AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nodded.
“Hawk—I’m?—”
“I need to prove your innocence,” I told her, feeling unstable.
Dryness had overtaken my mouth, and worry tripped beneath my skin.
“Can you give me some time to do that? It can’t look like I’m favoring you at all.”
“Are you favoring me?”
Dang her twinkling eyes and the smirk in her sadness. Now was not the time to flirt with me, even though it made her extremely likeable.
I wanted to go to her. I wanted to pull her into my arms.
“I think youknow I do,” I said.
“How are you going to prove I didn’t?” Her words broke before she finished her question.
A sob crashed from her lips. Her shoulders hunched, and she covered her face with her hands as more tears streamed down her cheeks.
I did it then. I strode to her and pulled her against my chest.
She burrowed in, wrapping her arms around me.
The same protectiveness I’d felt earlier swarmed inside of me, storming through my muscles, flushing heat and purpose through me.
“Thank you,” she said as her tears soaked my shirt. “Thank you for believing me.”
How could I do anything else? The only evidence against her was this video feed, and that seemed sketchy at best.
I wanted to rage. I wanted to demand immediate action. I’d take whatever risks I had to if it meant setting this right.
“I’ll check the feeds,” I assured her, somehow keeping it together. “I’ll get the police in on this.”
“Do you think someone set me up?”
“Yes.”
It was the only thing that made sense. Yet another reason why I needed to keep my head. I needed time to prove it as well.
Dating Ella during all of this would give entirely the wrong impression. Though it was the last thing I wanted to do, I lowered my arms and released her.
She gazed at me with confusion glittering in her teary eyes.
“We’ll need some time,” I explained, hoping, willing her to understand. I hated pulling away, but it was for the best.
I had to.
For her.
She swallowed. “I understand.”
Using my thumbs, I wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I hate that they did this to you.”
She clutched my hand. “Me, too.”
“You really think your stepsister did this? There’s no one else you think who might want to see you go to jail?”
