Page 69 of Worth the Scandal
“That’s not a coincidence, I saw a whole different side to him last night,” she murmurs.
The world narrows. One ugly truth tunnelling toward us.
He did it. He drugged me.
And Darcy, his girl—she wasn’t supposed to be in the car. All this time I’ve carried guilt that was his, not mine.
“Hold on what do you mean last night.” I ask trying to sound level headed.
“Well for the purpose of this investigation I let him believe we hadn’t made up, and the creep had the audacity to eye fuck me like he was next in line.”
“Scarlett do not fucking tell me this, I’ll give him something to send me to jail for.” I see red, my heartbeat is humming in my ears again.
“Don’t worry I’m telling Ted everything, Ted always knows what to do when it comes to this, and with your first proper season game in a few days I can’t say he will be happy to have one of his players drugging the other.” She says calmly, knowing exactly how to pull me back from the edge.
“You just focus on football, leave the rest to your manager” giggling down the phone.
There she is.
* * *
“Let’s try again,” my therapist, Dr Lawson says gently. “Start from the beginning of the night. I’ll tap the rhythm; you justbreathe and follow the memory. No pressure to finish it. No judgement.”
I nod, not trusting my voice. My fingers clench the lounge cushion; I’m not usually one to try this new age bullshit but something’s got to give. Two soft taps on my thigh. Then two more. Left. Right. Left. Right.
It begins.
“It was the end-of-season party,” I murmur. “Back home. Someone’s house—Caleb’s cousin, I think. Everyone was there. The whole team. Darcy came late. She’d been working. Caleb wasn’t supposed to drink.”
Tap. Tap.
“I wasn’t planning to stay long. I’d just gotten my first call from the teams conditioning coach that day. I didn’t even tell Caleb. I just… wanted one night. No pressure.”
Tap. Tap.
“I had one beer. Then someone handed me another. A red cup. I didn’t think anything of it.”
My therapist doesn’t say anything. He just keeps tapping. I start breathing harder.
“It tasted sweet. Almost… off. Like something artificial. But I figured it was cheap lemonade. Whatever. I was already a little tipsy.”
Tap. Tap.
“Then things got… hazy.”
My throat tightens. I blink against the rush of light behind my eyes.
“I remember seeing Darcy. She was sitting on the porch steps. Crying. I asked where Caleb was. She said he’d gone inside—he was angry about something.”
Tap. Tap.
“I offered her a lift. She didn’t want to wait. Said she was tired. I could barely walk straight, but I wasn’t sure why. Iremember thinking that. I said out loud, “Fuck I’ve not even drank much, hey.”
My voice cracks.
“She smiled. Said, “then let me drive” But I told her no. That I’d done it a hundred times. That it was fine. I didn’t want to look weak.” And I really thought I was fine.
Tap. Tap.
