Page 120 of Infatuated as They Come
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to lie for him anymore,” he whispered. “You can tell us the truth.”
“The truth is that I overreacted last night and started drinking because I was upset, okay?” I bit out as I moved my hands away from my face. “I was being stupid.Me. Not him. I made the mistake.Hehelpedme, alright? He got me into his truck—”
“We’re taking that thing back,” he grumbled. “You’re lucky I could find someone to drive it back here.”
“Histruck.His. It’shis,” I said. “And he probably tried to drive me here but then… I don’t even know what happened, but you clearly had something to do with it!”
“A friend of mine found him, okay? An officerwho works at the police department. People at the club said they saw some guy carrying a very drunk girl out of the building and put her in his car. They were worried, they gave the cops Sawyer’s plates, and my friend tracked the truck down. When he saw that it was you, he called me,” he said, placing his hands on my shoulders, but it took me just a second to shrug them off. “He was worried for your safety, and he called me down to come help you.”
“And then what?” I grumbled out.
“And then I saw that bruise.” He tried to reach out towards me again, but I took a step back from him. “I saw you passed out in that truck withhim. I put two and two together. Holly, you don’t have to cover for him. You don’t have to be scared. Let me and your mother help you.”
“Sawyer has never put his hands on me,” I bit out. “Not even once. He’s not like that. He’s sweet and kind and gentle, but you only ever see the bad sides to him that you think exist because you don’t try to see who he really is.”
“Then why were you knocked out drunk in that truck?” he asked. “You don’t touch alcohol; you’re alsonotallowedto.”
“I told you, I was upset. Me and Sawyer had a fight.”
“What kind of fight?”
“He didn’t get physical. He’s never done that.”
“What was the fight about?”
“I’ve been missing him, okay? Ever since we moved to New York, all he does is work, work, work. I barely get to see him. He leaves so early and gets back so late and he’s doing it all for me. You have no idea how hard he’s been working, how he’s been trying every day just so he can pay for the rent and the bills and our food. He’s had to fight his whole life, and then he started fighting for me even though he didn’t have to,” I said, my voice cracking before I could force the sound away. “I don’t want to lose him, but I never, ever want to stop him from doing what he loves. I was sad and I messed up. Me, not him. You always think it’s him, but I make mistakes too.”
My parents locked eyes, having some silent conversation I wasn’t entitled to listen to. Then Mom finally grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze as shewhispered out a soft, “That bruise really wasn’t from him?”
“No. It wasn’t. Call the club up. Call the manager. I’m sure you have the number,” I muttered, narrowing my eyes at my dad. “One of the bartenders saw it.”
“Youjustfell?” Mom asked.
“Yes. Sawyer’s not like that.”
“He seems to wanna fight just about everybody else,” my father said. “He offered to fight me last night.”
I raised an eyebrow up at him. “Well, were you asking for it?”
He moved his eyes to the floor. “I may have said some… choice words to him.”
“Like what?”
“I… I mentioned his mother.”
My eyes closed, the throbbing in my head suddenly turning into a piercing, sharp pain that seemed to radiate all over my body. “You accused him of hitting me and then you brought her up, and now he’s sitting in some cold cell all alone on Christmas. What is wrong with you?”
“Holly…”
“I’m going down there right now,” I said as I spun on my heels.
“Now?” he asked.
“Yes, now. Do you think I’m gonna let him sit there all day?” I called out over my shoulder, storming towards my closet. “You’re going to call up whoever you need to call and make sure every single charge against him is dropped. You’re going to make sure none of this is on his record. Nothing. Not a thing.”
“Holly—”
I turned around. My dad had followed me into the closet, annoyance written clear as day on his face. “Do it, or I will never speak to you again.” I grabbed the first coat I saw, throwing it on as I pushed past him to find my car keys, ready to fix every last bit of damage he had caused.
