Page 30 of Jessica's Hero
Rather than interrupt her story, I just nod for her to continue.
“I kissed Liam,” Jess admits quietly. “I knew I shouldn’t have. I can’t excuse my behavior. But I did it. And… Thea saw. Long story short, she and Liam got into a big fight. They broke up. Because of me.”
“Jess, that kind of thing happens in high school. You made a mistake, but it wasn’t the end of the world.”
“I know. But what happened after was the really bad part.” After a beat, she adds, “Liam wanted to leave the party, but Thea wouldn’t go with him. She was angry with him, and thought he was too drunk to drive. So I offered to go with Liam instead. Stupid me; I thought it was a chance to spend more time with him. To show him what he was missing.”
A chill worms its way into my stomach. “What happened then?”
“Hewastoo drunk to drive.” She pushes her hair back and angles her jaw to expose the scars on her neck. “We—Liam—crashed his car at the curve on Sleepy Hollow Road. He… was killed immediately. I was wearing my seatbelt, so I wasn’t as badly injured. But the glass… that’s how I got these.”
“Jess.”
Tears well up in her eyes. “The scars were so much worse back then. When I first saw them in the hospital, all stitched up with that awful black thread, I was horrified. I felt like a monster. And then the plastic surgeon said I’d probably have them forever, and I was just… I couldn’t stop seeing the accident. Liam lying there, all pale and covered in blood…”
Shit.
As the first tear works its way down Jess’s cheek, I concede to my instincts and lift her into my lap. Cuddling her against me, I croon, “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s okay.”
Her head jerks up so quickly she almost smashes me inthe chin. “But it’s not okay, Kane. Because… I lied. When the police came, I made up this story about how I was trying to stop Liam from driving. I couldn’t bring myself to tell them the truth. That I betrayed my friend by trying to hook up with her boyfriend.”
“Jess—”
“It just spiraled from there. I created this whole story in my head with me as the tragic victim. Hurt while I was trying to stop Liam. And Thea… she ended up getting the blame. I didn’t come right out and say it, but I let people believe it was Thea’s fault that Liam left. That she forced him to leave the party, even though she knew he was drunk.”
Jess shudders in my arms as she swallows back a sob. “I was a horrible person. A horrible friend. And Thea… she was almost killed because of it.”
“What? How?”
Her watery eyes meet mine. “Remember the fire at the library? When Thea was trapped inside?”
I nod. “Of course.”
“The woman who did it? It was Liam’s mom. And she went after Thea because she still blamed her for Liam’s death. Even though the truth came out years before. But she moved away, so she didn’t know it was reallymyfault.”
Ah, shit. Now the missing puzzle pieces are coming together. I knew about the fire, of course, and Thea’s involvement, but I wasn’t working the case myself, so I never made the connection.
“But it wasn’t your fault,” I protest. “He’s the one who was driving.”
“But because of me, Thea was hurt. First emotionally, back in high school. And then I almost got her killed.”
“You did not, Jess.” I firm my voice. “The choices Liam’s mother made were on her. Not you.”
“If I hadn’t lied, though…” Jess sags against my chest. “The whole town knows what I did. How Stella—Liam’s mom—almost killed Thea because of it. That’s why people don’t like me. They see me as this… troublemaker. A liar. A cheat. Someone who wouldn’t hesitate to backstab a friend.”
More tears escape as she continues in a quivering voice, “That’s why I get those awful messages. Why people are rude to me. It’s why I can’t tell you who would want to slash my tires, because there are too many to count. I probably should have left Sleepy Hollow by now, since it’s clear no one wants me here. But I had to give up my job upstate to take care of my mom, and then she left me the house, so it just made sense to stay here. Later, I found out about the home equity loans she took out to pay for her medical care, so I’ve been saving to pay them off. And… stubbornly, I don’t want to be chased off. I like Sleepy Hollow. It feels like home.”
The thought of Jess leaving is a kick in the chest.
We’re just getting started. I don’t want her to leave.
And I don’t think she’s the villain she seems to think she is.
“Jess, sweetheart.” I jostle her on my lap to get her attention. “Making a mistake in high school—one that didn’t actually hurt anyone—doesn’t give people the right to torment you.”
“But I did?—”
“No. You didn’t. You were young and hurt and scared and you made up a story. One that people found out was wrong. And yeah, it was a mistake. But everyone makes mistakes. You didn’t force Liam to drive drunk. You didn’t make Liam’s mom do what she did.Theymade those choices. Not you.”
