She’s gone before I can say anything else. Before I can touch her, kiss her, let her know how I feel. I watch as she flies toward the house, her hair streaming out behind her as bright as the sun. My heart aches and I rub my chest, feeling like a lovesick idiot. This moment feels like it’s imprinting itself on me. As if I better remember just how Reverie looks because I won’t ever see her again.
Worry settles over me, familiar and draining all at once. I take my time locking my truck and walking toward the house. I don’t see Michael’s car but we’re early so he’s probably not here yet. I make my way up the driveway, squinting against the sun when I see the two police officers coming out of the house and headed straight toward me.
“You Nicholas Fairfield?” one of them asks.
I stand up straighter, ignoring the prickle of unease that settles between my shoulder blades. “Yes, sir.”
The other one approaches, his dark gaze intense as he locks eyes with me. “We need to take you down to the station, son.”
“Why?” I look around but don’t see Reverie. She must still be in the house. Does this have to do with her not coming home last night? Am I gonna get charged with kidnapping or something? That’s a federal offense. I could do serious time if the charges hold up.
Would her parents really do that to me?
“We want to ask you a few questions,” the other cop says, his voice a little softer, his demeanor much more relaxed. I get what they’re doing. I’ve been through this before. I know the local police are real big on the good cop versus bad cop tactic when they question people.
“About what?” I ask as the meaner one comes to grasp hold of my arm. I tear out of his hold and back away. “Am I being arrested?”
“No, no. Nothing like that.” The good cop smiles. “We just need to talk to you. Find out where you were last night.”
“I was at home.” The minute the words leave me I regret them. I need to keep my lips shut. I learned that long ago.
“Uh huh. Well, you can tell us all about it when we get to the station.” The mean one grabs my arm again and steers me towards the police car.
“What’s this all about?” I ask again, hating how my voice shakes the slightest bit. I can’t help it. Cops make me nervous. “And my truck’s here. Can’t I just follow you?”
“I’m sure the Hales won’t mind if you leave your truck here,” the nice cop says, all easygoing like nothing’s wrong. But he’s a liar. Something is definitely wrong.
“I didn’t take her from here,” I blurt out, unable to control my rising panic. My heart is beating so hard I feel like it’s going to explode out of my chest. “She showed up at my place last night. She wanted to be with me.”
“Who you talking about son?” The nice cop squints at me, his expression eager.
“Reverie Hale.” I’m pointing out the obvious. Who else would I be talking about?
“This has nothing to do with Reverie Hale.” The nice one frowns and glances at his partner, looking confused.
I’m confused too. “Then what is this about?” I ask. It dawns on me as soon as I ask the question and the mean-as-hell cop confirms my suspicions.
“It’s about Krista Benson’s murder. You know, your precious little girlfriend? She’s dead.” The bad cop spits the words out like bullets and each one is a direct hit to my chest.
I rub at my chest again. My lungs are tight. I feel like I can’t take a deep breath. They think I had something to do with her murder. Holy. Shit. “I didn’t see her last night,” I offer up weakly.
“You were supposed to meet her.” They both have a hold on me now, each of them gripping my arms and walking me over to the police car. One of them opens the back door and shoves me inside and I sit sideways on the narrow seat, thankful at least they didn’t put the cuffs on me.
“I didn’t. I swear. You can ask…” My voice drifts and I glance out the tinted window of the backseat of the car. I don’t see Reverie anywhere and relief floods me. She doesn’t need to get drawn into this mess. I need to talk to her but I don’t want to ruin her cover with her parents. If they knew she was with me last night there would be hell to pay.
But she’s my only alibi.
“Who can we ask what? Were you with someone else last night? Now is the time to tell us.”
I clamp my lips shut and blow out a frustrated exhale through my nose. I’m screwed. Fucked. This feels too familiar. I remember when the cops showed up at my apartment long ago, Mom ushering them in quick for fear the neighbors would see. Her fear is almost comical to remember now when I think of how they escorted me out of the apartment in handcuffs for everyone to see. And everyone did see.
My poor mom. It still hurts to think of the pain I must’ve put her through.
The detectives seemed to get some sort of sick thrill when they delivered the news to me so matter of fact. I sat facing them across a giant table, the room cold and nondescript, the grim glee in their voices when they spoke to me.
You killed a man with your best friend, Nick. Now tell us the truth. Give us your side of the story. We know you did it.
They’d been wrong then. Just like they’re wrong now.
“You not going to talk?” The kind one asks as he slips into the driver’s seat, his gaze meeting mine in the rearview mirror.
Slowly I shake my head, keeping my lips shut.
“Fine. We’ll talk at the station,” the mean one states as the other starts up the car. “And let me just give you a warning. It’s not looking so good for you, Fairfield. Your ex lying dead in front of her door the same night she was supposed to meet with you. We know you two were having problems and fighting all the time. Her dad gave us all the dirty details. Said you two were together.”
I just bet he did. Made up a few lies too I’m sure. I swallow hard and turn my head to the side, watching as the car backs up close to the garage before the cop puts the car into drive and starts down the driveway.
Once again I’m going to pay for someone else’s sins. And if it comes down to it, I will pay only to protect her. I’m not letting Reverie get involved in this. Someone killed Krista and it sure as hell wasn’t me. Reverie could be in danger. Whatever happened, I need to put myself as far away from Reverie as possible. I’m doing this because I love her, not that she’d understand.
I’m toxic. Bad luck. No good. Just like I told her, time and again.
Getting arrested may be the only way I’ll be able to stay away from her. She’ll leave town soon with her family and go back to her normal life. She’ll escape this mess untouched. I don’t want her involved. I’ll find another alibi. The cops have zero evidence. They can’t prove I did it because I didn’t.
And then I’ll go on with my life. Without her.
No matter how much it hurts.
No matter how badly I’ll miss her.
My everything.
My Reverie.
Want to know what happens to Nick and Reverie? Find out in the sequel HER DESTINY, coming August 25th, 2014.
Read other books by Monica Murphy
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading HIS REVERIE. I hope you enjoyed this first installment of Nick and Reverie's story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I've wanted to write a book that was mostly in the boy's point of view for a long time and I loved being in Nick's head.
If you have the time, I'd really appreciate it if you left a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks or Goodreads. Or you can send me an email - I always do my best to answer all email and I love hearing from readers.
And don't fear (I know, I know, you probably want to smack me for that cliffhanger ending) - HIS DESTINY, the conclusion to Nick and Reverie's story, will be out August 25th!
Monica Murphy is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series. She writes new adult and contemporary romance for Bantam and Avon. She also writes romance as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson. A native Californian, she lives in the f
oothills below Yosemite.
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His Reverie
Copyright © 2014 by Monica Murphy
Cover art: Sarah Hansen at www.okaycreations.com
Editor: Megan Stevens
This ebook is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
Published in the United States of America
First electronic publication: July 2014 by Monica Murphy.
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Books by Monica Murphy
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Letter to Reader
About the Author
About the Book Designer
Copyright Notice
His Reverie Page 22