“Hi,” I say, shielding my eyes. My voice comes out too loud.
Oops.Act normal, Charlotte.
“What are your names?” he asks.
“I’m Charlotte.” I glance at Grayson, but before he can answer—
“Oh. Rowen Grayson.” The cop’s tone shifts, more jaded. “Well, well, well. What are you doing out here, parked on a shoulder, this late, with a young woman?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Grayson replies stiffly, jaw tight.
“Yeah, he didn’t!” I chime in, trying to help, but my heel sinks in the grass and I wobble sideways like a newborn deer.
The flashlight snaps back to me.
“Have you been drinking tonight, ma’am?”
I smile, dumb. “Well... yeah. But I didn’t drive or anything.”
The cop ignores me and zeroes in on Grayson.
“Late. Remote area. Inebriated woman. Interesting.”
“I’m her designated driver,” Grayson snaps. “Took her friend home already.”
“And pulled over here because...?”
“The car was making noises,” he lies, not even well.
“In the dark?” The cop lifts a brow. “Not under a streetlight?”
Grayson’s jaw clenches. He says nothing.
Then, the flashlight turns on me again.
“Ma’am, you look like you were in a struggle. Did this man hurt you?”
“What?” I scoff, stunned. “No! That’s just... we were in a pool. My make-up’s just... doing stuff.”
“Molli,” the man says, motioning to his partner, a younger woman with a blond ponytail. “Take her to the vehicle.”
“Wait. what? Why?” I call out, glancing at Grayson.
But Molli gently guides me by the elbow, away from him.
His eyes track me. And for the first time tonight, he looks scared.
I’m dizzy.
I don’tfeeldrunk. But maybe I am. Or maybe this is... a really confusing nightmare.
Molli speaks softly as we near the patrol car. “You’re safe now. You can speak freely. Can you tell me how you ended up here tonight?”
I blink fast. “Oh! You want to know our love story?”
“Your... what?”
“It’s like a Bonte novel! Timeless,” I explain, clutching my chest as I speak. “It started freshman year. Grayson was a bully, but then he kissed me. And we lived together. And he was a gentle lover and made me pancakes and—”
