Page 62 of Trust in the Fallen

I stare at her because surely she’s lost her ever-loving mind. She cannot seriously believe the crap that’s coming out of her mouth right now. Can she?

I mean, I knew my parents’ marriage was a performance, a show to make sure the right people saw their lives as together and happy while they barely spoke in the privacy of their own home. Heck, I can’t remember the last time I saw them have a conversation between just the two of them. I’m not even sure they would remember.

But this is going above and beyond what even I thought they were capable of.

“You drugged and kidnapped me. That’s against the law.” The words fall from between my lips before I can think them through.

“I’m your mother, I know what’s best for you, and I’m just making sure you fulfill your duties. You made a promise to Jason, and you will follow through with it.”

“No,youmade a promise to Jason’s parents.Inever got a say in it.” I’m done being the quiet wallflower she raised me to be. It never got me anywhere before, and I’m sure it won’t get me anywhere now she’s resorted to such insane tactics.

Finally feeling strong enough, I push myself up to a sitting position. At least she didn’t tie me up, but maybe that never occurred to her when I’ve always fallen in line before. I never challenged her, always did as I was told like a good little girl because she told me I had to. She told me I didn’t have a choice. But I did. And I do now.

“Again, irrelevant,” she snaps tersely. It’s rare for my mother to lose her cool, but I can see her teetering on the edge now. “You know why we made that deal with Jason’s father, and why you have to follow through with it now.” She raises her eyebrows waiting for me to challenge her. “Or do you want to go to prison for murder?”

I open my mouth to argue but quickly snap it shut as that night comes roaring back to me. The night everything changed. The night I became a pawn in a game of chess I never agreed to play.

Seven Years Ago

The cool November air settles on my bare skin as I walk through the deserted forest. The party shouldn’t be too much further. Or at least that’s what Jack said when he invited me.

I have to admit it was kind of weird when he asked me to come to one of his infamous bonfires out of the blue, but he’s the captain of the football team, and I’m just some loser he’s never seemed to notice before so I wasn’t going to ask any more questions than where and what time.

But perhaps that was my first mistake.

Pine needles crunch beneath my boots as I walk, each sound around me making me jump higher than the last. I’m about to turn back and cut my losses when I finally hear music on the other side of a clearing.

At last.

I walk past a few of the cheerleaders I have some classes with, but they don’t look my way, and I decide it’s better I don’t engage with them. They’ve never been that mean to me, probably because of who my family is, but I’ve seen them bully some of the other kids in our class, and I’d like to remain off their radar.

I walk farther into the trees and try not to look at any one person for longer than I need to. There are alcohol bottles lying around, cigarette butts carelessly discarded, and the strong scent of weed lingers around me.

I shouldn’t be here.

And I certainly shouldn’t have snuck out tonight to come.

I’m just about to turn around and head back the way I came when a firm hand grasps my bicep causing me to jolt.

I look up and find Jack looking down at me with a wide smile. His bright green eyes shine with excitement like he’s genuinely happy to see me, and I can’t help but notice his floppy brown hair is slightly styled tonight. “You made it!”

“I did,” I say quietly, immediately reprimanding myself for not saying something wittier. I don’t belong here with these people. I’m the police commissioner’s daughter. He would kill me if he were to find out I was around drugs and alcohol, but it’s a little late now.

“Would you like a drink?” he asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and dragging me toward a group of people I recognize from school.

I shake my head. “No, thank you.”

“Oh come on, Leigh, you gotta loosen up a little,” he teases, but it doesn’t seem mean. He thrusts a beer bottle into my hand, and I take it from him despite the fact I’ve never drank before in my life. I guess there’s a first time for everything, and I’m young. What’s the worst that could happen?

An hour and three drinks later, the warmth rushing through my body is almost enough to make me take my jacket off, but the sensible daughter my mother raised me to be can’t quite force her arms to go through with it.

Jack hasn’t left my side once, keeping a hand on my jeans-clad thigh at all times, and it feels nice. It feels nice to have someone care enough to touch me after being invisible all these years. It makes me think that maybe my mother was wrong when she said I was too plain and plump for anyone to show any interest in.

“Do you want to take a walk?” he asks, nodding to the fire. “The smoke always gets to me after a little while.”

I hesitate for a second, but I find myself nodding before I’ve really thought it through. “Yeah, a walk sounds nice.”

He takes my hand in his much larger one and leads me through the trees until the party is nothing more than a faint sound in the background. He’s silent for a long time, and I’m happy with that. I’ve never had a lot of friends, so I’m not so great with small talk, especially with the opposite sex.

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