Page 125 of Frozen Hearts
“Why do you want to know, Logan?”
She sounds tired more than anything, like she doesn’t expect discussing this will make any difference.
“I’m just trying to understand.”
“I thought you already had all the information you needed.”
Pursing my lips, I glance away. “Maybe I’m beginning to realize I don’t.”
“You mean you no longer believe Grayson?”
“No, I’m not saying that. I just… what if Grayson is wrong?”
She chuckles, but it lacks any warmth. “You couldn’t have come to this little realization before you upended my life?”
“I’m trying now, Riley.” I sigh in frustration before taking a calming breath. “So, will you tell me what happened?”
Her eyes search my face, her coffee forgotten.
“How about you tell me what Grayson told you and what you think, and I’ll tell you if you’re right or wrong.”
It’s not quite what I was after, but I guess it’s better than nothing.
Blowing out a breath, I begin, “He said a girl—you—went to the police, falsely accusing his father of, uh, sexual assault.”
“Rape.”
“Erm, right. Yes. That.”
Fuck, this is awkward.
“Grayson believes you did it for attention. Being that you were having difficulties adjusting to your mom’s new marriage. Seemingly, that’s what your mom told the cops back then, anyway.”
She snorts at that but remains silent and gestures for me to continue.
“Ugh, well, that’s it, really.”
“Why does Grayson believe it’s me?” she asks.
“Because apparently, you said you were sorry the day the police came to arrest his dad?” It comes out as more of a question, and I watch as a heavy sadness fills her eyes. “And I think his dad confirmed it.”
“What doyouthink?”
I run my hand through my hair, feeling all sorts of uncomfortable. “Well, uhh, I thought maybe it wasn’t you. Maybe his dad justthoughtit was you, considering it made the most sense. Maybe it was a friend of yours? Someone you believed—still believe?”
Tilting her head, she studies my face. “You don’t think I’m capable of making false allegations against Grayson’s dad?”
“He was your dad at the time, too,” I point out.
“Hmm,” she says through tight lips, waiting for my answer.
“Honestly,” I begin, swiping my palm down my face. I can feel myself starting to sweat. “When Gray pointed you out at the club, I couldn’t believe that you and the girl he’d talked about were the same person. It just didn’t make sense to me. It was like trying to fit two jigsaw pieces together only to discover they were from different boxes. It didn’t add up, but Grayson’s my friend. I owed him my loyalty.”
“You don’t any longer?”
“No, I do. I feel fucking awful simply having this conversation, but I equally can’t stand by him if he’s wrong.”
She sucks her lower lip into her mouth, gnawing on it as she considers everything I’ve said.
