Keep Her (42 page)

By the time we arrived at the station, a commotion was in full gear. Beck was in cuffs arguing with a police officer as he gave Marissa the evil eye. Marissa was crying with melodramatic flair—for effect, I was sure. And an older couple—who I assumed were Marissa’s parents—were speaking animatedly with two other police officers. Taking it all in, I shook off the shivers that swept over my body. Ever since Zack, I was weirded out by cops. Not because they weren’t helpful, but because being around them brought back painful memories.

Marcus ran over to Beck and I followed with Tessa close to my side. “What the hell, man? You okay?”

He looked up to acknowledge his friend and then his eyes focused on me. “Riles, what are you—Marcus, why did you bring her here?”

His objection to me being there made me wonder if I had something to worry about. Was he innocent like I’d hoped? Had he done something to deserve the arrest? Did he have something to hide? What the ever-loving hell was going on?

“B, please tell me what’s going on.” My voice came out so shaky and frail it was barely recognizable to even my own ears.

“Riles, I wish you hadn’t come. The baby—” He instinctively brought his hand up to comb his fingers through his hair, but when the cuffs prevented him from raising one arm individually he dropped them both back to the officer’s desk with a frustrated huff. “You shouldn’t be here. We’ll clear this up. They didn’t need to worry you with this shit.”

“Of course I need to be here,” I cried. How could he say that? The man I loved was in trouble and I wanted to help him get through it. I needed to stand by his side and figure out how to make it go away. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Marcus, Tessa, and I huddled around Beck, who was still waiting to give his report as the officer scribbled some things on pad. Marissa stood with her parents, where I assumed she was giving her account of things. Whatever those
things
were.

As the metal wrapped around his wrists jangled against the wooden desk, Beck started to give us his side. The side I’d have to believe no matter what. I’d made the mistake of believing Marissa’s lies once before—it was time I stood by my man. So long as his story made sense.

“After you and I had that argument I decided I needed to go over there and talk some sense into her.”

“What would make you do that alone, bro?” Marcus interrupted. “You should have called me or Tessa. We could’ve come with you. We all know what she’s up to. This has bad news written all over it. Her father knows people, Beck. Even if you’re fucking right, they’re gonna make you look dead wrong.”

Marcus’s words didn’t put me at ease. They only made things worse. For Beck too. His complexion went from a heated tan to a pale white. “You don’t think I know that? It was a stupid move, but I thought if I tried to reason with her… I just thought I could make it go away. But when she got in the car she went all kinds of crazy…” His eyes searched mine for forgiveness, for understanding, for anything to make him see I believed him. “Baby, I had no idea she would go to such great lengths to fuck with us. Had I known—I would’ve stayed away. She tried to kill us. She took the wheel and tried to swerve the car into oncoming traffic when I told her we were over. I was so scared… so scared I’d never see you again. So I called her mother. It was the only thing I could think of doing in that moment and as soon as I got her on the phone—Marissa fucking started spewing more lies. Lies. Lies. Lies. That’s why I’m here. Because
I
believed her lies,
you
believed her lies—everyone believes her mother fucking lies.”

I wanted to cry. I wanted to break down and just lose it right there. I’d had it with Marissa’s games and now I was furious. She could have killed the love of my life, the father of my baby, all because she was a jealous bitch. “I’m gonna—let me talk to her!” I started to stalk in Marissa’s direction, but my brother grabbed my arm, stopping me.

“Where do you think you’re going, little girl? She’s insane. You mess with crazy—and crazy’s high and mighty daddy—and you’ll be sharing a cell with your boyfriend tonight. Let me handle this, okay?”

I searched Marcus’s eyes with desperation. I wanted to believe he could solve this whole ridiculous misunderstanding, but I feared irreparable damage had already been done. What lies had she told? If he was accused of hurting her physically or abusing a substance, he could be put on probation at work. Or moved to a shitty house in another borough. I couldn’t have her ruining our lives any more than she already had. “Marcus, please? I need to let them know that she’s been messing with us. Maybe they’ll listen to me.”

“Riley, there’s no use, babe. I’m telling you. They’ll believe whatever she says. It’s always been like that.” I didn’t know if Beck was only trying to calm me down to avoid a brawl or if he was talking from experience.

Suddenly, I remembered what Marissa had said to me about Griffin lying for her at any cost. “What the fuck is it with her? Why does she have everyone wrapped around her finger?” It didn’t make any sense. They couldn’t protect her forever. There were consequences for shit like this.

“Just leave it alone, Riles. Please, baby?” Not Beck too. Why was he defending her?

“Screw you all!” I couldn’t stand back and let this go down.

Fighting my way past Marcus and Tessa, and ignoring Beck’s protests, I marched right up to the stuck-up family of bullshit artists and said my peace. “You have some nerve accusing him of
anything.
You know damn well he would never hurt you.” I waved my finger in Marissa’s face, holding myself back from balling it into a fist and slugging her.

Before I could get another word in, Marcus and Tessa were at my side, with their hands on my shoulders, holding me back.

“Come on, Ry. Let’s sit with Beck. Let the cops handle this,” Tessa whispered in my ear.

“No! They can’t believe her! This is—this is fucking crazy!”

“Crazy?” Marissa finally said with an evil smirk. “I’ll give you crazy. When he showed up at my house he reeked of booze and dragged me into his car. Do you know how scared I was?” All of a sudden her smirk turned into full-on theatrical waterworks. Her father rushed to her side to coddle her.

“It’s okay, baby. He can’t hurt you anymore.” He cupped her head against his chest as she made herself look like the victim.

This had to be a fucking joke.

When she finally broke from her father’s protective—and probably manipulative—arms, she stared me down as if to scare me away.

But I wasn’t scared. I was enraged.

“You are despicable,” I spat at her. The lies never ended, but there had to be a way to prove Beck’s innocence without it just being his word against hers. Searching the room, I recognized a police officer who’d been sitting with Beck earlier. “Excuse me, officer?” I motioned to him and he strolled over. “Was my boyfriend given a Breathalyzer? If he’s being accused of drinking and driving I assume he had to take one.” We had to get to the bottom of this. There had to be an honest answer out there fucking somewhere.

“Ma’am, just relax. We’re compiling all the information and filing the complaints. These things take time.” His flippant response only irritated me more.

“Time, my ass. You’re wasting yours. He did nothing wrong. She’s a goddamn liar and you’re all blinded by her last name and her fucking social status.”

“Riley!” Beck yelled from across the room where he was now standing with his hands tethered together in front of him. “Enough. Just leave it alone.”

With Marcus and Tessa holding on to me as if I were a fragile porcelain doll, I took in a long breath to try and even the raggedness out. My poor baby. She would hate me for making her wound tight. “Why is this happening?” I finally broke down. “I feel like I’m in a nightmare. I don’t understand why no one will listen to me.”

I’d never felt so helpless in my life. How could I fix this? I needed some kind of miracle.

“
Griffin
?” Marissa’s eyes went wide. “What are you doing here?” She ran to him with open arms.

My head spun around like Linda Blair’s in
The Exorcist.
Griffin was here! Was this my miracle? Holy shit, thank you, Jesus.

All eyes turned to the two siblings sharing a hug and a silent conversation. I wanted to run to him myself before she fed him more of what everyone else believed, but I held back out of respect for Beck.

The two of them walked over to our crowd, Griffin’s eyes focused on me. “Riley,” he said with a shy smile and a nod.

This was no time for something so composed. Everyone needed to snap the fuck out of their Marissa-trance and figure this shit out. “Griffin. When did you get back?” I asked.

“Last night. I was catching up on some sleep, trying to even out the time difference thing—guess that’s why I missed my stepmother’s call.”

“Why are you explaining yourself to her? She’s no one. Come, Griff. You can help me fill out the forms for the restraining order.” Marissa dug her claws into her brother’s arm and I expected him to follow her like the other sheep.

But as she pulled, he didn’t budge. “Marissa, why don’t you go sit down and let me talk to Dad and your mother. We’ll figure this all out. Promise.”

“There’s nothing to figure out. He’s an animal and he needs to be punished. Are you going to let him get away with this?” The anguish that seeped through her voice almost made me feel sorry for her. She actually turned this whole thing around in her mind as if she was the one suffering and not causing the pain. She was good at what she did—no doubt about that.

Griffin patted her hair, tucking the red locks behind her ear. “Rissy,” he hummed, tilting his head. He loved her. Deeply. You could tell just by the way he looked at her. How he spoke to her. Marcus and I were close and we’d always been protective over each other, but this was different. It was almost as if she depended on him in some way and they fed off each other because of it.

“You don’t believe me? How can you not believe me?” She whimpered, staring into her brother’s eyes.

“Because you’ve taken it too far this time. He hasn’t done anything wrong. Falling in love with someone else isn’t a crime, honey.” He leaned down to her level and whispered something that sounded like, “You need help. I’ll help you.”

“
Griffin
!” Her mother’s stone-cold eyes went wide. She didn’t need to say anymore. It was obvious she was mortified that Griffin was airing their family’s dirty laundry.

Marissa’s face dropped as she lost all color in her usually rosy cheeks. “You can’t be serious. Why would you defend him? Do you know how he’s hurt me?”

Turning to face his sister with his hands planted on her arms, he spoke in a calm, soothing tone. “You’re hurting and you’re used to getting your way, but we both know Beck isn’t capable of what you’re accusing him of. I spoke to the cop who made the arrest—there wasn’t a trace of alcohol. He passed the Breathalyzer. The stories don’t match up and I’m not gonna sit back and let you ruin his life—or hers.” He pointed to me over his shoulder. “They’re good people. They don’t deserve this.”

Oh my God! Finally! Someone
finally
had enough sense to tell the damn truth.

“I hate you,” Marissa whispered, like she was a bratty child who hadn’t gotten her way.

Griffin kissed his sister on the top of her head. “No, you don’t. And you don’t hate him either. There are no charges to bring up and no restraining orders to file. Let’s just go home.”

“Can I fucking get out of these now?” Beck yelled, raising his arms above his head.

Griffin motioned to one of the officers. “Larry, uncuff him.”

“Larry?” I asked, being nosy. “You’re on a first name basis?

“Another friend. I told you I have a lot of them.” He flashed his dimple, reminding me of all the good qualities he possessed—and not just in the looks department.

Larry ambled over to Beck, dangling a set of noisy keys. Marissa cried into her parents’ embrace, looking more pathetic than ever. One of the police officers went over to them and then quickly walked off when her father shooed him away.

Marcus and Tessa stepped back, watching the show seemingly astonished by the events that had unfolded.

Beck walked over to join me and Griffin, grabbing my hand and kissing me on the cheek. “I’m sorry, babe. I am so sorry it came to this. I should’ve never doubted you.”