A messy ball of emotion builds in the back of my throat. My accusation has ruined Kal’s life. The shadow of suspicion is always going to follow him around. My heart is heavy in my chest. “What if I gave a statement? Would that help? I can reiterate the facts and explain face to face how my accusation came about. I can tell them what I know of Shelby, confirm what she said the last time they met.”
He stands up. “I’m not sure how helpful that would be.” He eyeballs me apologetically. “I don’t know how much weight your word carries.”
I feel like bashing my head against the wall. “Because once a liar always a liar?”
He nods sadly, slipping his suit jacket back on. He pats my hand. “Try not to worry. Let me speak with Mr. Kennedy and find out exactly how strong the case is against him.”
He leads me back out to the waiting room. “Sit tight. I’ll update you when I can.”
The next three hours feels like three years. Mom calls, wondering if there is any news, and I pour all my frustration out. My fingernails are chewed to the bone as I pace the room, growing more and more agitated. My finger hovers over the call button on my cell repeatedly, unsure if I should call Kyler or not. I’ve all but decided to do that when Mr. Montgomery reappears with Kal in tow.
I rush him, flinging my arms around his neck. “I’ve been so worried.”
He rests his head on my shoulder, and his arms circle my waist. He holds me tight, and my heart is splintering in my chest. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t move, just clings to me like his life depends on it. Mr. Montgomery disappears, returning a few minutes later. “You are free to go for now, Mr. Kennedy. My office will contact you in the morning.”
Kal lifts his head, taking my hand in his as he turns around. “Thank you, sir. I’ll await the call.”
We leave by the front entrance, and I’m relieved that it’s reporter free, but I wonder how long it’ll remain that way. We go back to his dorm, and I order takeout while Kal grabs a shower. He’s been unbelievably quiet since we left the station, but I don’t want to push him.
He emerges from the bathroom, steam chasing behind him, in clean sweatpants and no shirt. His feet are bare. He rubs a hand towel back and forth across his head, still not talking.
After we’ve eaten, he pulls me down alongside him on his bed. I rest my head on his chest, curling my body into his. His hand smooths up and down my spine. “I’m so sorry, Kal,” I whisper. “This is all my fault.”
“I can’t believe it’s happening again.”
His words slice through me like a knife.
“What did the attorney say? What does he think your chances are?”
His chest heaves up and down, and he sighs, his hand stalling on my back. “There is no evidence to support her claims. Just her word against mine, but that’s enough of a problem in itself.”
“When is she alleging this took place? If you have an alibi—”
“She is claiming I raped her the first night we met. Apparently, she has a witness, someone who has said she didn’t want to leave with me, and this person is prepared to testify that she was upset and crying the next morning.”
“If she’s claiming that’s the truth, why the hell did she wait three months to report it?” I fume.
“She was afraid, apparently. Your name was mentioned, and the insinuation you were paid off as well as your treatment at the hands of the media were both cited as reasons for not coming forward sooner.” He harrumphs. “You’ve got to admit it sounds plausible. All this because I rejected her.” He shakes his head. “What a clusterfuck.”
A horrid feeling washes over me, and I think I’m going to be sick. “Oh my God, Kal. I’m so—”
“Do not say you are sorry,” he roars, and I flinch. “I am so fucking sick of hearing you say that! This is never going to go away!” I pull out of his embrace, fighting back tears as I swing my legs over the side of the bed. I start gathering up my stuff, putting it in my bag. Kal sits up, planting his feet on the floor. “What’s to stop more girls from coming forward alleging the same thing?” He shakes his head. “I’m royally screwed.” He buries his head in his hands, and my heart is broken.
I was stupid to think we could ever get past this. To ever believe we had a future. Now Kal is facing the prospect of jail again, and I won’t survive if he goes down for something he didn’t do. I’ve got to make this right.
I’ve got to, at least, try.
“I think I should go.” I hate how my voice cracks.
“I think that’s for the best,” he agrees, and my lower lip wobbles.
I kiss the top of his head, but he doesn’t make any move. With silent tears streaming down my face, I exit his room.
Back in my dorm, I’m pacing the floor like a crazy woman. Liv has already gone home for the holidays, so I’m left with my own thoughts.
I replay Kal’s words in my mind, and it can’t be a coincidence. It just can’t.
I need to speak to Shelby, but I don’t have a clue where she lives. I can’t ask Kal because, A, he’s not currently speaking to me and, B, I know he wouldn’t want me to do this, but I’m damned if I’m going to sit around and watch while my mistake tries to ruin him again.
I pull out my cell and call the one person who I know can help. He picks up on the third ring. “Keven, I need your help.”
Twenty minutes later, I’m standing outside the apartment block where Shelby lives. Keven Kennedy has unbelievable IT skills, and it only took him five minutes to locate her address. I made him swear not to tell Kal, but I have zero faith he’ll keep that promise. He wasn’t in favor of me coming here on my own even though I fully explained. I reckon I have a very narrow window of opportunity to do this before Kal shows up.
I’ve got to make every second count.
I rap loudly on her door, praying to every deity known to mankind that she hasn’t skipped town yet. I thump harder with my fist. “Shelby! It’s Lana. Open up. I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”
The door swings open a few minutes later. Shelby is dressed to the nines, as if she’s going out. “What do you want?” she hisses. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I just want to talk.”
“Well, I don’t want to talk to you.”
She moves to close the door, but I shove my foot in the doorway. Removing my cell, I thrust it in her face. I’m taking a huge risk doing this, but I don’t think I have a choice.
“What is this?” Her brow wrinkles.
“His name is Hewson, and he’s my son. My son and Kalvin’s. If you won’t talk to me for Kal’s sake, at least do it for his son’s.”
Unnamed emotion skitters over her face. She clears her throat, looking more closely at the phone. “I didn’t know he had a son.”
“We didn’t want anyone to know yet. Please, Shelby. Please, let me come in.” It’s killing me to be polite to the bitch when I want to rip every strand of hair from her head and poke toothpicks in her eyes.
Indecision washes over her features, and I know I’m running out of time. Fuck it. I’ll say what I need to say out here. “We both know Kal didn’t do this. You’re lying. I’m going to take a wild guess and say Chase is somehow involved.” Her eyes twitch at the mention of his name. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
Her mouth pulls into a grim line, and her pupils dilate. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, and the fact you have a son doesn’t change the situation. He raped me. I’m not soft like you. I’m not going to let him bully me into withdrawing my confession. He’s going to go down for this.”
Her face is an impressive mask, and I know I’m not going to get anywhere with her. Whatever sliver of hope I had dies an instant death inside me. “You are going to ruin his life for something he didn’t do. I don’t know why you and Chase are doing this, but you should know that you are going to ruin a good man, and I’m speaking from p
ersonal experience when I say this will ruin you too. Whatever your motive is, this won’t feel so good when the dust has settled and you’ve put an innocent man in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. When you’ve deprived a little boy of his father.”
A glint of emotion flickers in her eye.
“My son has only just found his father, and you are going to take that from him. You are going to ruin my life and my baby’s too.” The air is fraught with tension. “I hope you can live with that on your conscience.”
She stands frozen in the doorway as I leave, my heart weighted down with fear.
Kal is getting out of his truck when I step out onto the pavement. “Lana!” he shouts, running toward me. “What the hell were you thinking coming here?” He grips my elbow, looking up at the apartment building as he tows me to his car.
“I was only trying to help. Chase put her up to this.”
“What?” Kal comes to a standstill. “What did you just say?”
“She didn’t confirm it, but I saw it in her eyes. At the frat house, the last time, he was trying to get me to admit that you’d paid me off. When I told him that wasn’t the truth, he got mad, and he said something cryptic. I ignored it because he was clearly crazy, but now I’m wondering if he didn’t set this all up.”
“But Shelby didn’t confirm it?” His eyes crinkle as his face turns contemplative.
“Not verbally, but I could tell she was lying.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “I showed her a picture of Hewson. I thought if I appealed to her on his behalf that she’d drop it, but she refused to budge.” I’m sorry is on the tip of my tongue but I manage to keep a tether on the words. “What if we asked Keven to find some dirt on Chase or her? There has to be something there. Some reason why they are targeting you,” I mull out loud. “And we can tell your attorney our suspicions. Plenty of people can confirm Chase is a douche, and it might, at least, cast some doubt. Buy us some time to prove you’re innocent.”
Kal surprises me, pulling me into his arms. His chin rests atop my head as I tentatively slide my arms around his waist. “I’m sorry for shouting at you earlier. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. It’s not your fault. I know you’re only trying to help, and I need that. I need you.”
“It’s okay.” I don’t tell him he’s wrong, that it’s totally my fault, because I don’t want to fight with him anymore tonight.
And if he needs me, then I’m going to be there for him.
For as long as he’ll have me.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Kalvin
My cell phone is vibrating on a continual loop the next morning, waking both of us up. I stare at the screen through groggy eyes. As my eyesight focuses, I curse.
“What?” Lana asks through a yawn.
“It’s Mom. I’m guessing the news has broken.”
“Oh no.”
I answer the call. There’s no point in delaying the inevitable. Mom is frantic on the end of the line, and I do my best to settle her. She’s furious that we didn’t call her yesterday, but I assure her that Lana had it all in hand and her grandmother’s attorney knows what he’s doing.
“Fuck,” I groan, tossing my phone aside after I hang up.
Lana peeks out the window. “I don’t see any reporters.”
“Mom got a heads-up from a contact of hers in the media. A local paper has picked up the story, and they’re preparing to run with it. Mom has Dan on the case. Hopefully, they can get an injunction in time to stop it.”
There’s a firm rap on the door, and we exchange worried expressions. “I’ll get it.” She presses a kiss to my cheek, climbing out of bed and heading to the door in her cute pajamas.
I grab my sweats off the floor and pull them on. Running my hands through my hair, I try to tame it. Lana returns with a sheepish-looking Shelby. I glance warily at her. “You’ve got some nerve coming here,” I snap.
“I’ve just come from the station. I’ve withdrawn my allegation.”
Lana rummages in her purse, as the sweetest sense of relief washes over me. The pressure in my chest eases, and I lean over, breathing heavily as I cradle my head in my hands. Lana drops down beside me, wrapping her arm around my back. I lean into her for strength.
“I’m very sorry, Kalvin. More than I can say.”
“Why?” I lift my head up, eyeballing her. “Why would you do that to me?”
She shuffles awkwardly on her feet. “You didn’t want me, and I was pissed. Then I hooked up with a Chase a few times, and he wasn’t a fan either. It was all his idea. He suggested we could blackmail you.”
My lips curl into a sneer. “How?”
“I was going to approach you and tell you I’d withdraw my claim if you paid me off.” My fists curl into tight balls at my sides. “Then we were going to split the cash.”
I glare at her. “What if I hadn’t paid up?”
She looks down at the floor. “Then Chase was going to testify that he saw you dragging me from the frat party against my will and that I broke down and confessed the rape to him the next day.”
“Why does Chase hate Kal so much?” Lana asks.
She looks me direct in the eye. “It’s not you per se, it’s what you represent.”
“Explain that.” I grit the words out.
“Chase grew up dirt poor, and he has a major chip on his shoulder. He hates anyone with money. When you showed up on campus, he saw a way to make some fast money and a way to stick it to the rich at the same time.” She faces Lana. “He knew who you were all along. At first, he was going to fuck you, take compromising photos, and force Kal to pay to keep them out of the media.”
I growl, anger plowing through my veins.
“But he couldn’t get close to you, so then he thought if he got you to confess to being paid off he could use that to blackmail Kal. When that didn’t work either, he came up with a new plan.”
“He was using you, Shelby,” Lana says.
“I know. I was an idiot, but the thought of all that cash was so tempting. We didn’t have much growing up either. My mom remarried last year, and my stepdad is stinking rich, but he’s a complete tightwad. It would’ve been nice to have my own cash.”
“Get out,” I snap. “Get out and stay the fuck out of my face.”
She gulps nervously. “I’m sorry, Kalvin. I didn’t know you had a son.” She looks to Lana. “My dad ran out on my mom when I was only a baby. I know what it’s like to grow up without a father. I couldn’t do that to another child. I was awake all night thinking about it.”
Lana rises, nodding tersely. “I’ll show you out.”
She is smiling when she returns. “It’s over.” She throws her arms around me, and I lose myself in her touch, her warmth.
“That’s if she actually withdrew her statement.” I check my cell. No missed calls from my attorney. which is concerning. Surely, he’s been notified by now?
“Well,” Lana says, reaching behind me. “If she didn’t, I have it all on tape.” She waves her cell at me. “I recorded her.”
I chuckle. “Oh my God, the irony!”
She laughs with me. “I know, right?”
I pull her onto my lap. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For fighting for me.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Lana
“We’re here,” Kal calls out, ushering me through the front door of his family home. A home that’s as familiar to me as it is to him. A swarm of butterflies lands in my stomach. Nausea travels up my throat, and I’m sure I’ve turned an unflattering shade of green.
Originally, we had planned on arriving yesterday, Christmas Eve; however, with events on campus those last few days, we were a day late arriving at my parent’s place, and Kal, being all kinds of thoughtful, didn’t want me missing out on time with my folks, so, he cancelled our
commercial flights and arranged for the Kennedys’ private jet to collect us this morning instead.
Thankfully, Kal’s attorney called just before we left campus to confirm Shelby had retracted her statement, and the police have dropped all charges, eradicating the last vestiges of stress. Alex managed to keep all mention of it out of the press, and it appears we’re home clear. I’ve never felt more relieved, and I can tell Kal feels the same.
However, my shoulders are currently tied in a million knots as a new layer of stress descends at the thought of the reception awaiting us. I think I might actually puke.
Hewson woke on the journey from the airport, and I gave him his bottle in the back of the Mercedes. Max—the Kennedys’ personal chauffeur—almost keeled over when he first greeted us, me holding a babe in arms, but I haven’t missed all the cute glances he’s thrown our way since. I can tell he’s already enamored with Hewson. Our son seems to have that effect on everyone.
“We’re in here,” Alexandra hollers, and my stomach lurches.
Kal slings his arm around my shoulders, pulling me in close to his side. “It’s going to be fine. I promise.” He kisses my forehead and then our son’s.
I grab hold of his arm, terrified. “Maybe this is an awful idea. Maybe we should have told them on the phone.”
“It’s bound to be a shock, but they’ll be okay with this. I promise.” He captures the back of my neck, lowering his mouth to mine. He kisses me deeply, and some of my stress dissipates. “You trust me, right?”
I nod. “I trust you.”
“Then trust that I’ve got this. You and Hewson are my family now. You’re my priority. If this doesn’t go well, we’ll leave. All you have to say is the word. Okay?”
I wrap my free hand around his waist. “I love you, Kal.”
“I love you, too. Both of you.” Hewson emits a small gurgle, nuzzling into my chest as Kal musses up his hair.
Kal keeps his arm firmly around my shoulder as he moves us through the lobby and out into the living area. All his brothers are here. Faye too and her dad, Adam, along with her half-brothers, Jake and Josh. I’ve never met them before, but she’s told me all about them. Crappity crap. I didn’t know they were coming. Didn’t realize our welcoming committee would be quite so large.
Loving Kalvin (The Kennedy Boys Book 4) Page 28