Page 63 of Everyone Loved Her

“What did he think?” Brittany scoffed, shaking the gun around in a way that made me nervous. “Let me tell you what he thought. He thought that he was man enough to actually change for her. We all knew it was a lie, but he gave it a shot…a shot that ended with her knocked up.”

The wheels in my head were spinning, trying to put the pieces together. “So,Garrettwas the one who got Sarah pregnant?”

“Oh my gosh, are you seriouslythisdense? Yeah, he got her pregnant. Obviously. Do I need to explain how babies are made, Beth?” Her voice was shrill as she spoke, the end of that gun still waving around in my direction.

She had to have broken into my car… But when? I should’ve put up security cameras…

But as my thoughts ran wild, I nodded, maintaining a low surrender with my hands. “Okay, sorry. I’m just trying to keep up.”

“Sarahsworethat it was Lucas who was the baby daddy—she swore it all the way to the grave. She said she and Garrett never even slept together. Can you believe she had the balls to say that right to my face? She was just a bold-facedliar.”

Maybe that’s why Lucas was so upset.

He knew she was pregnant.

“That’s awful,” I said, forcing the words out. “So,youkilled Sarah?” I couldn’t hide the surprise from my voice as I took in the tiny little brunette.

She burst into a fit of sardonic laughter. “You sound so surprised—like what did you think? Garrettactuallydid it? There’s no way that man could sober up enough to kill someone, and honestly, he’s too easy to mess with. I had him convinced he was still madly in love with me, drunk calling and all that. Like I said, the bastardnevercalled me.”

I nodded, trying to process an overload of information, all the while trying to figure out if it’s possible to survive or at least leave damning evidence behind me. “So, you really think that you’re going to drop me dead in the same place as Sarah and itnotbe connected to Sarah’s case?”

“Give me your phone,” she demanded, pointing to the bulge in my pocket. “I don’t give a rip what you say about anything.”

“Okay then,” I muttered, digging my phone out of my pocket. I glanced down at the screen, seeing three missed calls from Garrett and two from Blaze. I quickly swiped them clear using my thumb and hit the call button, pleading the call back to Blaze would be enough to bring someone in this direction—even if he couldn’t hear what was happening.

“So, what else did you have planned. Tell Sheriff Myers?” I asked, tossing the phone to Brittany’s feet face down, hoping to bust the screen.

“He’s under the assumption that his dear boy killed Sarah. I provided him withevidencetonight. Garrett had a second cell phone, unbeknownst to him.”

“But he was plastered the night that she was murdered, calling Sarah on his own phone.”

“Says you, the only one who puts him at Outlaws. I saw him by this bridge that night on my way home from my bible study—right around ten-thirty. It’s an open and shut case.”

“Smart,” I commented as she took another step forward, thebarrel now much closer than I preferred. I glanced behind her, hearing the distant sound of...a vehicle?

“Ugh,” I heard her grumble and the gesture with the gun. “Climb up on the rail.”

“What?” I played stupid.

“Climb up on the railnowor I’ll shoot you dead and leave you here in the middle of the road.” She lunged forward and I stumbled back, immediately climbing up the back of the rails.

I wrapped my fingers around the metal, realizing that I was only seconds from causing my mother absolute devastation—and that thought alone tore my heart apart. It was one thing to die. I wasn’t afraid of that. I just... I didn’t want to leave my mom, not right now. She deserved a daughter who stayed, who gave her grandchildren and a shoulder to lean on through all the grief she had gone through.

I should’ve told her I was staying. I should’ve stayed instead of running away all those years ago. For mom. And for Garrett.

I glanced behind me peering down as Brittany lifted the gun. It was just a guess as to whether or not I would survive the fall. My vision went hazy, my ears roaring with my heartbeat as I braced myself to let go.

But the eruption of a gunshot beat me to my release.

Chapter 30

I blinked,expecting to feel pain, but as I glanced down to my hands, I realized they were still gripping the rails in the same place they were before. I looked up and across to where Brittany had been standing. An eerie groan came from her doubled over body, blood flooding her white blouse and light wash jeans.

“Down on the ground! Down on the ground!” Voices bellowed from a flood of headlights, red and blue lights, and sirens.So many sirens.

I peeled my eyes from Brittany into the cascade of brightness, just in time to see Garrett throw a shotgun to the right and go down to his knees. Blaze rushed him, forcing him to the ground, and I watched, frozen. Dylan jetted past Blaze to Brittany, who was still doubled over, bleeding profusely. He shouted things into his radio.

Blaze caught sight of me after he forced Garrett to his feet and shoved him backward. He came sprinting, holding out a hand to help me down. “What were you thinking?” He exploded, pulling me down. “You could’ve been killed. Youalmostwere.”

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