Page 27 of Tell No Lies

How could anyone think I would make this up? Why would I do this to myself? The pictures were of me and my friends. How could I have taken them?

I sank deeper into myself, ignoring the conversation around me. If this wasn’t Morgan, then who was it?

“Aubrey. Aubrey!”

I looked up and saw they were all looking at me, waiting. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“They asked for names of anyone who knows about Chicago, or anyone who would do this.”

“Why would any of my friends do this to me? Somehow, Morgan is pulling this off.”

“Ms. Tate, I understand your reluctance to believe this, but the most likely suspects would be the people here who know you. Maybe it’s a prank, but we want to check with everyone. Maybe your friends saw something you didn’t this weekend.”

They could be right. Maybe someone had noticed something I hadn’t. It felt like a betrayal of my friends, but I knew they would understand. “Fine, I’ll write a list of the people that were there.”

“And anyone else you know here.”

I glared at the young detective. I really didn’t like him.

☼ ☼ ☼

Brandon stayed home from work to be with me. I felt bad since things had been so busy for him lately, but he assured me he could do some work from his laptop. I was snuggled into a blanket on the couch and hadn’t moved since the detectives left. I didn’t want to go into my room, in case something else magically appeared, and Brandon hadn’t moved either.

I was sure he didn’t want to leave me, as much as I didn’t want to be left alone.

I fell asleep during the third movie that came on and woke to the sound of knocking on the front door. I looked up and caught Brandon’s eye. We were both on edge and looking suspiciously at the door.

He stood and looked through the peephole before opening the door.

Carter stood on the other side, carrying bags of takeout. “I come bearing gifts!” His smile was wide, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He seemed just as concerned as Brandon.

“Good. I just realized neither of us has eaten anything.” They moved into the kitchen and began setting the food on the counter. “Are you hungry, Aubrey?”

I shrugged but stood and made my way into the kitchen. I peeked into some of the boxes and saw Mexican, my favorite. My stomach rumbled, earning me a laugh from both of them.

“I guess you are. Thanks for grabbing this, Carter. We appreciate it.” Brandon shot me a look.

What a parent.

“Thanks, Carter.”

It was barely a whisper, but I guessed he heard. He turned and gave me a worried look before holding his arms out to me. Really? We weren’t allowed to see each other or date, specifically because of my brother, but he was fine hugging me in front of him?

I couldn’t think about that now. I was too worn down and needed him. I needed the reassurance only he could bring. I stepped into his arms and hugged him around his waist. He held me so tight I could barely breathe, but I didn’t mind. It felt good to have someone hold me, even if a few hours ago he’d stormed out on me. For the first time since I woke up, I felt safe.

I felt him rest his chin on my head. “I left you alone for one night, and look what happened. Do I need to stay here and keep guard from now on?”

I smiled against his chest, not wanting to break the hug yet.

“That’s not a bad idea,” said Brandon. “Would you mind staying over tonight? I have some things I need to finish at the office, so if you could hang out, I would really appreciate it.” He paused for a moment. “Only if that’s okay with you, Aubrey. If you don’t want me to leave, I won’t.”

I expected him to say something about us hugging, but since he didn’t I stayed in place and spoke against Carter’s chest. “I’ll be fine. I’m sorry you had to miss today.”

“Don’t apologize. You’re my first priority. I’ll be as quick as I can.” I watched as he put food in a container and closed the lid. “I’ll be back soon. We got the locks rekeyed today. Remind me later to get you a new key.”

He smiled at me on his way out the door and nodded to Carter as if they were speaking a code.

After Brandon shut the door, Carter released me and offered me a plate. “I got your favorite, but you can have whatever you want.”