Page 49 of Everyone Loved Her

The hair on the back of my neck settled as the taillights faded into the ever-growing blackness, and I glanced down, just in time to see the call-failed notification on the screen. I crossed the fence once more, careful not to disturb the phone. However, as I made my way to my truck, I froze, seeing the front tire completely flat.

A sick feeling washed over me, and I glanced back down at my phone, seeing one bar coming and going. I sat like that for a few moments before a second set of headlights came pouring into my vision—the vehicle moving about ten times as fast as the last.

Garrett’s truck came to a skidding to a stop, his door slinging open. He jumped out, and came around the front of his truck, his eyes on my tire. “Did they do that?”

“Yeah… I think?” I struggled to find the words to explainwhyI didn’t know. “I couldn’t see them… I didn’t recognize the truck.”

“It’s okay. It just scared the crap out of me,” he met my gazeas he raked his fingers through his dark, disheveled hair. His T-shirt clung to his upper body in a way that caused me to stare a little longer than normal, and I had to consciously rip my eyes from him as he spoke. “I’ll change your tire.” He slipped past me, but I caught his arm, stopping him.

“Thank you,” I said, looking up at him. “Really.”

“It’s my fault you’re down here in the first place.” His tone was soft. “And I’m sure the mess I made of today didn’t help. I know what it all looks like—with everything.” He gave my arm a squeeze. “As soon as I change your tire, I need you to go home.”

I shook my head. “No. I found the phone, too. I’ll call Blaze. We’ll tell him the truth.”

“You don’t want to get wrapped up in this with me,” Garrett said carefully, his touch burning me up through my sweatshirt. “You deserve better than this.”

“So do you, G. It’s my fault that you ended up like this,” I nearly choked on the words as I said them, admitting a truth that I had kept hidden for years. “All this time, I tried to blame you for what happened to Sam, but while I don’t remember what happened once we were in the truck, and I don’t remember you saying you loved me…I believe you.”

Garrett nodded, looking toward my flat tire and then back at me. “I waited sixteen years for you to say that. You know, I never cared what people thought of me in this town. Just you. Killed me to let you go, and Dad wanted you to come back and testify for me, but I couldn’t ask that of you.”

“I wish I would’ve, even if I didn’t remember.”

He smiled, letting out a slight chuckle. “Let’s just call it water under the bridge then? Took me a year and a half and one concussion too late to tell you I loved you, when I knew I didlong before I ever kissed you that Halloween. I shouldn’t have been so scared. Sam would’ve come around eventually, too, you know.” Garrett held my gaze, tightening his grip on me as I trembled. “He would’ve been happy for us.”

“But he’d hate how we are now,” I murmured.

“Maybe, but I’d say we’re on the mends.” He dropped my arm then, heading to the back of the truck where the spare was. “You better call Blaze, if you’re serious about truth-telling, because every second that ticks by without a call, is gonna have us in hotter water.”

Chapter 23

“Where’s the phone?”Blaze asked, clicking on his flashlight with one hand while he held an evidence bag in his other. “And somebody better start talking.”

Beth gestured to the fence line across the bar ditch. “It’s partially covered in dirt. I don’t know how your guys missed it, honestly.”

He trudged across the bridge to where Beth was standing and pointing to a spot up near the trees. “Well, we’re not exactly top of the line detectives,” he grunted as he passed by her. He ignored the pain of thorns tearing through his jeans as he crossed the ditch. Leaning over, he scooped it up into the bag. “You probably already knew our department was trash though.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Yeah, but shouldn’t the state be helping out?”

Blaze eyed her, and then met Garrett’s gaze, who was standing awfully close to her from behind. His hand rested on her shoulder in a protective sort of stance, but honestly, Blaze was over it. “Sheriff Myers hasn’t asked for their assistance.” Heflipped the phone over in the baggy, and then tried to turn it on. “Dead. Figures.”

“Why wouldn’t he ask for assistance?” Beth watched him closely. “A homicide is rare in this county.”

“Yeah, but this seems isolated,” Blaze answered, the rarity of homicide in own his lifeveryopposing of this county. “Sheriff Myers seems to think we can handle it.”

“Hmm,” Beth folded her arms across her chest. “Seems like a stretch.”

“Yeah, I’d say so,” Blaze huffed, rocking back on his heels. “And for the record, I’mnothere on official business right now, sosomeonebetter tell me why you were down here, andwhythe two of you found a phone.”

“It’s going to sound crazy,” Beth warned him.

“With all due respect,” Blaze cleared his throat. “I’m not convinced that every person in this town ain’t a little crazy. I’m sick of the runaround. Tell me the truth, because believe it or not, I want to solve this case just as much as anyone else.”

“Okay, well…” Beth’s voice trailed off as she peered up at Garrett, who was stoic. “I found the phone, and then a truck came through here from that way.” She pointed toward the dead end.

Blaze frowned. “Strange. Did you recognize the vehicle?”

She shook her head. “Just a dark—probably black? SUV. Maybe a Chevy?Ugh.They all look the same these days. I didn’t see who it was that got out. They were on the other side, and honestly, I was worried I would make too much noise and catch their attention.”

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