“We’re going to take you down to the station for further questioning,” the first police officer said as the second one propelled me towards the door.
Hollis leapt up from the sofa, swaying a little unsteadily on her feet. She went as if to come to me, but Finn stopped her, wrapping his arms around her and whispering something in her ear.
Too scared to speak in case I said something to incriminate myself, I left the house and got into the police car, turning towards the window where Hollis stood, watching me leave. I had never felt so wretched as I did at that moment.
It didn’t get much better when we reached the police station. I was taken to a booking-in area, where the stark light made my eyes hurt. The bored-looking guy behind the counter took my personal details and then my belongings, which amounted to my phone and a set of keys. He confirmed that I understood what was happening to me, then the handcuffs were removed, and I was taken to a cell to wait.
I sat on the hard bench, resting my elbows on my knees and my head in my palms. My body had chilled down since leaving the house, adrenaline keeping me going, and I shivered. Now I was alone, isolated.
How the hell had this happened?
Who had called it in?
Everything pointed to Gil. Had he really got me arrested to get back at Hollis?
I’ll do more than punch him in the face if I ever see him again.
But if that’s what had got me here, I’d be happier never to see him again.
More than anything, I wished I had had the chance to speak to Hollis before I left, to hold her, to tell her everything would be okay. All I wanted to do was protect her. Tiredness enveloped me, and despite everything, I could barely keep my eyes open. Curling up on the bench, I pulled the thin blanket over me and tried to sleep. Maybe everything about this nightmare would end when I woke up in the morning.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hollis
My head throbbed, and I felt sick. None of it had anything to do with the small cut on the back of my skull. Seeing Jase being taken away in handcuffs had to be one of the worst things I’d ever witnessed. My heart ached for him. Seeing the hurt and bewilderment in his eyes as he’d been led away made me want to cry all over again. After he’d been taken away, Finn tried to console me, but all I wanted was to be alone. As soon as Laura had declared the injury to my head as nothing too serious, however, if anything changed to let her know, she left, too. I’d fled to my room, throwing myself on the bed like a dramatic teenager. I grabbed my phone and called Jase, knowing it was futile, knowing he wouldn’t answer. I needed to hear his voice.
Hey, it’s Jase. I can’t come to the phone right now, so you know what to do.
My throat closed up as I choked back the tears again.
This is all Gil’s fault.
He had to be the one who had called the police and told them where to find Jase. If I thought back to the incident,I couldn’t really remember what had happened. Gil had come into the house, almost demanding I get back with him, then Jase had flipped, lashing out with his fists. I didn’t recall there being much in the way of injuries—except probably Gil’s pride.
There was a light tap on my door.
“Come in,” I called.
Finn opened the door and stepped inside, holding a mug of something that smelled distinctly alcoholic. “Hot chocolate with brandy, like Mum used to make.”
I managed a weak smile. “Sounds good.”
He handed me the mug and perched on the side of the bed. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Sniffing, I wrinkled my nose. “Not really. I don’t understand why Gil did it. Who else knew what was going on in the house? Even Laura said she hadn’t heard anything except raised voices, which, around here, is perfectly normal. She didn’t suspect there was anything wrong until she came over.”
The corner of Finn’s mouth quirked up. “I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”
Taking a sip of the fruity, oaky chocolate, I let the flavour settle on my tongue, hoping it would mask the nausea I still had. “I don’t want to talk about how Ifeel.”
Finn’s expression changed, growing darker. “I’ve never seen Jase act like that before. He’s never hit anyone either. At least, not seriously anyway.”
The drink stuck in my throat. “Good to know, I guess. If he has no previous record of doing anything like that, and it’s out of character, then he should be okay.”
“I hope so. You never know what kind of spin Gil might put on it. If it’s proven, Jase could be facing a prison sentence or at least afine.”
Suddenly, the sweet taste in my mouth turned sour. I couldn’t let either of those things happen. “He can’t go to prison.”
