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It was the right thing to do, even if Tobias’s words had planted a seed of doubt in the back of my mind.
Is that what last night’s apology was? A lie and an alibi?
24
DO YOU BELIEVE HIM?
I leftthem talking about how trashed Aithan’s SUV was while I went down the hall. A restroom seemed like the most private space available, so I locked the door and sat on the lowered toilet lid.
“This is Detective Kevlin.” He sounded tired and a bit like my dad.
“Hi, my name is Zelda Gordon. I’m dating Aithan Mazur, and Tristan Blaylock is my ex-boyfriend.”
“Yes. Thanks for calling me, Ms. Gordon. I’m guessing you spoke with Mr. Mazur? How’s he doing?”
“Okay, I guess? He’s talkative and high as a kite on morphine, so there’s that. The doctors expect him to be discharged in a few days.”
“Good, good. Glad to hear that. So, I have some questions about your relationship with both men, as well as clarification on Mr. Blaylock’s alibi.”
“Yes, I can vouch for him. Tristan was at my house last night until one-thirty in the morning.”
“He was?”
“You sound surprised.”
“Well, considering that you have a protection order in process against him, I am.”
“He came over to apologize for being a complete dick, to ask for my forgiveness, and to say he was happy Aithan and I are together.”
“Hmm. Do you believe him?”
His question caught me off guard. Did I? Was Tristan’s change of heart genuine or convenient? Was his late night apology honest or manipulative? I chewed my lower lip, unsure how to answer.
“Ms. Gordon?” the detective prompted.
“I think I believe him? I mean, I’ve known Tristan since we were kids. He can be an absolute turd and he’s done some really stupid things, but he’s never been violent.”
I could hear the keys of his keyboard clacking as he took notes. “What time did he arrive?”
“Eleven-thirty-ish.”
“Can you be more precise?”
“Well, I plugged in my phone at eleven thirty-one then went downstairs to heat water for tea. It was still boiling when the doorbell rang, so I’d say eleven thirty-three is about right. And Aithan sent me a text message at …. Hold on,” I put the phone on speaker and scrolled through apps to get to my messages, “eleven forty-two. I don’t know who jumped Aithan, but it wasn’t Tristan, Detective. He was sitting in my kitchen at the time.”
“That’s how it appears. Okay. Thank you for providing that information. We’ll keep working the case, and I’ll contact you if I have any further questions.”
“Thanks for handling this. Aithan is the nicest guy. He really didn’t deserve this.”
“That’s what I’ve heard from many people, including Mr. Blaylock.”
We said our goodbyes and I hung up, but I didn’t immediately return to Aithan’s room. Instead, I swallowed and blinked back tears. It hadn’t occurred to me until I said it aloud, that while Aithan lay bleeding and beaten in a dark parking lot, I was sitting in my warm kitchen, wearing comfy pajamas, and talking to my ex-boyfriend. “Fuck,” I whispered. “That’s so messed up.”
Had it really been a random attack? The detective — and Tobias — didn’t seem to think so. But Tristan had been with me. That was undeniable. He hadn’t taken out his anger on Aithan.
“So who did?” I asked my reflection in the mirror as I washed my hands and blotted my reddened eyes. I drew a deep breath and let it go slowly, releasing irrational guilt. It was awful that Aithan had been beaten, but I didn’t need to feel ashamed for not being there to stop it. That was ridiculous.
But a large part of me was afraid he’d cut me out of his life because I’d let Tristan back into it — albeit briefly — last night whilehewas being beaten unconscious. I shook my head. “Stop being a paranoid idiot, Zelda. Aithan isn’t that knee-jerk.” I met my reflection’s gaze again. “Focus on getting him home and healed. Let the cops worry about catching the bastard who did this.”
