years.
Trent pleaded not guilty against his lawyer’s HC TITLE-AUTHOR
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recommendation. The D.A. thinks they can
get him to serve fifteen years.”
A ball of dread forms in my stomach and I sink back into the chair. “Then there will be a trial.”
Scott lowers his head. All of us had hoped to avoid this. “Yes.”
Ryan and I will have to face Trent again
when we testify. I take a deep breath to calm myself.
“Did you talk to Mom?” I ask.
He shakes his head and I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’m not sure how I feel about my mom at all. Six years. My mom is going to prison for six years and I’m the one who put her there.
“You did the right thing, kid.”
“I know,” I say softly. I do know, but it doesn’t mean that it sucks any less. The doorbell rings and the dread starts to fade.
Ryan’s here.
A good-natured smile settles on Scott’s face.
“And Prince Charming awaits.”
“Hey, Scott?”
He motions for me to continue.
“How could you keep the heroin to yourself?
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I mean, that’s a pretty big secret. I know that you wanted something to blackmail me with, but it was heroin.”
Scott scratches behind his ear. “I was in the process of hiring private detectives to find you when your aunt called. When I got to the police station, there was no way you were going home with anyone but me. One look at your mom and I knew things were bad.”
He sighs. “She was so jumpy around the
cops that I figured she was hiding something. I would have said anything I had to in order to keep you. But I never used the word heroin with you or your mom and I never went into your mom’s apartment. I guessed that she had a secret and I bluffed.”
And I sort of feel like an idiot. A happy idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. “Well played.”
He smirks. “I think so.”
AT THE TWO-MINUTE WARNING, my hands
begin to sweat, including the one in the cast.
Indian summer in Kentucky has a strange way of making November feel like July. As we walk to the open field behind the scoreboard, Ryan holds my hand and he doesn’t seem to care it’s cold and wet. People yell and scream HC TITLE-AUTHOR
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from the bleachers and the announcer
informs the crowd that our team is at the first and ten—whatever the hell that means.
The other couples nominated for
homecoming court stand closer to the
lamppost, but I hesitate farther back and Ryan plays along.
“Gwen won’t bother you,” he says.
“I know.” He’s right. She won’t. Since Ryan and I returned to school, she’s been less than her normal stuck-up self, quiet and withdrawn.
She apologized to both me and Ryan. I
accepted it, but it doesn’t mean I have to like her or be near her. Perfectly groomed, Gwen stands off to the side of the group. I sort of feel bad for her. Guilt is a horrible emotion. I should know.
“We could go talk to Carly and Brent,” Ryan teases. “She’s a big fan of yours.”
I roll my eyes. “Carly and I were paired as lab partners today.”
“See, best friends already. Lacy will be
pissed someone is encroaching on her
territory.”
“That’s exactly what’s going to happen,” I say sarcastically.
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“Carly’s nice.”
“She’s chipper.”
“Same thing.”
“Nice is nice. Chipper is annoying.”
“We should double-date with them.”
My eyes almost pop out of my head. “Are
you kidding me? I’m about to walk out onto that football field and make a fool out of myself and you want me to consider double-dating with Mr. and Mrs. Chipper? Have you lost your mind?”
Ryan chuckles, then winks. “I just wanted to see you get aggravated.”
I wrinkle my nose. “You’re annoying.”
He lets go of my hand, slips his arms around my waist, and pulls me close to his strong body. “You’re beautiful.”
The corners of my lips turn up and I slide my right arm around his neck. “I miss touching you with both hands.”
“It’s weird seeing the ribbon on your other wrist,” he says.
I shiver when Ryan caresses the sensitive skin above my cast and rubs the small of my back. Joyous and devious warmth spreads throughout my body. “I never take it off.”
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“I miss you in my bed,” he murmurs so
only I can hear.
My smile grows and Ryan’s face reddens.
“That’s not what I meant. I meant I miss
sleeping with you.”
I know what he means. “It’s a little hard to slip out with a broken hand.”
He lowers his head to mine and his hold on me tightens. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better.”
“Ryan, no. I would have died if it wasn’t for you.”
“It’s over now,” he whispers against my
mouth.