Page 68 of Extended Bridge

“We tried, B. I’m not convinced we persuaded her all the way.” Coffee-colored eyes hold me immobile. “Although, thankfully, she isn’t quoted in this article.”

I state the truth. “I wasn’t even in the same state when Darren passed.”

“007 was the first to find him,” Bennett says in a strained voice. “Why do we have to keep rehashing all this shit? Didn’t I give an interview to Jeremy Davis recently, and address what happened?”

“We have to respond because the media refuses to stop.” Luke’s reply gets to the heart of the matter.

“I can’t prescribe pills.” I find some reserve deep within to stand up for myself. “I never encouraged Darren to take more pills than he needed.”

“We know, Sweetheart.”

“We do.” Luke picks his words with care. “Perhaps we can put out a statement about how you tried to help Darren get his problem under control.”

“Which means I’d have to admit to knowing he was addicted—which I didn’t.”

“None of us did,” Bennett adds.

Luke queries, “Are you sure you didn’t have an inkling, Jenna?” In rapid succession he piles on the questions. “Were you aware he was still taking pills at all? How much did you push to know? Was there anything more you could’ve done to get control over him? Why didn’t you reach out to me or the band? Do you think?—”

Each question is like a body blow, gaining more momentum with his unrelenting pounding. His accusations grow. Combined with Lissa’s awful article and the recent terrible articles about me as UC’s Black Widow, plus Ma’s stern warning against Bennett before I left home, it’s as if the three words I almost said to Bennett can never blossom.

My heart cracks.

I can never be happy. I don’t deserve it.

My breath catches.

Around me, Bennett and Luke have dissolved into a battle over me.

Stop. This has to stop.

I can’t control my emotions any longer. Tears cascading from my eyes, they pour down my cheeks and sobs drown out the building tension.

Chapter Seventeen

“Shh, Sweetheart, stop.” Bennett’s arms pull me against his naked torso, with his lips on the back of my neck.

“Shit, Jenna. I didn’t mean it the way that all came out.”

My hands never waver from over my eyes. I don’t want to see the destruction I’ve brought to UC. Hearing it was bad enough.

“I’m sorry for badgering you like that,” Luke reaffirms.

Bennett lifts his lips from my neck to agree. “Damn straight you are.”

“You know how I can get, B. I run things down without engaging my brain first sometimes.”

I don’t blame Luke for voicing the things already going on inside my head. Through hiccups, I get out, “I did know Darren was prescribed Oxy during his treatment and that he was able to return to UC faster because of the medication. I thought he was only taking one if he was feeling pain. Even though I reminded him if he’d taken one that day so he wouldn’t take another, I had no idea he was addicted.”

Bennett’s hands rub up and down my arms. My gaze remains on my bare legs draped over his jean-covered ones. “Even if you knew hewas an addict,” he adds. “You had no way of knowing what was going on that night. You weren’t there.”

“I did talk with him on FaceTime.”

“Could you see any pill bottles in the frame?”

I remember back to that night. “No. But I knew he took a pill before you all went out.”

Luke asks, “Did you encourage him to take another during your call?”

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