“I missed you too.” She pushed me back. “So, he decided to stop being stupid? Saw what was in front of him?”
I kept Millie updated on what was happening with Jaxson through our talks. And of course she was hardly ever subtle.
“Millie!” There were times I wanted to kill my best friend as I said her name with irritation.
Jaxson came up beside me. “I did and damn glad it didn’t take me longer. It’s nice to meet you, Millie.”
Millie threw her arms around him and I heard her whispering something. I thought I heard something about frank and beans. Good grief. I was going to have a word with her.
Jaxson looked straight at me the entire time; those green eyes ensnared me as he answered Millie. “I promise.”
A heat crept on my face guessing what Millie had said. Turning to me, Millie got serious. “I need to talk to you. I have something to show you. I couldn’t tell you over the phone. I found it last night. I know this is shitty timing, but it’s important.”
Dread dripped into my stomach. Millie’s eyes darted to Jaxson, silently asking if he could stay. Whatever it was, I would tell him. If we had any chance of making it, there wasn’t room for secrets. “He can stay.”
Of course, Jaxson looked confused. Even more so when Millie led me to the couch. This was bad. So bad. Bile tasted bitter in my mouth.
Jaxson sat beside me. The warm embrace helped soothe me minutely. “Millie, what the hell is going on? You’re scaring the shit out of her.”
“Shit, London. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to scare you. I’m still trying to process it myself. This isn’t bad like you think. I promise.” She pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to me. Numbly, I opened it while she nervously rubbed her dark-clad jeans. They were medical records.
My medical records.
From June third.
“I don’t understand. Why did you bring this?” The past took hold as the images I’d seen from the accident replayed in my mind. I looked away for a second as a tear slipped free. Jaxson’s grip tightened on me.
“Flip to the finding’s page.” Millie’s voice was shell-shocked. How was this not bad?
Quickly, I thumbed to the back. The blood drained from my face as my eyes shot to Millie’s. “London, you were framed.”
I was going to be sick. My stomach revolted as I shot off the couch, barely making it to the toilet. I was framed. It wasn’t my fault. The dry heaves continued. Tears left salty tracks down my cheeks. Millie wet a washcloth as I calmed down. Strong soothing hands rubbed my back. “What’s going on, Millie? What did you show her?” There was an edge to Jaxson’s voice—defensive and ready to strike.
Deep slow breaths abated the nausea. The cool tile was relief against my hot clammy skin. Millie handed me the wrung out washcloth and wasn’t answering Jaxson. She wanted me to have the choice how much he knew.
Hoarsely, I spoke before Jaxson lost it. “All the evidence submitted at the trial supported I only had alcohol in my system.” Tears made fresh tracks against the old down my face. Holding up the paper I continued. “This was the real report. There was more than alcohol in me.”
Millie replied as I wiped my face. “There is no way you would ever drug yourself.”
I started sobbing. “This wasn’t my fault. This wasn’t my fault. I never felt I could do something like that.”
Jaxson picked me up and cradled me against his chest. “Shh, sweetheart. I have you.”
As Jaxson set me down on the couch, I reached for Millie. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
Millie sat in the chair next to the couch and held my hand. “Anything for my bestie. Anything. I’ll always believe in you. I wish we could have found this prior to the trial. It would have changed everything.”
More sobs came. There were a million questions swimming around in my head, but all I could focus on was I had been drugged. Nurse-mode kicked in from my best friend. “London, with the amount of Rohypnol in your system, there is no way you were coherent for long. No way. You couldn’t have driven from your house to Alec’s neighborhood. You would have been barely conscious to do anything. Someone put you in that car and did who knows what.”
I shivered. Someone had done this to me. To Alec. To my family. To Alec’s family. “I’m not a murderer. I’m not a killer.”
Jaxson clutched me closer to him. “No, sweetheart. You never were.”
“How did you find this?” Jaxson asked the next question I would have if I hadn’t been trying to process everything. I was innocent. Innocent. The word rattled in my head as the shadow that suffocated me faded. Alec. Sweet Alec. A life stolen for a reason that wasn’t revealed. An ache formed thinking how we were bystanders. Both robbed of our innocence.
Millie picked up the report. “I’ve been dating the sheriff.” I scrunched my eyes. Wasn’t he old? She responded to my facial gesture. “Not Norman. He passed away nearly three and a half years ago. His son, Chris, is now Sheriff.”
“I remember him. He was a few grades older.”