Don't Let Me Fall(49)

look. It was the same look he had when he told us he and Mom were getting a divorce. We knew things were bad but we always hoped they’d stay together…for us.

“Matty and Kelsey told me you haven’t been feeling...” He looked down at the floor as his jaw twitched. I know he hates saying it. Everyone hates saying it. That’s why I don’t

want to burden them with my problems.

“Dad.” I sat up and wiped sleep from my eyes. “What is it? Just tell me.” Just blurt it out so I can handle it. I can’t take the dramatic effect.

“Toby called,” he said looking back at me.

My breath caught. My airways are closing. I can’t breathe. I’m shaking. And–

Dad grabbed my hand and told me to breathe. In and out. Deep breaths. Relax.

“I told him to call me first,” Dad said after I started to calm down. “Just in case you weren’t…” I nodded. I get it. I’m not stable enough to have Toby call me with updates.

“His parents got the trial bumped up.” Holy shit that was fast. Of course it was. They’re lawyers. Judges listen to them.

It’s been seven months since Alice was murdered.

To me, it feels like it was just yesterday. I can never stop thinking about it. Thinking about her. April seventh was the day my life hit the pause button. More like the self-

destruct button.

Kelsey doesn’t even talk about her birthday because it was two days before my life exploded. She used to always bring up her birthday and how many things she needs to make it

special. How big the party will be. All her friends coming over. Now we both think back to those days and nothing good comes out of it. She found out she was sick and I lost my best

friend.

“To when?” I asked. It’s supposed to be in a few more months. There are cases that have more importance at the moment. I guess since the victim was killed and they caught the

guys, that’s more than enough for now.

“January,” Dad said softly. f-uck. That’s the month of Alice’s birthday. “Fourth.” No f-ucking way!

“They can’t do that!” I snapped. “Why would they have it on her birthday?! What the f-uck is wrong with them?!” That is so f*cked up. Why would they do that? And on Alice’s

birthday! She would be turning twenty-three. Instead of remembering the day that is suppose to be for her, they’ll be ruining it with court and photos of her lying on the bathroom

floor, covered in blood, dead. Who would do something like that?

“I know. I know. Birdie, listen,” Dad said grabbing my shaking shoulders. “They want them to pay for what they did and the only available day was the fourth. They see it as fate.

Something Alice is telling them.”

“That’s f-ucking bullshit.”

Her parents are *s. The biggest ones out there. They don’t care about Toby or Alice. They just want their name to be wiped clean. They don’t want to be the lawyers whose

daughter was murdered. They want their clients to know how powerful they are. That won’t happen unless they take care of the two *s that killed my best friend. Not their

daughter. My best friend. Melissa and Dolton can care less about losing their daughter. They have each other and that’s how they always saw it. To them, they never had children.

“Toby said you need to be there,” Dad said.

I nodded.

The police told me the same thing when I was able to head back home. They told me I’d have to be present at the trial. I’ll have to do everything again if I want Kenneth and Jared

to pay for what they did. For what they took. They didn’t just take my friend. They took my life.

“Are you okay?” Dad asked searching my face.

“Yeah,” I whispered. “I will be,” I said when he didn’t believe me. He knows me too well.

Dad left a few minutes later and I got ready for school. I was on autopilot again. I’m standing at the twins’ dorm building, staring off at nothing. I don’t know how I walked

down the stairs leading me here once I got off at Ruggles station.

I was about to walk into class when my phone rang. And it was the Washington area code. I answered with a shaky hand and listened to one of the Williams’ assistants tell me about

the trial coming up and how I’ll get all the details in the mail tomorrow. At least they’re making it a rush delivery.

I hung up and leaned against the wall as people walked by. I noticed a lot of them stared longer than normal so I wondered if I have ‘penis’ written on my forehead or something.

A small hand snaked around my arm and pulled me forward. “You look AMAZING,” Aimee said smiling at me with bright white teeth. “But aren’t you cold?”

Cold?

Why would I be–

I looked down and stared at the tops of my b-reasts popping out of my tank top. Jesus! How did I forget my sweater? And why am I not cold?

“Whoa,” Logan said stopping beside me. “Did someone not notice how freezing cold it is outside?” He looked me up and down then found my eyes. “Is that bear to blame for this?”

No. My dead best friend’s f-ucking parents are. I’m not completely here at the moment. I can see that.

“What bear?” Aimee asked, brows furrowing.