"Without having to sneak around." He pulls me back down beside him. "Now we can do this whenever we want."
"Unless they take you away again," I say, suddenly feeling sad. I knew the happiness I felt just moments ago wouldn't last. It couldn't with everything that's going on. "Tell me what you found out from your lawyers."
"There isn't much new to say. They asked me about the tie and we talked about what to do if the cops try to say that it's mine."
"What's the plan if they do?"
"Demand that they test it for any blood or DNA that might still be on it. The only problem is, most of that probably washed away in the ocean."
"It was still on her when they found her?" I ask, cringing as I imagine Kristen's dead body with a tie wrapped around her neck.
"It was only partly around her neck. The rest was tangled in her hair."
"Wouldn't they test it anyway, even if you didn't tell them to?"
"Probably, unless they think the test wouldn't hold up in court. Those tests aren't always reliable, especially when the thing's contaminated with ocean water. But we want them to do the tests even if they don't think they can use the results."
"Did the lawyers say anything else?"
"Just more about what Steven Edwards told the cops. Apparently he came into the police station and named me as the killer. He said all this stuff about Kristen and me having a bad relationship. How we were always fighting, which isn't true. And he said I abused her."
"Are you serious?" I sit up. "Did he have examples?"
"He said Kristen would come back from my house with bruises, and that she'd cry in her room after being with me. He told the cops that he'd try to comfort her and ask what was wrong, but she wouldn't talk about it. She'd just say we had a disagreement and leave it at that."
"But none of that is true."
"It's his word against mine."
"Why is he doing this? Do you think he really believes you're guilty?"
"He might. Or he might just be getting back at me for dropping out of Twisted Pine. I ruined his chance at taking the football team to State, which was what he needed to get donations for a new school."
"They could still win."
"Not without Braden."
"What do you mean? Braden's still playing. His knee hurts but he's not going to miss any games."
"You didn't hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Andrea's parents are demanding Braden be suspended from playing football until the Andrea case is resolved. They even hired lawyers to sue Twisted Pine if they don't cooperate."
"When did this happen?"
"I just found out about it from my lawyer. If it's true, Braden is done. He'll never play football again."
Chapter Ten
"This is NOT fucking happening!" I hear Braden scream.
"I think he just heard the news," Jackson says. "Let's get up."
As we get dressed, I hear a door slamming and things hitting the wall.
"Braden, stop it right now!" Brock yells from the living room, which is just outside my door. "You need to calm down. I'll call Principal Edwards. I'll straighten this out right now."
