Jaden (Jaded 3)

Another person laughed. “That’s quite a defense, there.”

I shook my head. They were going to spin it into something else, but I had to try. I just had to try. “Grace Barton was one of those people I was cruel to. I thought she was a fake person. I was wrong. I learned she was a genuine person. She was one of the strongest people I have ever known.” I drew in a shuddering breath as suppressed sobs choked me. As my emotion was heard, the room quieted again. “Grace became one of my best friends, along with two others.” I glanced to the side. So did everyone else.

Cameras started flashing again, and I heard whispers. “Bryce Scout.”

“That’s Corrigan Raimler.”

“All three of them are here. That can’t be coincidental.”

Someone called out to me, “What about Denton Steele? Are the two of you still good friends? He drove here an hour ago. Is that how you got on the premises?”

I ignored everything; I had to get this out. My heart was pounding. “I need to be very clear about one thing. The headlines are saying that Grace was my enemy. She was not. Our friendship hit a bump in the road. She was taken in by a sorority in the hopes they could draw me in as well. I believe they wanted to use my relationships with certain people to help further their own house. I am not a sorority girl. In my experience, most girls have always stabbed me in the back so I shy away from large groups of females especially.” I paused, then chuckled. “Well, shy isn’t the right word. That’s not my way, but Grace didn’t believe me when I told her she was being used. She was blinded by the power of being accepted and being popular. She’s the one who pushed me into a glass table. She also helped vandalize my home and the night she was murdered, she confessed to all of it. Grace Barton was not my enemy. She had hurt me, but she was trying to make amends.”

This was the hard part. Even thinking about that night, I felt tears welling up.

Screw it.

I let them fall. This was my heartfelt speech. I had to make it heartfelt all the way through. I couldn’t hold anything back now. “I was stubborn that night when Grace apologized to me. I told her it wasn’t enough, but the truth is that it was. It would’ve been. I really believe that Grace and I would’ve made things better. We might not have had the closeness we had before, but I would’ve tried. Grace was a genuine person who had lost her way. She realized that fact and she took responsibility for it. I don’t know who killed her. I know the police think I did, but I didn’t.” My voice trembled. “I loved Grace and to whoever did kill her.” I turned so I was looking directly into the camera. I hardened myself. I made sure my voice didn’t wobble. “To whoever killed her, I’m coming for you. I don’t know who you are, but I will find you. I. Will. Make. You. Pay. That’s my promise to you.”

As soon as I finished, a surge of adrenaline filled the frenzy. People started pushing to get closer, knowing I was leaving soon. I could feel their desperation.

“Sheldon,” someone murmured my name. It wasn’t a reporter. There wasn’t a hidden agenda attached to that voice. I looked up, reacting to the intimate concern I heard. It was Denton. The flashes were blinding, and he held a hand up to shield his eyes. He said to me as he tugged at my hand, “Come on. You said what you needed to say. We have to go.”

“Denton! Denton!”

“Sheldon, are you threatening the real killer? Are you going to get revenge for your friend’s murder?”

“Denton, are the two of you a romantic couple now?”

“What about Guadalupe? Is she still with Bryce Scout? Sheldon, what do you think of their relationship?”

“You said you were here to confront who cut your brake lines?”

Hearing that last question, I stopped. Denton stopped as well. We were halfway to where Bryce and Corrigan were. Seeing that I had paused, they started for us. They were going to flank me and pull me from the growing mob.

I saw the determination on both of their faces.

Turning, I looked in the direction of who asked that question. Realizing they had my attention, they called out again, “Did you? Who cut your brakes?”

Everyone held still, waiting for my answer.

I had no idea where

Maria was, or Guadalupe. I knew they were furious with me, but I was just as furious with them. Guadalupe took Bryce from me. Her assistant tried to take me away, hurting Corrigan in the process.

Maria was obsessed with Guadalupe, but Guadalupe was obsessed with Bryce.

So I said, speaking my first lie in this whole twisted tragedy, “Guadalupe Ramirez cut the brake lines on my car. She did it because Bryce Scout was going to leave her to renew our relationship. She wanted to hurt me. She wanted me out of the way.”

Then I turned and ducked my head. Bryce froze beside me, but as I moved past him, he and Corrigan formed a wall around me. With Denton, all three of them hustled me from the main lobby. Security staff was waiting for us, and one guy clipped out, “What the hell was that?”

Denton shot back, “Just get us out here. She could be in danger.”

He jerked his head forward and began to lead the way. We were shown down a hallway, through the kitchen, and down into a basement hallway. I had no idea where we were going, but then we climbed stairs, and a set of doors were thrown open. The sun was harsh, and I squinted against it, trying to see where we were.

I had no idea.

We were behind a different building, one that I didn’t recognize from the hotel. A car was waiting for us, and we climbed inside. Before Denton closed the door, the head security stuck his head inside. He looked stern as he said, “I’m warning you. The hotel is not happy with the stunt you pulled in there.”