The Summer We Fell (The Summer, #1)(87)

“I understand Luke and Danny argued,” he says. “Do you know what it was about?”

“I have no idea,” I reply.

Lying comes easily, but I guess it should. I’ve been doing it for years.

THE DAYS LEADING up the funeral are a blur.

The church has rescinded its offer to support Donna’s mission in Nicaragua and she’s too broken to care.

I sit on one side of her during the funeral, and Luke sits on the other. I haven’t met his eye once.

Afterward, there’s a reception held at the church. Donna is surrounded by people trying to console her and feed her. Libby would like to do the same for me, but Grady is always hovering nearby with a look that frightens me.

He’s only gone along with this because I’m holding something over him. What if he figures out one day that he doesn’t have to be ashamed of who he is? What if it comes out anyway? He wasn’t

exactly being careful that night. If he gets caught with someone else, will this whole thing fall apart?

I let my gaze rest on Luke for a moment, that face I love so much. How much further would I go to protect him? I’d go as far as necessary. If I could think of a way to eliminate Grady entirely, I’d probably do it.

The old, bad Juliet is front and center right now, as if she never left. I’ll need her, going forward.

Luke crosses the room to me. “Can we go somewhere to talk?”

Grady is watching. I need to just…get this done.

“No,” I reply. “And stop trying to pull me aside like this. People are already talking about how I followed you when you took that first cliff jump. You’re making me look bad. I’m leaving for LA tomorrow. Don’t call me, don’t text me. This is done.”

All the color leaves his face.

“You can’t be serious right now.” I’ve never heard his voice so hoarse, so empty.

“I will never look at you without seeing what I lost,” I lie, my throat constricting so tight I can barely get the words out.

I take one last look at his shocked, heartbroken face and walk straight out of the reception hall, unable to hold it together for another moment.

I don’t know how I’ll survive without him, but for his sake, I’m going to figure it out.





35

NOW

I was homeless when I moved to LA. The first time a guy tried something in the shelter, I punched him in the throat so hard he reported me. I lied on job applications, shoplifted food, dated a club owner to get gigs, and slept with a producer to get a demo made. I was ruthless and calculating, twenty-fours a day, and I felt absolutely nothing about it.

Something had hardened in me the day I walked out of the church and left Luke behind. It was the moment I gave up hoping I’d ever be good, or loved, or even happy. I decided to simply survive, nothing more. It made things easier.

Now, as I meet Luke’s bewildered gaze as we’re marched out of the ballroom in handcuffs, I know I need to find that thing again. I will hurt anyone I have to—even Donna, even Luke—in order to get him out of this.

Donna runs alongside me. “Juliet, what’s going on?”

In an ideal world, I’d tell her the whole, terrible truth before she hears Grady’s version, but I’m not sure mine sounds much better, and I’m scared she won’t do what I need to if she knows it.

“Luke didn’t do anything,” I whisper. “I know this looks bad, just believe me…Luke had nothing to do with it. You’ve got to get him out of this. Find Harrison. And get Drew to call her attorney.”

I’m not sure if she will. I wouldn’t, in her shoes.

Luke and I are taken in separate police cars. I don’t utter a single word and I don’t cry. I hold my shit together and try to decide who I’ll call when they book me. My agent, someone at the label, my manager, Luke’s agent? Who stands to lose the most money from our arrest? Who’ll work hardest to fix this? I’m not sure.

None of them will work hard enough.

Everyone in the station turns to stare at me as I enter—I guess it’s not every day you witness the arrest of a celebrity in a floor-length satin dress—and I stare right back, looking for one person who can help me. I’m photographed and fingerprinted, and all the while, the only thing I’m wondering is who I can fuck, threaten, or bribe into helping Luke out.

“We’d like to talk to you about the night Danny died,” the cop says.

“I want to make my call.”

“It’s just a few questions.”

I stare him down until he hands me the phone.

I call Ben, Drew’s attorney and my friend. I don’t think he practices criminal law but he’s smart as hell. Between him and Harrison, they’ll at least be able to get Luke released on bond until we can figure something out.

He answers on the first ring. “Juliet, say nothing,” he warns. “Drew already explained and I’m on my way. Your friend Harrison is probably there by now. We’ll fix this.”

Donna did what I asked. For the first time since this went down, tears threaten.

I swallow hard. “Don’t worry about me—”

“When I told you to say nothing, I meant say nothing,” he growls. “Yes, I know who you’re worried about. We’re handling it. Just hang in there and keep your mouth shut.”