Page 45 of Fake It True

“You gonna fill me in on why?”

“Later. For now, I need you to not miss this opportunity. I’m not going to be here too long, so just text me.”

Delilah threw a chuckle over her shoulder before slipping through the door that led to the back side of the bar. After that, I returned to the table, catching the tail end of Casey’s mom enthusing about how much they liked Wildlands Lodge. “Are you seriously going to stay in Alaska for good?” she asked.

“I love Alaska, Mom,” Casey replied.

I slipped into the chair beside her, interjecting, “And, we’re engaged to be married.” I took that comment as yet another opportunity to lay a kiss on Casey, this time going for her lips.

Her eyes were wide and dark and her cheeks a little pink when I lifted my head. Considering the level of tension tonight, I was relieved I could be a distraction. Nathaniel and his dad were talking at the bar with Delilah lingering right in front of them. Another bartender had joined her as well.

It was a solid ten minutes before Nathaniel and his father began walking back to the table. I was wondering if my request was worth it when I got a text from Delilah.

Bingo.

“You fucking asshole,” I said, bluntly, staring straight at Nathaniel from across the table.

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. “Do you normally just call your fiancé’s old family friend an asshole?”

“I do when I find out why you’re playing nice and bullshitting her parents about what you know you did. And, her father is paying for your attorney. I’ll call you an asshole all I want,” I said flatly.

Casey’s mother glanced from her husband to Casey, to me, and to Nathaniel. Her brow furrowed. “We’re old friends. We want to help him.”

Casey’s mouth dropped open and her fingers tightened around my hand where she held it under the table. “Dad! You can’t afford that!”

Her dad looked a little embarrassed and also confused. “Honey, we just want Nathaniel to get out of this trouble. His parents definitely can’t afford it.”

Her mother looked toward me again. “Why are you asking about this and how do you even know?”

“Because they were at the bar talking about it. In fact—” I tipped my head toward Nathaniel’s father. “He warned Nathaniel to keep Casey quiet, so you all don’t find out everything. They know he’s guilty.”

Casey’s eyes swung wildly around the table before finally landing on Nathaniel. “You aresuchan asshole. Mom, he was her dealer. He knows I know that. That’s why he’s been trying to bullshit this whole situation.”

Nathaniel’s expression was flat, but I could see the darkness in his eyes and his skin flushed to a ruddy shade. “That’s bullshit, Casey.”

“Is it though?” For the first time, she let her anger override the fear he’d instilled in her. “It’s not. This whole game you’ve been playing that you always wanted a chance with me and all that stupid stuff, it was just to keep everyone from questioning you. I wouldn’t say you and Callie were dating, more that you used her because you could.”

Casey’s mother gasped sharply and her eyes went wide. Casey didn’t even look her way. She just pushed ahead. “Obviously, Callie is responsible for her own actions and she paid the ultimate price. She died of an overdose. I understand how she ended up going down that path. That she got injured in college and that’s how she originally got prescribed pain medication. Like so many other people, she got addicted. When they told her she couldn’t have it anymore, she looked for it elsewhere. In the end, the system failed her, like it failed so many other people and keeps failing them. Butyou,” Her eyes darkened as she stared hard at Nathaniel. “You sold her drugs. You are the one who decided to play games with it, and make it as strong as you could. The more addicted people are, the more guaranteed customers you have. Right?”

Each word was sharp, like a barb. Casey’s eyes were glittering with tears. She was fierce, so fierce. She looked away from Nathaniel. I squeezed her hand again, trying to impart what strength I could.

Casey’s father had fallen quiet. His eyes kept circling the table and lingering on Nathaniel and Nathaniel’s father. Casey’s mother looked stricken.

Casey turned toward her, her eyes softening. “I know it hurts to hear this. I know that you want it to be something else. But this is what happened. Nathaniel knows this is what happened. I’ve talked to the police and I’ll keep talking to the police. The part they don’t know is that he threatened me.” She turned to face her father. “He said he’ll find a way to pin this on you. There were three people who saw Callie the night she died, Nathaniel and you and me. Because you stopped by to check on her. Nathaniel knows that I’d rather take the fall than you and that’s how he’s been trying to keep me quiet. I’m not sure what he thought he would get out of pretending he wanted to be involved with me.” She rolled her eyes, her lips twisting in disgust.

Her focus turned back to Nathaniel. “I never really liked you. You were a jerk when we were kids, but our parents are best friends, so I had to put up with you. So did Callie. But you’re gross. Callie didn’t even like you, but she needed what you sold her.” She finally brought her attention to Nathaniel’s parents who had gotten mighty quiet. She looked between them.

“I don’t know how much you know. David, I suspect you actually do know what happened. Even though I’ve always thought your son was a jerk, I didn’t think you were. But I’m not going to stand back and let you take advantage of my parents. Dad, don’t pay for Nathaniel’s fucking attorney. He’ll get a court appointed one and it will be fine. You’re not in a position to do this. Is this why you’re selling your house?” Her voice notched up with that question.

Casey’s mother was crying. It appeared something finally got through to her because she stared at Nathaniel. “I can’t believe you did this.” At that, she stood and hurried away from the table.

Nathaniel was blustering about something. I sensed Casey wanted to leave, but I also realized we were in a bind here. Nathaniel was now ballpark five thousand miles from where he’d been charged. He could easily decide not to return.

As luck would have it, or something like that, Rex Masters, Willow Brook’s police chief happened to be walking through the restaurant. I caught his eye and waved him over. I’d known Rex since I was a little kid with me and his son Cade being friends. My parents were also friends with him and his wife.

“What can I do for you, Leo?” Rex clapped his hand on my shoulder.

I didn’t know how to explain why I wanted him to come over, but I sensed Rex quickly read the table, so to speak. Maybe he didn’t know the details, but he knew he needed to hang close by. He began to ramble on about one thing after another, questioning Nathaniel’s parents and Casey’s dad about the Outer Banks in North Carolina, telling them about the best hiking trails here, and so on.

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