Chapter 53
Zoe
Caleb misses you.
—Zoe
When we get home, Caleb and Jase are sitting on the sofa. There’s some show on the TV, but they have their heads together and are focused on talking about something I can’t hear.
The sight of them gives me a pang of longing. It’s so normal to see them like this. A little like it used to be, if not exactly the same as it was. Jase and Caleb turn around at the same time as they hear my footsteps and Dad closing the door behind us.
I’m overwhelmingly tired as I go to the sofa, collapsing between them with a sigh and ignoring the fact that I’m still wearing my jacket and boots. My whole body feels heavy, just like my head. Like it’s packed with cotton balls.
Jase reaches for my hand, and our fingers intertwine. The living room is silent apart from the voices coming from the TV. They’re waiting. Patiently. They don’t ask how it went or how I’m doing. They don’t ask any questions, and that feels good. I take a deep breath.
“It’s over,” I finally say. And for now, it is. Reed confessed, and Itold the police what I heard when he was arguing with Charlotte. I told them everything. About Charlotte and me, about the party, and about how she acted like she didn’t believe me, even though she knew what happened. What she did.
She labeled me a liar when she was the biggest liar herself.
There won’t be a trial, at least not for Reed. Since he turned himself in, he’ll probably get off with a lighter sentence. Which kind of sucks, but I can’t do anything to change it. And to be honest, I’m relieved I don’t have to tell the whole story again in front of a judge, prosecution, and jury. I don’t want an audience.
At least he’s getting a punishment, and I know Mom will make sure he doesn’t get off as lightly as he hopes. She has damn good lawyers.
“What about Charlotte?” Caleb asks after I’ve told them everything.
I shrug, exhausted. “No idea. We’ll see. Reed also told the police that Charlotte gave me the roofies, but it’ll be difficult to prove. She certainly won’t admit it. Then it’ll be his word against hers.”
“But you heard her,” Jase says. I can see the anger in his eyes. He’s clenching his teeth so hard that his jaw is protruding.
“She’ll say that I’m lying.” I hate to say it, but unfortunately, it’s true.
“But that’s bullshit!”
I lean my head on Jase’s chest and inhale his scent. Mint and honey. Safe.
I don’t answer because there’s nothing to say. It’s all bullshit, and totally awful, but I did what I could. Now it’s out of my hands.
Chapter 54
Jase
I want to have a home again.
—Jase
“I can stay here if you want,” I tell her for the fourth time, but Zoe just rolls her eyes. It’s Wednesday morning. She’s still in bed, and I want to crawl under the covers with her and block out the world a little longer, like we’ve been doing for the last couple of days. We turned off our phones and spent our days in the living room with Zoe’s family. We played games and watched cheesy movies. We talked. A lot. And cried too.
“No, I want you to go. Think of your scholarship.” There’s a reproachful tone in her voice, and I know she’s right. I should probably be more focused on it. But I can’t. My head is full of thoughts of her, and I almost don’t care about the scholarship right now.
“The scholarship doesn’t—”
“If you say it doesn’t matter right now, I’ll throw you out. You’ve already missed two days, and I still want you as my dance partner next semester. So go!”
I want to tell her that I’m not going back without her, that Ionly want to be with her. That I need her. But I bite back the words because we haven’t talked yet about when she’s coming back, or whether she’ll come back at all. She’s not ready yet.
“Okay. I’ll be back after class, then.”
“I hope so,” she says with a smile.
