AllFreeNovel
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A young guy in a gray T-shirt, ripped, black skinny jeans, and Converse comes in from the deck. He’s carrying a digital camera in one hand as he finishes up a phone call.
“This is Grant,” Marty says by way of introduction while the guy pops a strip of cinnamon gum between his teeth and starts to chew. “He’ll take a few photos while we’re here. Just to add that extra depth.”
“Don’t worry,” Grant says. “It won’t take long, and then I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Okay.” Marty lifts her brown eyed gaze to mine as Grant gets to work as unobtrusively as he can. “I’ve heard everyone else’s version of events. Now, I want to hear yours.”
“I don’t have anything new to offer.” The muffin turns floury in my mouth. It takes the longest time to chew that bite of sponge, but somehow I swallow it down. I stopped my brother from beating Alec Hawthorne to death when the bastard really deserved it. But she already knows that. Riot was there for that part too.
“You might be surprised what you don’t realize you remember.” She clasps her hands together under her chin and leans forward. “So let’s start from the top.”
Forty minutes later and I don’t think I could answer another question about that night if I tried. Though Marty is right that I remembered more than I realized. Like the name of the girl I was flirting with and the way Alec was following Ro around from the moment he arrived.
“I think I have everything I need. I should be finished with the article in the next forty-eight. I’ll send you all a copy before I send it to print. The next edition comes out a few days before Thanksgiving.” Marty packs her laptop into her bag and pulls the strap over her shoulder. She smiles softly, apologetically, like she’s going to keep trying to make amends. “Thank you for trusting me with this information. I know it hasn’t been easy for any of you. I promise you I won’t let you down. You’ll have final say, so just email me any corrections in the next week.”
“Can I have a word?” Summer asks her.
“Sure.” Marty tucks a dark curl behind her ear as she follows Summer toward the study.
“How are you doing, Ro?” I climb to my feet and deposit the rest of my muffin in the compost bucket. It makes me sick to my stomach that there was something off that evening and if I’d just been paying attention maybe the whole night would have gone differently.
“Okay,” she croaks as Riot settles on the stool Marty vacated and rests his big hand on her upper arm. “It isn’t fun, rehashing every single thing that happened that night. Reliving it from every angle.”
“I’m sorry, Ro.” I truly am. I will regret the fact that I wasn’t paying more attention that night for the rest of my life.
She shakes her head and the tips of her dark hair dance on the shoulders of the forest green cashmere dress she wears. She plucks nervously at the gold locket at her throat. “The only person who should be sorry about that night is me. It’s my fault Rebel went to prison. I should have done this sooner.”
“Hey, don’t put this on yourself,” Riot scolds her with the utmost care.
“Riot’s right.” I crouch in front of her, our gazes locked. “The sad reality is that Rebel was drunk and he has a history of bad behavior. Even if you’d had Alec Hawthorne charged for what he did to you, your witness was unreliable. Hawthorne probably would have gotten away with it anyway. And chances are even if he didn’t, Rebel still would have done time for assault.”
“I’d do it again,” Rebel says, coming back into the kitchen. He’d ducked out to take a phone call from his agent while I was still recounting the details of the police arresting him. “You’re family, Ro. You’re part of us.”
“Even after I made a fool of myself?” she asks quietly.
“Water under the bridge.” Rebel glances at our younger brother apologetically. Things have been developing slowly between Riot and Ro. We’ve all noticed, even if they refuse to call it anything. There are feelings there, and Riot probably doesn’t want the reminder that she was crushing on Rebel back then.
“We protect each other,” Riot agrees. “Always have, always will.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t protect you.” Ro’s eyes turn watery as she gazes at Rebel. “I’m sorry I put you in that position at all. I hated hurting you.”
“Yeah, Prin.” Rebel calls her by his old pet name for her—because her grandmother Selene Kitt married the actual prince of Beldovia a million years ago, making her literal Hollywood royalty—as he comes over, and I step out of the way so he can wrap her in his arms. “But we’re good now. It’s behind us. We’re doing just fine, right?”
“Yes.” She sobs.
Riot and I exchange a glance over their embrace. These past few weeks have been a weird waiting game ofwill we ever be normal again, but it looks like we’ve finally found our new fit as a family.Hallelujah.
Summer and Marty come back from their tête-à-tête. They share weird glances that make the skin prickle on the back of my neck. They work well together and Summer keeps in contact with Marty for her other clients as well as us, but it doesn’t make me anymore comfortable that my twin’s girl and his ex-girlfriend seem to be in cahoots.
“Okay, I’ve got to go,” Marty announces. “The press doesn’t sleep. And Grant is waiting in the car.”
“Marty?” Rebel says.
“Yes, Rebel?”
“Thanks,” he says softly. “It means a lot.”
Her shoulders straighten and she smiles. “I’ll be in contact.”
