“What?”
“I’m sorry.” She sat next to me on the bed and looked down at her hands. Folding them together on her lap, she pressed them between her legs. “I know that’s why you’re here, seeing if we know anything. That’s what Corrigan said, but I told him the same thing. There’s nothing on campus about you. There are lots of rumors and guesses, but that’s it. No one knows a thing.”
That was . . . extremely disappointing. I couldn’t lie to myself. I bit down on my lip and tried to swallow the disappointment. It was a hard pill to shove down. I murmured, “I see.”
“If it’s worth anything, people are changing their minds.”
“What do you mean?”
“After your impromptu press conference, people are starting to rethink things. More supporters are coming out for you. A lot of people still think you’re guilty, but you’ve got people believing in you.”
“Believing in me?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
I blinked a few times. No one believed in me. No one except Corrigan, Bryce, and Denton. Grace had believed in me, once upon a time.
She was gone.
Being with Carolina was harder than I expected. She brought memories back, memories of what she had already talked about. The sorority approaching me, wanting me, but getting Grace instead. She’d been so excited.
‘You're wrong, Sheldon. I like these girls. They like me. Is it really that big of a stretch for people to like me?’
She’d been so excited to be accepted, to be liked. That conversation was the first time she covered for them. She had lied to my face, saying she hadn’t noticed a thing when she had been the one who shoved me into that glass table, for them, because of them, to protect them.
Oh, Grace. I wish things had been different.
I drew in a breath. Feeling a tear, I could almost imagine her response. I smiled to myself, letting a second tear fall. She would’ve laughed at me. She would’ve said something about how things had to happen.
Never regret. Never forget. Only remember, learn, and keep jetting on.
That’s something she would’ve said.
God, Grace. I’m sorry.
“Sheldon?”
Carolina placed a hand on my arm, bringing me out of my thoughts. I jerked back, then smiled to cover myself. “Sorry. Sorry.” I shook my head, laughing at myself. “I feel like I’m being haunted by Grace half the time.”
Her eyebrows shot up.
I laughed again louder, as I stood up and ran my hands down my pants. “I’m not. I’m not crazy.” Seriously. I didn’t need to deal with that. “Don’t put me in an insane asylum. Jail was enough.”
She stood with me, still frowning. Her gaze roamed all over my face, studying me. Then she asked, quietly, “Are you okay? For real?”
I couldn’t answer. Not at first.
She asked that like Grace would’ve. With genuine concern. Without judgment. Like she actually cared.
Carolina had cared. She really did.
The fight left me for a moment. I hugged her, throwing my arms around her. Pulling her in, I squeezed her tightly. “Thank you.” There was so much to say, but I only said, “Just thank you.”
She hugged me, saying, “Thank you, too.” Her hand brushed down my hair to my back. “You’re going to be okay, Sheldon. You know that, right?”
I didn’t. She didn’t. I held her close anyway.
She tightened her hug too. “I mean it, Sheldon. You always survive. You’ll survive this. I have no doubts about it.”