Every bone in my body shrieks in agony. My vision blurs. His spit mists my face as he bares his teeth at me, shaking me with explosive force. I sag like a sock puppet as he grips my thin gown in a meaty fist, tugging me an inch away from his nose.
Two officers pull him off me, and I wobble backward, catching myself on something. On someone.
Stevie’s father.
He holds me up by my armpits before I can plummet to the floor. “Get him out of here,” he orders, curling his forearm across my chest for leverage.
“Don’t touch me,” Dad demands, grappling with the cops. “I said I’m a goddamn attorney. That’s my client.” Then he stabs his finger in my direction, his stone-blue eyes saying all they need to say. “You’re done.”
My throat locks up. I know he’s serious.
I’m fucking done.
I won’t be surprised if I’m removed from my house in a body bag by sunrise.
I’m trying to regain my balance as the officer ushers my father out of the room when a voice breaks through the havoc.
Her voice.
“He didn’t do anything,” Stevie croaks out, her words strangled. “I was driving.”
I almost don’t hear her. I don’t think I hear her.
Not correctly. Maybe not at all.
I wiggle myself free from her father’s hold and fight for steadiness, glancing at Stevie as she avoids my gaze, her eyes glued to the paneled ceiling.
An officer steps back into the room while the other deals with my father.
No.
What the hell is she doing?
My wide eyes film over, turning glassy. My mother materializes beside me like an unwanted ghost and presses her hand to my shoulder. Squeezes. I hardly feel it. All I hear are those words, those untrue, awful words. “Stevie, don’t—”
“I was driving,” she repeats, slowly twisting to look at the officer. “It was my fault.”
“No. Fuck, no, I was—”
My mother digs her nails into my shoulder. “Lexington, it’s okay.”
“It’s not okay. She wasn’t fucking—”
“I was,” Stevie interjects. “I know you’re just trying to protect me, Lex.” She still won’t look at me. “I was drinking. It was a horrible mistake.”
“Stevie.” Her mother gasps out her name in a breath of anguish as she flies off the chair. “Honey…no. Please, no.”
Stevie’s eyes fall shut, more tears leaking through and lining her cheeks with misery. “I’m so sorry.”
Everything around me blackens. Whitens. I can’t tell. It’s all a blur, a colorless void of disbelief.
My father’s shadow looms outside the curtain.
Mom’s hand tightens on my shoulder, her fingernails angry skewers.
I look back over to Stevie.
I say nothing.
