Page 63 of North
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CHAPTER 18
Melanie really came through for me. She posted my bail in an hour and had me out of there. My mind still raged over how humiliating it was to be pulled out of my own gallery and shoved in the back of a cop car after the word rape was uttered in the same sentence as my name. I knew I’d always harbor smoldering rage for that moment. It would be the one thing that always wormed its way beneath my skin.
I studied the far off look in North’s eyes while I sat at a red light on our back to the gallery. It felt like there was an island between us and I hated it.
“Hey, what’s on your mind North?”
She pried her blue eyes away from the window and looked at me. “I’m just thinking, that’s all. Everything is bouncing around in my head and it’s a lot.” She slid her fingers up and down the slender bridge of her nose before shutting her eyes.
Something else was on her mind and it was giving her a headache. I knew all the symptoms of an impending migraine with North even though she hadn’t had a bad one in nearly a year.
It always started off the same. She avoided answering questions because she couldn’t stand the sound of her own voice, then she started rubbing her nose and shielding her eyes from the light.
“You know everything is going to be okay, right?” I pulled up at the gallery and parked so I could give her my full attention. I stroked her soft red strands and gave her a gentle smile.
“I know. I just hate this. I want it to be over.”
“Me too, Shortcake. It’ll be over soon because Sierra has zero evidence. Melanie is going to make sure this vanishes. I promise.” I leaned over to kiss her forehead and she smiled a little. I’d take it as long as she smiled at me.
We walked into the gallery followed by Melanie and Elijah pushed out a sigh of relief when he saw me. We slapped hands then I turned the closed sign around and locked the doors. I needed time to regroup after the blow Sierra dealt.
“What the fuck is going on?” Elijah asked. He hadn’t heard a word from me since I got carted off in cuffs earlier.
“Sierra is trying to bring aggravated rape charges on Kane without a lick of evidence. I already talked to her lawyer. He’s some TV commercial guy who wants a quick buck. He already knows he has nothing with this case and is considering dropping it. This isn’t getting off the ground.”
“What the fuck? Aggravated rape?” Elijah seethed. “You would never even think of touching her.”
“I know that. She knows that. She just wanted to hurt North, clearly.”
“Well, she’s doing a great job. My head is killing me.”
“Come here,” I held my arm out for her and she tucked her petite body against my side. I nestled my nose in the top of her head and inhaled her cherry scent. “You can go home and rest if you want. We’ll all be there in a little while.” I whispered in her ear so I didn’t cause her head to pound. She shook her head vehemently and locked her arm with mine. Her other hand was buried in her apron pocket like she was protecting something with her life.
“Let’s meet up at Kane and North’s. I’ll grab beer,” Elijah sighed.
“I’ll bring pizza so North doesn’t have to cook.” Melanie glanced at North with compassion melting her features. I was clearly missing a huge part of their conversation. I’d ask North later though because I knew a migraine was crashing into her hard.
“Sounds good,” I nodded. We headed toward the door when my phone rang. I held up my finger when I saw Mr. Chandler’s name and everyone stopped. “Hello, Mr. Chandler. What’s going on?” I tried to sound as laid back as I could but I’d never been more on edge.
“Kane, I’m glad I reached you.” His voice sounded staggered like he didn’t know what to say next. “I…um. I don’t know how to say this but I’m not going to put your work in my exhibit. I’m sorry.”
My ribcage cracked under the pressure building in my chest. My eyebrows furled together and my lips pressed into a tight line. “Excuse me?”
“It’s too close to the show and I can’t be associated with someone who’s being accused of something so heinous. I thought you were a better man than that. You can keep the first deposit and the painting. I don’t want it any longer.”
I paced the floor in an attempt to release pent up anger. “Can I ask what accusations you’re talking about, sir?” I was trying my best to keep my voice even-toned but the longer this conversation went on the more I lost that battle.
He couldn’t have been talking about what Sierra was accusing me of. There was no way for him to know about that. I was already out of jail and I wasn’t famous by any stretch of the imagination so how could word spread?
“All morning a young lady has been tagging you and your business on Instagram with disgusting details of how you raped her. Kane she’s shown her scratches and everything. I can’t be attached to.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” My voice was strained and tight like every tendon and muscle inside me. I shoved my fingers through my hair, knocking the hair tie out. “None of that is true. I don’t know what that girl posted on Instagram but I can assure you it’s not the truth. My lawyer is working on…”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not at this point. It’s too much bad publicity. I’m sorry, Kane.” The call ended and I envisioned myself tossing my phone through the fucking gallery window.
“Instagram?” North said, pinching the bridge of her nose. She had Sierra’s profile pulled up in seconds. Not only did Sierra she tag my personal page along with Fitzgerald’s Fine Art, but she also she tagged North.
