“It’s not your fault, Banner.”
“He was my brother. I should have known. I left her here with him and my parents, thinking she would be safe. I might as well have fed her to the wolves.”
“It was not your fault,” she states again before wrapping her arms around me. “You cannot change what’s happened. All you can do is be there for her now. But if you don’t work through this guilt, it will eat you alive. And where will that leave Sorrow then?”
“I hear you. I do.”
“Ask Matilda for her therapist’s number. She’s worked wonders with her and Zoe. I think it would be good for Sorrow, Katy, and you to talk with her. None of you three should have to carry this shit around any longer than you already have. Enough is enough.”
“Well, that remains to be seen. What happened in there after we left?”
Olivia steps back and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “The doctor reeled off the rest of Sorrow’s injuries, as well as the tests run, and the treatment she received.”
“Okay. So, who is up next?”
“No, you don’t get it. He stated under oath that one of the tests was a blood test to check her blood alcohol level. It’s standard procedure in these situations. He told the court that her alcohol level was zero. He had no idea that when Sorrow was prosecuted, her file was edited. And get this: he has a copy of the original file. He backed everything up with all his patients because, at the time, he was leaving to work with Doctors Across Borders for a couple of years, and didn’t want there to be an issue later that came back to bite him in the ass. By the time he got back, Sorrow was already in jail, and people rarely spoke about her. All of this was as much of a surprise to him as it was to most, just for different reasons.”
“Jesus, that’s good, right? That’s proof that Sorrow wasn’t drunk or driving recklessly.”
Olivia nods. “And Stephenson already admitted that they never gave her a breathalyzer because she was unconscious, so they can’t backtrack and claim otherwise.”
“Holy fuck. So what happens now?”
“There is still a lot to get through—this case with your parents and the ongoing one with Tempest PD. But once we have all the proof, that evidence was planted or tampered with to incriminate Sorrow, we’ll be pushing the governor for a full pardon and asking for restitution from the state.”
I turn when the door behind us opens and see my girl walk out with Arlo’s arm wrapped around her, the bag hanging from the crook of his elbow.
“It’s a good look on you,” I tease before running my eyes over Sorrow to make sure she’s okay.
Arlo flips his hair and slides the bag farther up his arm, making Sorrow chuckle. “I know, right?”
I tug her away from the madman and pull her into my embrace, pecking her lips, tasting mint in the process.
She grins. “Call it woman’s intuition, but I figured I should pack my toothbrush and toothpaste.”
“Always prepared for the worst. You’d have made a good Boy Scout.”
She wrinkles her nose. “That involves a lot of camping, right?”
“Some.” I grin.
“Yeah, I don’t think it would have worked out. I’m not great with the three Bs.”
“The three Bs?”
“Boys, bears, and bugs.”
“Gotcha. Though I’ve gotta say, you have this boy well and truly smitten.”
“Is that right?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s frowned upon to fornicate in a court of law,” Arlo drawls.
“Fornicate? You’re showing your age, old man,” I joke. Oliva and Sorrow look at me like I’m insane before eying Arlo.
“I’m not sure what Arlo is doing can be considered aging,” Olivia states, making Arlo smirk.
“Oh yeah, and what would you call it?”
