Page 92 of Trustfall

“So what did he say?”

“Not much, obviously.”

“God, Nate. Can you just give me one fucking straight answer? Did you even try to get more information from whoever you spoke to?”

“Emory, I’m trying not to lose my shit here, but I've only had twenty-four hours to wrap my head around my best friend doing God knows what with my little sister.”

So, this is it. This is what he wants. He wants to have this out right here, right now? Fine by me.

I’m about to let Nate have it when I see Allie walk by in her pajamas out of the corner of my eye. She sees my face and immediately starts backing up out of the room.

“Oh, no. You don’t get to walk away right now.”

“Emory…”

“Sit the fuck down, Allie.”

She scurries over to the couch and sits next to Nate. I stand in front of them like they’re my kids and I’m about to scold them for staying out too late.

“I am dating Luke Collins. He’s my boyfriend. If either of you has an issue with that, tell me right now. Otherwise, you both need to grow the fuck up and help me get him out of this mess. I can’t have you guys trying to protect me or run shit behind my back. We’re in this together, or I do it alone. Understood?”

Allie and Nate exchange glances in silence. Nate goes to say something but thinks better of it and shuts his mouth.

“I’ve never had a problem with you and Luke being together,” Allie says defensively. “Why am I getting lumped in with Nate?”

“Because you have a history of getting involved in my relationshipsanda habit of going behind my back.”

She hangs her head. Got ya there, sweetheart.

“Nate,” I snap, and his eyes flick up to me. “What do you think happened?”

“I don’t know for sure, but it must have to do with Jaxon. Who else would he possibly assault? Unless it’s a misunderstanding…”

He's right. Hewaswith me all night, but I was asleep for most of it. He must have left in the middle of the night and beat the shit out of Jaxon. But how did he manage to get to him? How would he even know where to find him? Then it hits me. I remember setting my phone down on the nightstand last night, but I was too tired to plug it in. This morning, when I went to grab it to text about getting coverage, it was plugged in.

Luke plugged it in.

After he went through my phone…

My heart sinks.

I rush to pull out my phone and scroll down to find my conversation with Jaxon, but it’s gone. I scroll through all my text threads over and over, but it’s not there.

He deleted it.

I hear a buzzing sound, and Nate holds his phone up.

“I need to take this. Permission to stand?” he asks, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

I nod my head, and he strides out of the room to take the call. Allie looks like she wants to say something, but for once in her life, she keeps her mouth shut.

Nate comes back in and breathes out a long sigh.

“What?”

“It was Jaxon. He recorded some of the altercation on his phone. Not video, but…there’s audio of Luke threatening to kill him if he goes near you.”

“How—how do you know?”

---