Page 107 of His Virgin Romance Series

“Why didn’t you tell us any of this sooner?”

“Because… I was scared to,” I admitted. “At first… there was nothing to tell and then when it became clear there was… I just—”

“What happened with the other one? Jared?” Dad interrupted.

“All charges against Jared were dropped,” I said. “He was set up by Brent, Dad… He had nothing to do with any of this. Brent knew how to get into Jared’s apartment because I had mentioned Jared’s spare key one time while he was in the room. He didn’t even have to break in, he just used the key, stashed the drugs, and then sent an anonymous tip to the police.”

“You should have called us. We could have done something.”

“There was nothing you could have done,” I said. “And in any case, there was nothing you should have done.”

“What does that mean?”

“Brent is a child, Dad,” I said. “He was not prepared to be an adult, which was why he kept making bad choices—these are the consequences of those choices, and he needs to feel them in order to learn.”

“He is your brother—”

“And he nearly put the love of my life behind bars for a crime he committed,” I said, as my anger revealed itself in my tone. “And, you know what? I don’t think he cared at all that he was framing an innocent man. And that should bother you, Dad; that should make you realize that your son needs help. Maybe prison is the help he needs.”

There was a long pause. “Rachel, how can you be so cruel?”

I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment. “I’ll text you the number of the police officer, Dad,” I said, without getting into an argument with him over this. “Take care of yourself. Take care of Mom. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

I hung up and stared at my phone. All that conversation had succeeded in doing was showing me that my only real family was the man I had turned my back on when he needed me the most.

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