Gage makes an odd, strangled noise. “Fuck. Did you know the official report references ‘presumed sexual activity’ while the car was in motion? At the scene of the accident, it was noted that Landon’s pants were undone, and you had no panties on.”
A wet laugh escapes my lips. “No … I had no idea it said that. That’s really embarrassing. But no. That’s not what happened. He’d whipped it out and gotten between my legs. There was a struggle. And I caught him right in the junk with one of my knees.”
Gage closes his eyes for a moment, shaking his head. After taking a few deep, calming breaths, he opens them. I can tell he’s fighting for control with each new detail he learns. “Keep going,” he rasps.
I hate to hurt him like this. “I was crying and trying to pull my dress back into place when he grabbed me and opened the passenger door. I guess he realized he couldn’t just leave me there. He was so agitated, he hardly flinched when he rammed my face into the frame.” I point to my cheek. “That’s the scar.”
“I thought it was from the accident.” He carefully runs his fingertips over the half-inch silvery line on my cheek.
“Yeah. Everyone does. But I have proof.” I blink at him, willing him to believe me. “I have a recording.” I hesitate, fidgeting for a second. Unsure if he should hear it but knowing it’s the right thing.
“I need to know, Lux. How do you have a recording?”
I nod. “Um. When he was circling around the back of the car—probably when he was texting you—I realized I had my phone. My dress had hidden pockets. He had me so terrified, I pulled up the camera app, and began recording video, then tucked it away.” I sniff. “My phone was destroyed in the crash. But when I got a new one after I got out of the hospital, all of my stuff was still there, including the recording. I guess when we crashed, it must have stopped the video and it saved.” I shrug. “Do you want me to play it for you?”
“Yes.” He pauses, and I can tell he’s rolling another question around in his head. “But why didn’t you ever say anything? To your parents? Or the police?”
I tilt my head to the side and shake my head. “Your parents lost their son—the only one I knew of. What good would it have done to tarnish their memory of him? What was done was done. And he was”—my voice hitches, and I whisper the final word—“gone.”
Gage huffs out a harsh breath. “I can’t believe you protected him after everything he did—after he tried to keep you quiet.”
I press my lips together. Shake my head again. “I used to wonder about that myself. But the more I’ve thought about it, that isn’t what I did. I protected the ones he left behind.”
He closes his eyes for a moment before he speaks. “I want to hear it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” His voice is ragged, his pain a tangible thing floating around him.
I nod, then get up to fetch my phone from the desk. After a few seconds, I have the video on the screen and hit play, holding the phone between us.
There’s just some rustling at first. But then Landon’s voice comes through, loud and clear. “You’d better not fucking tell anyone what happened. It’s between us. You’re such a fucking tease. Tell me, if I’d tried a little harder would you have let me? Did you want me to fight you for it? You like it rough, baby girl?”
Gage tenses. I can see on his face that he remembers asking me if I liked it rough after I bit him—and worse, calling me baby girl after we had sex.
My voice, softer and tearful, comes through next. “You tried to rape me, Hawk.”
“Don’t say that. You can’t say that. You wanted it. Flat out. Plain and simple.”There’s an air of self-righteousness to Landon’s voice that I still find absolutely disgusting.
“I’m going to need stitches. I won’t lie about what you did. You can’t stop me from telling someone.”
“You won’t say a fucking word. You’d destroy me. You’d ruin me.”
There’s a definite tremor in my voice. “I-it’s sad that I thought I was falling in love with you. Because you don’t know me at all. You’re a horrible person, Hawk.”
And then there’s one last exasperated noise from Landon. “Fuck. You can’t. You won’t say a goddamn thing to anyone. I’ll make sure of it.”
It registers as Gage and I lock eyes that those are the last words his brother ever spoke. Screams and sounds of metal twisting and screeching fill the room as the car hits the tree. And then… silence.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper as I lower myself onto the chair. I can tell this has hit him hard.
“Don’t,” he demands. “How the fuck did no one know it wasn’t an accident? How the hell did you survive this? How—?” He looks at me, the devastation clear in his eyes. “I can’t believe he hurt you like that. I’m so fucking sorry.” His entire body is tense, and all I want to do is soothe him.
He couldn’t have known. What he did to me was shitty. But I understand now. Maybe we can both move on finally. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying not to cry.
His hand cups my cheek, and I lean into it as his thumb skims over the scar his brother left on me. “Baby, I really need to hold you right now. Can I? I’m so damn sorry.”
My eyes blink open. “I forgive you.” And then I break, openly sobbing for both of us—him, for the loss of who he thought his brother was, and me, for having to relive that horrific night again. Gage reaches forward, picking me up off the chair and into his arms. We cling together on the bed, wound in each other’s embrace for the longest time.
