Page 87 of Falling Too Late

“See that!” I point to the edge of the screen. “Rewind it.”

“I didn’t see anything,” Marshall said, but he complied.

The camera didn’t have the capability to go frame by frame, but no matter how many times we watched it, they didn’t see what I saw.

“Wren, are you okay?” Concern laced Mario’s tone.

I dug the heel of my palm into my forehead, massaging the pulsing headache that was forming. I felt like I was going insane. How could I tell them that this was the second time I thought I saw my dead best friend, clear as day? As if he’d manifested right in front of me?

“Yeah.” I rolled my head over my shoulders. “I’m going to get out of here.” I headed for the locker rooms and changed into some jeans and a white T-shirt.

I left the gym and drove aimlessly in town. Normally, I avoided being in town at all costs, only staying as long as it took me to get groceries and run whatever errands I couldn’t put off any longer.

But I didn’t want to go home to my empty house and listen to every creak and groan thinking someone would be there. I had a bad history of being paranoid and letting my imagination get the best of me.

So, I parked my car at Jon’s law office, entering the building and waving to the receptionist. Carla smiled and waved back as she picked up the phone, answering it in her perfected customer service voice.

“Go on back,” she whispered, covering the receiver of the phone.

Jon had taken over his father's law firm some years ago. With Alex’s death, he’d buried himself in his work, but he had come out on the other side of everything, showing everyone just how capable he was.

I hadn’t a clue about his job, but I listened the best I could. It was hard to though; it always put me back to the night our lives imploded.

“Wren, I need you to tell me what happened.” Jon hovered in Alex’s bedroom doorway, his phone in one hand and the other pushing his blond hair out of his face for the thousandth time. He had tried to sit down next to me, he’d tried to comfort me, but every time he tried I just screamed.

It was a visceral reaction. One I couldn’t seem to control.

I didn’t know how much time had passed since they took Alex. They had walked into the room, reading him his rights. Alex picked me up and set me on the bed, but I wouldn’t let go of him. I clung around his neck for dear life.

I was safe in his arms.

No one could hurt me in his arms.

“It's going to be okay now, Wren, you’re safe. I prom. . .” But he couldn’t finish that sentence and I knew why. Was I really safe? He couldn’t guarantee it last time, so how could he now?

When the cops noticed the blood on me, one walked over to me too fast and I panicked, screaming. Alex put himself in front of me.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” Alex moved and both the cops unleashed their tasers on him. He dropped to the ground and then they cuffed him, taking him out of the house.

“I’m sorry, Wren. I’m so sorry.”

Those were the last words I had heard from him before he was gone.

I was still huddled on his bed.

Jon knelt next to the bed, dipping his head so he could catch my gaze. “Wren, I need to know what he did so I can figure out what kind of lawyer he needs. Alex needs you right now.”

At that, I finally told him.

“Kevin came back.”

“Who’s Kevin?”

“My mom’s boyfriend.” I swallowed hard; even saying his name made me want to throw up. I was sore. Still raw, and if Imoved the wrong way there would be new blood spots on the navy blue sheets I had bought for Alex.

Another thing I’d ruined.

“Kevin came back and raped me again.”

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