23. Confessions #2
Colsen considers my words. “Especially if she overheard that the police were talking to everyone who could have been there or knew Tim, she might have assumed that you would be interviewed too and that an accusation could scare you.”
Nash doesn’t look convinced. “I mean, it’s possible, but it feels a little far-fetched, don’t you think?
She has nothing but the knowledge that you attended the same school.
That you might have known the victim and you could have been at that party would be just conjecture that could apply to every woman enrolled in the same college. ”
“Do you think someone like Gen would need proof to throw accusations against someone she considers a rival?” I ask.
The guys agree that I’m right.
“So, what are we going to do?” Nash’s question catches me unprepared.
“I don’t know.” I sigh. “Jodie was trying to get Gen’s phone to see if she had any suspicious messages in it. That would be the proof we need to solve this mystery.”
Colsen doesn’t seem convinced. “Do you really think that Gen would be so stupid to use her phone for it? If I were sending threats to someone, I’d get a burner phone. And now that you destroyed your phone, we need them to prove that someone was blackmailing you.”
“I understand why you destroyed it, if the stalker was tracking you through it.” Tucker is rubbing his chin, deep in thought. “But I’m sure we can get those messages back. They’ll be in the cloud, right?”
“Why would I want to get those messages back?” I ask with a shudder.
Nash’s next words confirm all my worst fears.
“Because you’re in danger, Trouble. Whoever is stalking you escalated the situation from verbal threats to physical violence.
They probably sabotaged your car and then followed you to jump you.
We have to call the police, and we have to show them those messages. ”
Everything they’re saying makes sense. “Right. I guess I’ll be safe from my stalker in a prison cell if anything.”
“A prison cell? What are you talking about?” Nash asks.
I can’t even look at him. At them. “Because the second the police hear everything I just told you, they’ll arrest me for Tim’s murder.”
There’s terror in my shaky voice, and I don’t realize that my whole body is shaking until Tucker pulls me into his arms. “Why the fuck would they arrest you, baby?”
“Because they’re looking for me. I’m the last person who saw Tim alive. I was the only one in that room with him, covered in his blood. The knife that killed him was by my side on the floor.”
“Yes. And if I think that whoever hurt this Tim guy could have hurt you too…” Colsen says with a shudder.
Nash and Tucker nod in agreement, and it dawns on me that they think someone else did it. “You don’t think it was me?” My voice is barely above a whisper.
“You?” Nash sounds shocked. “Why would we think that?”
“Because… I don’t know why. I couldn’t remember anything after following Tim to his room. And I thought…”
Tucker holds me tighter. It scares me how much comfort I find in his arms.
“Baby, no. You were drugged. And I’ll tell you what, if Tim did it, the motherfucker is lucky he’s dead. Because if I put my hands on him, I would make what happened to him look like a really painless way to die.”
“I agree.” Nash declares, coaxing me out of Tucker’s arms and into his own.
“You could never kill someone, Taryn. Especially not in such a gruesome way. Everything about you is good and bright. You make the world a better place for everyone around you. That’s what made me notice you in that class we shared.
It wasn’t just that you’re hot. It was how kind you were to everyone and how smart.
Do you have any idea how hard you made me every time the professor asked a question, and you’d say something I hadn’t even thought about? ”
Tucker backs him up. “Fuck, yeah. Smart women are the biggest turn on. When they have an ass like yours? Fucking marriage material.”
“Shut up, dude. I was trying to say something here.” Nash’s eyes lock with mine.
They’re so green, so intense and honest. “I hate what happened to you in Hemlock Beach. But I’m glad that fate put you on my path again.
I know we didn’t start in the best way, Trouble.
I was reeling from all the bullshit that made me leave South Carolina, and I almost fucked things up between us with my jealousy.
But getting to know you better made that crush I had on you grow despite everything.
Falling in love with you was my only option. ”
“Really?” I whisper.
Nash’s slightly rough fingers trace my face, his touch gentle. “I love you, Taryn.”
How can my heart be so full of dread and happiness at the same time?
“I love you too, Nash. And I’m so glad you don’t think I killed Tim.
I was trying to find a way to tell you about it.
To all of you. But I was too scared. I didn’t even care if you called the police on me.
But I was terrified that after you heard what happened that night, you wouldn’t look at me the same way anymore. ”
Colsen rises to his knees from his spot on the floor, hugging my hips. “I hope you know that I agree with Nash. There’s no way you killed somebody. You would never hurt a fly, pretty girl.”
My heart is so full that I have to do something to break the tension. “Don’t they say that about every serial killer?” I joke.
“Look, I’m not even going to start discussing how I don’t think you would be even capable of cutting someone’s head off.
But even if for some crazy reason you did do that, you were under the influence of something powerful enough to completely erase your memory of almost that entire night.
But I don’t think you killed Tim. I think whoever did it either didn’t want to hurt you or had to get away before they could finish the job. ”
I shudder at the thought. “If I had died, I would never know how it feels to love someone the way I love you.”
Nash and Tucker smile, but Colsen cups my face with his hands. “You love me?”
“I love you, Colsen. I know we talked about how we were falling for each other, but I couldn’t be surer.”
The smile on Colsen’s handsome face warms me up from the inside out, more than any shower or hot beverage ever could. “I love you too, Taryn.”
Tucker’s eyes sparkle like deep blue sapphires. “I’ll never get tired of telling you that I love you, baby.”
“I love you too, Tucker. And you guys don’t know how much it means to me that you don’t think I killed Tim. Just the idea that I could have done it has been torturing me every day.”
Colsen takes my hand, bringing my knuckles to his lips. “I hate that you had to go through that alone. But you aren’t alone anymore. You have us now.”
Us.
I think it’s my new favorite word.
“Trouble,” Nash’s tone is gentle. “I think we should talk to the police. We could call the detective who’s following the investigation in South Carolina and explain the situation.”
I begin shaking my head even before he’s done speaking.
“We can’t. Please don’t make me, Nash. You guys don’t believe I’m a killer, but there’s no way to tell what the police will think.
At the end of the day, they don’t have any other suspects and no solid leads.
What if they decide that there’s no other option but to arrest me? ”
“But they really don’t have any evidence against you, baby.” Tucker argues. “And you were drugged. I don’t think—”
“Believe me, Tucker, I’ve had that thought more than once. But in the heat of the moment, Jodie and I panicked. We ran, and we destroyed a lot of important evidence. Even if by some miracle the police didn’t think I’m their murderer, destroying evidence is a crime.”
Nash rubs a hand over his face. “You’re right. I wanted to call the cops because I’m worried about your safety. But there’s no guarantee that they’ll protect you even if they thought that you weren’t their killer.”
Relief washes through me that they aren’t insisting on calling the police.
“Thank you, Nash. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t scared about being arrested.
But while I could face the consequences of my actions, I couldn’t do this to Jo-Jo.
The only reason why she’s in this mess is that I called her in a panic and she helped me.
If she went to prison because of me, I would never forgive myself. ”
I rub my eyes, exhausted.
Now that the adrenaline from fighting off my attacker and sharing my darkest secret with the guys is wearing off, I’m fading.
It feels like there’s a weight on my eyelids. Colsen picks up on my exhaustion and pulls me up to my feet. “Ok, no cops. We’ll talk about what to do to keep you safe tomorrow. For now, I think we should all get some sleep.”
He moves the comforter and helps me into his bed. “You aren’t coming?” I ask when he doesn’t climb into bed with me but tucks me in.
“I won’t be long. Let me get changed out of these sweaty clothes and make sure that the door is locked.”
Nash agrees. “Yeah. Me too.”
I vaguely hear Tucker say something about getting Baety settled for the night, but sleep takes me under the second Colsen turns the lights off and closes his bedroom door.