Page 9 of Bed of Thorns

The moment his dad had started dating my mom was the first time he’d ever said a word to me, and I’d also become a celebrity of sorts as well. Suddenly, I was the closest girl to the hottest boy in town. New ‘friends’ had popped out of the woodwork, including several older girls. The same ones who’d tossed the ugly geek kid aside started treating me like I was the toast of the town.

All to try to get closer to him, as if I could do anything.

At least I’d been smart enough even back then to see through their bullshit, ignoring their calls and attempts at pretending they were my new best friends.

Maybe I’d just wanted him to myself, even though that wasn’t possible. Then or now. Labeled ‘The Most Likely to Succeed’ in his senior year, instead of accepting the half dozen full scholarships he’d been offered, he’d chosen to go to work for his dad within days of graduation. I’d never asked him the reason why, but I doubted that he would have told me. Edmond was also very private about his relationship with his father, pretending that everything was hunky dory even though from what I heard, they argued constantly.

Now I wondered if his father hadn’t forced him to alter his bright future for the sake of what he’d always called the family business. I’d never thought too much about his father’s real estate development business, other than I’d known when Fernando had been going through difficult financial times. He’d argue with my mother even more than usual, sometimes the fights so horrific that I’d sneak out my bedroom window, walking the streets in search of peace.

I couldn’t imagine how Edmond had been treated.

I still didn’t know what my mother saw in Fernando.

As several visions of my limited time with Edmond rolled into my mind, I closed my eyes trying to shut them out. After taking several deep breaths, I shoved them aside, replacing the horrible memories with the few that were special. That’s what I needed to do in order to stick to my plan.

But tonight, I would write Edmond a long letter explaining my decision to return.

And I hoped he’d forgive me.

One day, I’d manage to clear his name.

One day.

For some reason, I continued to glance into the rearview mirror as I drove home. I had no reason to be nervous, other than because of William’s typical arrogant behavior. I continued to admonish myself for meeting him for dinner that horrible night in New York. The only reason I could justify it in my mind was because I’d wanted to pick his brain about his law career and why he’d stayed local.

I’d also wanted to find out exactly what the hell had happened with Edmond. William had pontificated about the arrest, even being stupid enough to warn me to stay away from Edmond because he was dangerous. Once an asshole, always an asshole.

That’s when I’d become determined to find out the truth.

What I’d learned had horrified me.

William had been a young attorney in the prosecutor’s office during the time of Edmond’s arrest, trying to make a name for himself by pushing local law enforcement into arresting Edmond before all the facts were in.

After that, although I’d had difficulty obtaining any decent information on the case, it would appear Edmond had been railroaded. Not a single other person who’d had opportunities to hunt down and kill the victim in the case had been questioned. Not one.

It had taken only four months from arrest to conviction in a case considered so brutal at the time that people didn’t or wouldn’t talk about the events. Edmond had been tried as an adult, which had also pissed me off. He’d no other juvenile record, but because of the heinous nature of the crime, there’d been no other choice. After that, everyone had acted like he was a monster. I’d heard the whispers in the hallways for a full year before another case grabbed and redirected their hate.

Not only did I find William’s actions at that time reprehensible, but he was also a smarmy guy, so hyped up on his self-worth and gorgeous looks that he truly believed he could snap his fingers and have any woman he wanted crawl to him.

Memories. I hated them.

The sun was blinding, forcing me to adjust my rearview mirror, noticing a car behind me. I turned onto one of the side streets, thankful the golden glow was now coming from a different direction. I readjusted the mirror. The car was right behind me.

Hmm… I lived in a rural area. Did I have a stalker? A laugh pulsed from my lips. Was I suddenly paranoid?

After making two additional turns, my muscles tensed. I finally caught a glimpse of the car as the driver swung around the last corner. That’s when I sped up.

I didn’t like this at all. My instinct on high alert, I decided to round the block, taking the turns way too fast. The car was still there, not on my tail, but close enough I knew the asshole was following me. It had to be William. The fucker just wouldn’t take no for an answer.

As I pulled into my driveway, I immediately reached for my purse, yanking the can of mace into my hand even before I shifted the gear into park. When the car rolled past, I exhaled, a single bead of perspiration trickling down the side of my face. I waited a few seconds before opening the door, the older sweeping trees lining the street making it all but impossible to see more than a few hundred yards away. I eased out onto the gravel slowly, scanning both sides of the street anyway, expecting William to jump out of the bushes, but all was quiet. I lived in a safe area, the tiny homes all well cared for. There was almost no crime in this neighborhood, yet I felt apprehensive.

After grabbing my things, a paralyzing shiver coursed down my back. There was someone behind me.

“I don’t think you understand.”

I was right. The bastard had followed me. “Go away, William.”

“You need to leave town. If you know what’s good for you.”

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