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“Okay, let’s go,” Grace said, attempting to turn me around.
Matthew moved to stand in front of me, but I leaned around him. “Hey, Bobbi Claire, who you screwing on the side now? Is it Sam Paulson? Oh, wait... Vincent Moore?” I narrowed my eyes to a glare. “Probably both, right?”
There were more audible gasps in the crowd, some snickering, but I didn’t give a shit. They’d certainly taken their jabs at Adam.
“Let whoever is without sin cast the first stone, right?” I flailed a hand in their direction, channeling my inner Reverend McMasters. “Don’t we know that Scripture?” I sucked in a deep breath. “Now move the hell on!”
My sister turned me around, and suddenly my vitriol and adrenaline morphed into a panic-filled attack. My breaths came in gulps as the air felt more and more elusive. I felt hands holding me up, steering me toward my Jeep.
Matthew took my keys and sat me in the passenger seat. “Breathe,” he said.
Three things... “Oh, hell no,” I sobbed. “I’m not using that.”
“Using what?” Grace asked, but I waved her off.
Fear swam through me, casting doubt on what I didn’t want to believe. All the special things last night that felt too perfect. All a sham. Smoke and mirrors. Something was off, but still—he knew this was coming. I saw him on the ground again, his eyes burning into mine.
“Why?” I breathed, doubling over in my seat. “What is wrong with me?”
“Nothing, Faith,” Grace said, grunting into the back seat. “Don’t you dare think—”
“I believed him again, Grace,” I said. “Again. Damn it, I still do. I thought—he said he loved me. Oh my God, who am I that I am so fucking gullible?”
Matthew shut my door and moved around quickly to the driver’s side. “Look, I’ve met the guy all of twice for about five seconds each, so I don’t know anything, but I can tell you one thing.” He turned the key in the ignition. “The way he looks at you—nobody looks at anyone like that if they don’t love them. He might be lying out his ass on everything else, I have no idea, but he loves you. No question on that.”
“Agreed,” Grace said. “I don’t know what’s going on, but that’s a no-brainer.” She scrolled on her phone. “Mateo isn’t picking up and I left a message for Hope. Tobias is on his way.”
I blindly nodded, all the gossip still ringing in my ears.
Arrested the big whale himself...
I turned in my seat to look back at Grace. “Where was Mateo last night?”
She looked up from her phone. “At work. He had to—work late.” She seemed to hear her words, and her expression went stricken.
“At work,” I echoed. “And this morning, ironically, they arrested Pittman.” I closed my eyes. “He knew.”
“You don’t know that.”
“He knew, Grace,” I said. “He’s the fucking police chief; you know he did.”
She shook her head, her features contorted in worry. “I don’t know that, but whatever the case, it’s his job.”
“We’re his family,” I hissed. “That’s more—” I stopped myself and blew out a shaky breath. “Okay, I’m about to be a hypocrite, so hang on.” I reached for their hands. “I love you. Both of you. Family is everything, y’all. It’s more important than anything. Certainly more important than a lying, conniving, doing-shit-behind-my-back-again man—wait, no.” I dropped their hands and ran mine through my short waves.
Matthew glanced my way. “What?”
“I’m sorry, this just doesn’t—” I closed my eyes again, wishing I could go back to last night when all that mattered was being in Adam’s arms. “God, it doesn’t make sense. Pittman called the hit on me to find Dad’s money. Adam would never work for him again, especially because of that. Unless...”
My body tingled with goosebumps, and not the good kind.
“Faith?” Grace questioned. “You just went—gray.”
“That son of a bitch.”
“Uh-oh,” she said.
“I need to talk to Mateo,” I said in a rush.
