Page 73 of Love Me Steadfast
“I just layered in a little more to the chorus and tidied up the ending.”
She’s always pushing herself to do more, be more. “Sounded pretty good to me.”
“I’m sure you have a play or a throw that everyone raves about but that you know has flaws.”
“True.” The silence stretches between us. Charlotte masters a wide turn, and the trees thin even more, opening up the view to the broader valley to the west, including the sapphire blue of Bear Lake.
“What happened with Garett?” I ask because it’s clear the only way I’m getting answers is to push for them.
She gives me a one-shoulder shrug. “Dad fired him.”
“That’s it?”
“What else is there?”
The lookout comes into view. “Reporting him to the police would be a start.”
“And have Zach find out you were in another fight?”
I ball my fist and tap it against my thigh. “Pull over.”
She scowls at me. “What? Why?”
“Just do it.”
With a huff, she steers into the parking area. Though it’s been plowed, there’s a foot of new snow on top, cut by a few sets of tire tracks, and my wheels crunch through it as Charlotte coasts the truck to a stop and sets the brake.
I reach over and turn off the ignition, then shift sideways in the seat to face her. “Please tell me you didn’t hold back from reporting this asshole on my account.”
The steady gusts buffeting the truck fill the silence. She gives another shrug, her face still.
If I live for her smiles, her shrugs make me want to rip down walls.
“I’ll go home and fess up to Zach,” I say. Maybe fighting is wrong, but that guy deserved it. “I’m not afraid to take the heat when it comes to protecting the people I care about.”
Her mouth opens like she’s going to protest, then she closes it again and looks away. “Dad didn’t want to make a big deal about it. He said…he said maybe…” She licks her lips then gives a sigh. “Earlier that night, Garett…touched me.”
Anger fizzles up my chest. “Fuck.”
“I didn’t know what to do. I was standing there with Morgan, talking with these two music guys Dad knows, and he…ran the back of his hand across my butt.”
A current of pure fury jolts through my veins. Fucking hell.
“I was…shocked,” Charlotte continues, her focus on the expansive view through the windshield. “He had this hard, intense look in his eye that I must have stared at too long? Or something.” She shakes her head then turns in the seat and leans back against the window. “When he grabbed me in the hallway, he seemed convinced that I’d liked it.”
I run my hand down my face. Where do I even start with this? It’s worse than I thought because not only is this guy an obvious predator, Charlotte thinks what happened is somehow her fault. “I’m sorry. This never should have happened. And in no fucking way is this your fault.”
“I mean, I know that, but could I have done something sooner? Yes.”
“This guy knew you wouldn’t speak up in the middle of your dad’s holiday party. He did that on purpose to manipulate you. Destabilize you. Make you second guess yourself.”
“Well, it worked.” She huffs.
I’m going to have to get Zach involved. I’ll deal with the consequences. Because this guy needs to be behind bars. Before he tries to hurt someone else. If Zach and I have learned anything from Kristov, it’s this.
“So Ray told you to drop it?” I ask.
There’s that shrug again. Fuck. “He’s got a lot going on. Morgan’s flunking two of her classes. And the drinking. Dad thinks that wasn’t the first time.”
