Mr. Worthington continues, “Miss Santiago is being questioned by the Charlotte police as we speak. Mr. Montgomery has asked that I represent you if you decide to press charges against Miss Santiago for online stalking and bullying. These are both class 1 misdemeanors in the state of North Carolina.”
I absorb what he’s telling me. I know Maria lost it at Fallon’s frat party over a month ago, but to stoop so low as to post those sick and repulsive photos about me and the guys? To destroy my car? It doesn’t make sense.
Just then, the young police officer—I wish I could recall his name—comes back in and tells us they have video pulled up. He leads us into another room where a large flat-screened television is mounted on the wall in front of a long table.
“Suzie, pull it up,” the officer calls over to the woman sitting in front of a computer.
The video feed clicks on after a second. The video image is not great, but there’s no mistaking my Hellcat parked at the end of the lot. A figure dressed in black, and wearing a black hood that covers his face, carefully walks by my car, holding what looks like a tire iron. It’s clearly a man, not a woman. So not Maria. Maria is tiny, only a few inches taller than Meredith. This person is tall and masculine-looking even though we can’t see his face. The figure looks around a few times and then jams the more pointed end of the tire iron into each of my car’s tires. He looks around again and then starts pummeling my car to shit with small, quick hits.
“How could no one hear that? It was morning for Christ’s sake. The campus was full of students by that time,” Ryder argues, his voice angrier than I have ever heard it before.
We watch as the man writes his message then runs off screen, but not before he turns his head in the direction of the camera and I see that he’s wearing a black face-covering with eye and mouth openings. A fucking facemask. I’m transported back in time to the night when I watched my entire family die right in front of me. The night of my attack. He wore a black facemask that night. My stomach rolls and I feel light-headed and nauseous like I’m having an out-of-body experience. I think I’m going to be sick.
The young police officer turns around and is about to say something when I bolt upright, race over to the trashcan next to the door, and throw up. Ryder is beside me in an instant, as is Fallon, but I don’t hear what they’re saying. All I hear is the buzzing as my brain relives that night. Every single second of that night. Every scream of pain and anguish. Every slice of his knife. Hailey.
I grab desperately for Ryder and throw myself into his arms, my legs strangling his waist, as I squeeze a chokehold on him and don’t let go. My mind is going in a million different directions, down a thousand different roads.
“I’ve asked the Charlotte police to account for Mrs. Santiago’s whereabouts today,” Mr. Worthington calmly states. Maria always wanted to live in Charlotte and go to university there. I hope she enjoyed it because I’m not letting her get away with what she’s done.
Ryder sits back down in one of the hard seats at the table, me still safely tucked in his embrace. I find the young police officer standing near the door where he’s speaking with two other officers. All three of them are watching me.
I aim my statement at the CU officer. “I’ve been harassed and bullied on campus and online. I would like to file an official complaint, and I want to speak with Sheriff Barnes in Wake County, and Detective Harnett with the North Carolina Criminal Investigation Division.”
Chapter 25
Fallon and Mr. Worthington stayed with us the entire time we were stuck talking to one police officer after another. Elizabeth spoke with Elijah’s dad and Detective Harnett over the phone. Maria was supposed to be brought in for official questioning tonight in Charlotte and slapped with a restraining order thanks to Mr. Worthington’s legal expertise. Hopefully, she’ll get criminal charges too once it’s verified that she was responsible for posting the online pictures. The police took possession of Elizabeth’s car for fingerprinting and whatever else they do. It’s been a while since I watched an episode of C.S.I. Not only are we dealing with the stuff from Maria, but the unknown vandal as well.
I had to call Dad to let him know not to send the tow for Elizabeth’s car just yet. I didn’t exactly tell him why. If I did, I would have to admit what Maria did, and I’m too ashamed at the moment to have that conversation with them. So now we wait, but we also have to get on with our lives while we do.
Elizabeth has been dealing with verbal attacks for days. The thought of some guy putting his hands on her thinking she’d be down with it makes me want to punch something. I mean, what the fuck? The guy at fight night went after her because of the lies Maria posted online to hurt Elizabeth. What the hell was I thinking when I caved and got into a relationship with Maria in high school? How can someone be so cruel? I feel so damn guilty. Maria’s obsession with me is part of the reason why Elizabeth is suffering now. If anything happens to Elizabeth because of Maria, I will never forgive myself. I’m this close to giving Fallon the go-ahead to take matters into his own hands to deal with her.
As soon as we got home, Elizabeth jumped in the shower so she could have a minute to herself. I texted the twins. I’m not worried about her need to be alone right now like I was at the library when I thought she was shutting me out.
“Baby!” I shout down the hall to her when I hear the shower turn off.
“Yeah?” she calls back.
“Jay and Jules are on their way over. They’re freaking out over what happened to your car, so be prepared. You may want to put your ring away for the next couple of hours while they’re here.”
Elizabeth saunters into the kitchen where I’ve just finished re-heating soup for us to eat. It’s been a long fucking day, but she looks so fresh and gorgeous with her damp hair braided to fall over one shoulder, wearing a soft cotton long-sleeved sleep shirt and fleece reindeer pajama pants.
She kisses me thank you and takes the bowl I offer. “I put it on my necklace with the locket. I can’t bear the thought of it not being on my finger, so being next to my heart with Elizabeth Ann is the next best thing.”
I’m leaning against the counter island across from her. “I love you so damn much.” Her returning smile warms my heart. “Wanna elope?”
“Is that what you want?” she asks, silently slurping a spoonful of soup, her eyes reflecting intrigue back at me.
“We could always do a quickie marriage in secret, let my family plan whatever they plan, and get married twice,” I jokingly suggest. But then, when I think about it, it sounds like a brilliant idea. Marry my girl twice. I can definitely do that.
“And deprive your mom, Jamie, and Brea of their grand plans? They’d hunt us down and burn us at the stake if we had a quickie marriage.”
We grin at each other as we consider the merits of eloping.
“All kidding aside, how are you handling what happened today?”
Elizabeth tips her bowl back to drink the rest of her soup, something she has done ever since we were kids.
“Naturally, I’m upset about my car, but I’m relieved that we know who was responsible for the stuff online. I still can’t believe it was Maria though.”
I walk around the kitchen island and lift her up to sit on top of it, me between her legs. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I feel like it’s my fault.”
“No, Ryder. Just no. Lots and lots of therapy with Dr. Clairemont has helped me see that, as much as I still want to blame myself because of the guilt I feel, what happened to Mom, Dad, and Hailey is not my fault. What Maria did is not your fault. She’s filled with jealousy and anger. Let her choke on it and hopefully get the punishment she deserves from a court of law.”
“We need a vacation to get away from everything and everyone for a few days. How about after Seattle and Christmas, we go somewhere special to ring in the New Year?”
Elizabeth slips her arms around my neck. I take the opportunity to run my hands across her ribcage, my thumbs slowly trailing back and forth und
er the swells of her breasts. I wait to hear the hitch in her breath that I crave. I love it when I can feel her skin warm and I can watch the color rise and flush her chest and neck with arousal.
“That sounds absolutely wonderful. Where do you want to go?” She wriggles until her core is flush with my erection that’s pushing against the fly of my jeans.
I kiss my way up the center of her chest, then her neck, and settle my lips behind her ear. “Up to you, baby.”
She’s starting to pant, and I know I’ve hit the sweet spot.
Breathlessly she says, “Somewhere where there’s lots of snow. I want to snuggle up with you next to a fire and make love all night.”
How about we start now, I want to say but never do because the doorbell rings. “That’ll be Jay and Jules,” I groan, and she follows with her own groan of disappointment.
“To be continued,” she assures me.
I help Elizabeth down and let her go get the door to give my erection a chance to calm down. I place our bowls in the sink and hear Julien and Jayson’s raised voices as they enter the apartment.
“Why didn’t you call us? Why are we hearing about this now?” Jay huffs out.
“We just got home. It took forever to give my statement and file the complaint,” Elizabeth tells him. Jayson pulls her into a hug and jealousy flares to life inside of me. I’m getting sick and tired of him always putting his hands on her. Julien joins the embrace with his brother and I ease back a bit and lean against the entryway.
“Liz, we would have been there with you if we knew.”
“Ryder and Fallon were with me. Fallon’s personal lawyer is representing me.”
Jayson growls out, “Of course he fucking is.” Jay seems to say things like that a lot when it comes to Fallon and Elizabeth’s friendship.
“Why would you need a lawyer?” Julien asks. “Are you in trouble?”
“No, I’m not in trouble. My car, however, has seen better days.” My heart drops once again because I know how much she loves her car.
“It was Maria,” I say aloud.
Jayson turns his steely eyes on me in accusation. “Maria destroyed her car?”
“Maria was behind the pictures and the online posts. We still don’t know who beat the shit out of my car,” Elizabeth replies.
“So your goddamn psycho ex-girlfriend is causing trouble for Liz yet again?”
“Hey!” Elizabeth smacks Jay on his arm. “It’s not Ryder’s fault. It’s Maria’s.”
“Stop being a jackass,” Jules tells his brother.
Elizabeth sits the two of them down and tells them everything that happened. The little touches Jay keeps giving Elizabeth as she talks don’t escape my notice, but she’s so engrossed in her retelling that she seems unaware. But I see them. She’s my fiancé, and although he doesn’t know that yet, he knows she and I are together. He knows she loves me. The day is going to come when Jay will either fully accept that Elizabeth is not going to go back to him, or I am going to have make him understand.
“Fallon’s lawyer—well, Elizabeth’s lawyer now—is putting in a request to expedite the restraining order against Maria. The police are involved now and are investigating the vandalism done to Elizabeth’s car,” I interject.
Elizabeth adds, “So there is nothing more to do about it until we know more. Honestly, I’m relieved. Fallon once said knowledge is power. He’s not the first, but you know what I mean. And knowing who’s responsible for posting that filth eases my mind a bit, if that makes sense.”
“It doesn’t,” Jay tells her.
Elizabeth gets up and comes over to where I am, wrapping her arm around my waist. “I can’t fight back against an unknown. Now I know who to fight, and a fight is what she’s going to get. Old me never stood up to her, but she’s going to find out real quick that I’m not the same person anymore.”
“Why do I feel like spouting some Dylan Thomas poetry right now?” Julien chuckles.
“More like listening to angry chick music.”
Elizabeth gives my side a squeeze and walks over to the piano; the upright I bought her that now lives against the wall of the living room.
“I don’t want to talk about Maria or my car anymore tonight. Let’s talk about the Seattle trip instead.” She looks at all of us while fingering the keys lightly.
Jules walks into the kitchen and comes back with two sodas, handing one to Jay. “Mom and Dad are going to fly up the day after we arrive. They’re staying at the same hotel we are.”
Elizabeth starts playing Pachelbel. “I know we had talked about all going to the gravesite together, but I think it would be good for me and Jayson to have some time alone with her first if that’s alright with everyone.”
“I like that idea,” Jay tells her.
Jules and I share a look and acquiesce to her request. We know that Elizabeth and Jay will be dealing with a lot of emotional issues when they meet their daughter for the first time. I wish I could spare my girl the heartbreak she will face that day.
“You said you wanted to see Daniel and Drew as well? Do they know we’re coming?” Jules asks her.
“I sent them an email last night.”
“That’s kind of cold, don’t you think?”
“Forgive me Julien if I’m still a bit ticked off at them. An email should be enough.”
Jay sits down beside her on the piano bench and hits a few base keys, disrupting the melody of her song and causing her to dissolve in a fit of giggles when he purposefully knocks her hand with his. They change to playing chopsticks. I grab the guitar that’s sitting on the stand next to the piano and join in. I wish I could say we sounded great, but honestly, it sounds like a bag of cats.
Jules, not one to be left out, sits on the other side of Elizabeth at the piano and shoulder bumps her. “Heart and Soul?”
“Let’s do it.”
It’s like old times when the four of us would sit around my backyard firepit and Elizabeth and her dad would play their guitars and sing.
“I’ve been meaning to ask about Christmas.”
“We’re stopping by my parents’ on the way back from Seattle and then heading off for New Year’s,” I answer.
“I’d like it if you would come to our house for Christmas supper,” Jay tells Elizabeth like I’m not sitting right here.
Elizabeth glances over at me from the piano, her eyebrows quirked in question on what to say. I make a suggestion that both of our families could get together that day. I’m sure our parents can hash out the details. More than likely, Mom will have everyone over to our house since it was the go-to place for all of our families for backyard cookouts when we were growing up.
“Don’t forget Fallon is spending Christmas with us,” Elizabeth reminds me. Jay stops playing and she shushes him when he opens his mouth to comment. “If you can’t say anything nice, Jayson Jameson, keep it to yourself, please. Fallon is coming. End of story.” He grumps and gets up, flopping back down on the sofa.
“Not to change the subject, but you guys should hang out on Friday when Meredith and I have our girl’s night out at Belly’s. You can have a boy’s night.”
“Not a bad idea,” Jules says. “Elijah has that night off from work.”
“There’s a sports bar near Belly’s. We can meet up for a late dinner after.”
“Meredith won’t try to remove our balls if we intrude on your girl time, will she?”
Elizabeth sticks her tongue out at Jay. “She’s not that bad.”
“That girl is a pit bull dressed as a fairy,” he states. “I’m glad she’s on our side.”
“Jay, if you’re in, do you mind picking me up?” I ask. “I’m letting Elizabeth drive my car while hers is in the impound.”
“I can drive all of us in my truck.”
Elizabeth is smiling widely now. “Have I told you guys how much I love all of you? I love it when we all get to hang out together, and I love it even more when my three best boys get together.”
E
lizabeth is happy and the stress of the day is gone. Wanting to keep it that way, I suggest, “Why don’t you guys stick around. We have enough stuff for tacos, and Netflix added the next season of Cobra Kai to their lineup.”
Elizabeth pops up from the bench and throws her arms around my neck, giving me a quick kiss. “That’s a great idea. I’ll start the tacos,” she says between a flurry of happy pecks to my face. “Jules, you want to help me?”
“Race you to the kitchen,” he calls back, already halfway there, leaving me and Jayson alone in the living room.
“She seems to be taking everything that has happened in stride. How bad was her car?” he asks.
I grab the remote and open Netflix when the television comes on. “Pretty bad. The campus cameras caught it, but the guy was dressed all in black and wearing a hood, so there’s no way to identify him.”
“Ry, we need to stop this shit from happening again. She’s already been through hell and back, and shit just keeps piling on.”
I reel in my anger. “You don’t have to tell me because I know. Don’t you think this is killing me too? Especially knowing it was Maria behind those online posts. Elizabeth had a minor freak-out earlier after viewing the security tapes. The guy’s face-covering reminded her of that night.”
Jay breathes out a “Fuck.”
I join him on the sofa. Jay and I may be on opposite sides when it comes to loving Elizabeth, but we will always be on the same side when it comes to protecting her. “We’ll all be with her in Seattle and for Christmas, and as much as you despise Fallon, you know he’s got the power and resources to protect her better than we can.”
“As much as I hate to say it, you’re right,” he says with a slight chuckle. “Want to fill me in on what the hell happened between the two of them and why they are suddenly best friends? Liz was terrified of that guy in high school. I always felt he was obsessed with her.”
Jay would flip his shit if I told him that Fallon confessed to me that he loved her and I’m not ruining the peace of our evening with that story, so I lie. “I only know what you know and that is what Elizabeth has told us. She cares about Fallon and vice versa, so as long as she’s happy, that’s all that matters.”
Broken Butterfly: Fallen Brook Series: Book 3 Page 26