Page 119 of Infatuated as They Come
“We’ll worry about that later. Where did that bruise come from?”
“What bruise? I… Oh, I fell last night at the club. At the bar. I had too much to drink and I slipped and…” But that look on my mom’s face screamed pure worry, and then it clicked. “Oh my God, you think Sawyer did this?” I pointed at my face with a laugh. “Okay, no. I slipped. Really. Where’s Sawyer?”
“You really don’t remember what happened last night?”
“I remember being at the club. Me and Sawyer were meant to have dinner, and then he didn’t show up, and I got a little… dramatic,” I mumbled. “I had a lot to drink. He showed up eventually and brought me home.”
“Well, that’s not exactly what happened…”
“Where is he?”
“Oh, you’re up.” My dad was in the doorway, eyes looking dull as he huffed out a tired sounding breath. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
“Where’s Sawyer?” I asked.
“Where he belongs,” he muttered.
I turned to my right. “Mom?”
She looked at the floor and then back at me, shifting uncomfortably. “Holly, Sawyer…”
“Is he hurt?” I quickly got up. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember anything from last night?” Mom asked.
“I told you what I remember. About how Sawyer found me at the club and drove me home.”
“You don’t have to lie for him anymore,” my father said, crossing over from the doorway to my bed. “You’ll stay here with us, and you won’t have to worry about school until you feel up to it. Let me deal with him.”
“What do you meandeal with him?” I asked. “I’m just gonna go to his room since you’re both being weird.”
“He’s not there,” Mom said.
“Well, where is he?”
“He was arrested last night,” she murmured.
I gasped, eyes narrowing at my dad, because I knew he had something to do with whatever had happened. “For what?”
“He hit you last night, Holly,” he said.
“No, he didn’t!” I snapped, heart hurting at the accusation. “He’d never do that.”
“That bruise on your face says otherwise.”
“I fell over at the club.” My hands pressed to my chest. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you had him thrown in prison. On Christmas too. What’s wrong with you?”
He took a step forward. “What’s wrong with me? Holly, the guy’s been hurting you. I knew I couldn’t trust him. I knew he’d end up just like his dad—”
“Don’t,” I said, shooting a glare his way. “They are not the same person and you know it.”
“He said the same thing.”
I buried my face in my hands. “What did you do?”
“I did what I had to.”
“I understand why you were both worried about what you saw last night, but Sawyer did not hit me. He’s never hit me. Ever. He’s never laid a finger on me.”
