Chapter 13
thirteen
Grayson Mercer
Accusations
Sitting on my bed, I light up some Velm as I wait for Kade to grace me with his presence. What could he possibly need to talk to me about that has to do with Rowyn? I hate fucking waiting. Why he couldn’t just tell me in a text is beyond me. He’s always so fucking difficult.
Taking a pull, I hold it, then exhale when a knock hits my door.
Getting up, I walk over, open it, and let Kade in.
He steps inside, and I pass him the prerolled.
He takes a pull, and I raise a brow, waiting for him to start speaking.
But he keeps smoking, and I grit my teeth. For fuck’s sake with the theatrics.
“Well?” I ask, and he laughs.
“Chill out. Let me get my head right because this is a mind fuck.” He laughs again, making me huff.
“Alright, alright. Take this. And fucking hit it for the love of God. When was the last time you got laid?” he questions as I take the prerolled from him and roll my eyes, ignoring his pestering existence.
“Still fucking waiting,” I snarl, and he laughs, pulling out my desk chair and plopping onto it.
“I heard that Rowyn doesn’t remember the night at the bonfire,” he says, and I sit on the edge of my bed and fold my arms.
“How?” I ask, because that makes no sense.
“Not sure, but she has a bruise on her face and the guy that we scared off apparently drugged her and tried to rape her,” he says, and I laugh.
“How does one try and not succeed?” I ask, and he shrugs.
“Don’t have the answer to that, but how can she not remember?”
“What else was said? I feel like we are missing pieces to the puzzle,” I say, taking another hit and passing it to him.
“She and Misti went to the game, which we know. Then the bonfire again, we know. But that's it. The guy she was with. His name is Mike and he doesn’t go here or any other college for that matter,” he tells me, and I nod.
“Okay, but if she was almost raped, then how did she get back to the dorm? Someone else was there? So whoever told you this crazy story is a liar. We were there,” I spit, and he nods.
“No shit. But what if I told you it came from her lips? She’s the one who told me this story,” he says, and I raise a brow.
“What were you doing with her?” I question, because what the fuck? And why would she be with him after what we did to her in the woods?
“Do those details really matter? No. They don’t. What matters is—this story doesn’t make sense, and she’s left with a bruise on her face that neither of us caused. We didn’t even touch her,” he says, and I take a deep breath.
“Where’s Elliot? Maybe he can do some digging? I don’t have time for this shit!” I growl, and he shrugs.
“I haven’t seen him in a few days. Not since the bonfire,” he says, and my senses go off. That’s odd for Elliot. We usually check in, or at least see one another, almost every day, and now it dawns on me that he's been scarce since orientation. It’s been a week since then. What the fuck?
“Call him. Tell him to get his ass over here,” I command, and Kade nods, taking out his phone.
I grit my teeth while I wait, yet again.
How can she not remember? My taunts and actions are memorable.
I think that pisses me off the most. I was so mad that night.
But how could she forget our moment like that?
Like it meant nothing. Then to cook up an entirely different story just doesn’t make sense.
Is she doing this on purpose to see what we would do?
To get us to admit the truth of what happened that night?
She really can’t think we are that stupid.
“He’s on the way,” Kade says, interrupting my thoughts. Thankfully, we don't have to wait long. Kade gets up and opens the door, letting Elliot in. He steps inside, shuts it, then leans back against it with his arms folded. I raise a brow, and he snickers.
“What’s the problem?” I ask, throwing my hands up in the air, and his eyes turn to slits.
“Ya know, it’s one thing to fuck with people, scare them, even bully them, but attempted murder?” he questions, and my brows furrow.
“What are you yapping about?” I ask, and he steps forward, grabbing me by the collar of my white polo shirt.
“You know damn well what the fuck I’m talking about, or did we forget—or maybe you just don’t care?” he accuses as I look at him, down to his hands then back up to his face. He lets go and turns to Kade.
“I’m so fucking confused, who tried to kill who?” Kade asks, and I fold my arms over my chest, raising a brow, because what in the actual fuck?
“You’re making some incredulous accusations for someone I haven't seen in a few days,” I state, and he rolls his eyes.
“I just don't get the two of you. After what happened with Zoe, I can’t believe you both would go to these lengths with another girl in the same place where Zoe fucking died, for what? Some game?” he snaps, and I stand, because I’ve had enough of this bullshit!
“I still don't understand,” I shout, and he lunges at me, shoving me onto the bed. I haven’t seen Elliot this angry in a long fucking time. I shove him off, but he rears back and punches me in the face. My head snaps to the side, and I laugh. Kade runs over and pulls him off of me.
“The both of you cut it out. Eli, explain. I'm just as confused as Gray.”
“Stop fucking lying! You both taunted Rowyn and shoved her off the cliff! Guess what though, she's still alive because I found her!” he growls, and my eyes widen.
“What? We didn't do that? What the fuck?” Kade yells, but something pings in my chest, and I don’t like it.
“How does this have anything to do with Zoe?” I ask, gritting my teeth. I haven't said her name since that day. I try very hard not to think about her or what happened, so why the fuck would we shove Rowyn off the cliff?
“It has everything to do with her because I found Rowyn freezing to death in damn near the same spot Zoe’s dead body laid. I thought I was seeing shit,” he says, covering his face with his hand. I look at Kade, who has a faraway look in his eyes, but I'm still confused.
“Did she tell you we pushed her?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest.
“She said enough, and let’s face it, I’m the only one in this fucking world who knows what the two of you are capable of. So if the shoe fits,” he says as he stares me down, but I’m so deep in thought I don’t see Kade get up and punch Elliot in the jaw until it’s too late.
“Fuck you, Elliot. You know how much Zoe meant to us and how broken we were after she died. Fuck you!” he spits, then storms out of my room.
“He’s right. Did you forget how we all felt about Zoe? Did you forget everything before that fucking day!” I yell, and he wipes his lip.
“No! I will never forget it, but when that girl told me what you both did in the woods, then I find her at the bottom of the ravine, what am I supposed to think?” he shouts, and I tighten my fists.
“You fucking come to us and have a goddamn conversation. You should’ve called and we would’ve come!” I growl, and he laughs.
“Yeah, well, I was too busy making sure she was okay and not dying from hypothermia,” he states, and I take a deep breath.
“What I still don’t understand is the whole attempted rape senario,” I say, and he laughs.
“She doesn’t remember, and when she asked me why she was naked with a bruise on her face in my room, I concocted a story. Better than the actual truth,” he snarls, and I roll my eyes.
“Yeah until she does remember, then what?” I ask, and he shrugs.
“Then I’ll deal with it when the time comes. Until then, we just roll with the punches,” he says, then leaves my room, slamming the door in his wake. I sit on my bed and rub my hand over my face.
If we weren’t the ones to push her, then who the fuck did?