Logan didn’t stop holding her.
“Are you struggling to stay quiet?” he asked.
“Nope.”
“You’re going to be stubborn the whole night?”
“Yep.”
He chuckled. “Two can play at that game.”
****
Present day
It had been two days since Logan had released the videos to everyone in town and also uploaded them online. So far, Ava had lost her job, and no one would serve her in town. She’d been booed out of the grocery store and ignored. Someone had even thrown an ice cream cone at her, and of course, she was denied everywhere.
Standing in her home, staring at the empty fridge, she knew she was going to have to either leave town, or do something.
She’d been to the sheriff’s office three times to no avail. He was either out or she was thrown abuse until she had no choice but to leave.
What Logan had done … she didn’t know if he’d ever really do it, but she’d clearly pushed him too far and now she was paying the price. There was nothing she could do. The videos were out, and she was all on her own. No one was going to help her.
Slamming the door closed, she pressed her head against it.
It will be fine.
The easiest option would be to take her belongings and run. To put the house on the market and to get the hell out of town. Only … she didn’t want to get the fuck out of town. It pissed her off that Luke would be winning again.
He’d already turned Logan against her.
Now the entire town was against her, not that they’d believed her in the first place, but she’d hoped they would.
Luke was a monster.
How was it she was the only one to see it?
What the fuck had the sheriff done with her original statements to have people turn against her?
Grabbing her jacket, she stormed out of her house, not surprised to see the words “lying whore” scrawled across her front door.
Ignoring it, she closed the door and rushed across the lawn, heading toward town. She kept her head down.
“Bitch, you’re a lying whore.”
“We saw the videos. No one had to force you.”
“You’re nothing.”
“Get your skank ass out of town.”
Random people threw insults at her as she made her way across town, going straight to the sheriff. This time, she won’t be bullied or pushed aside.
There was no way she was going to let anyone push her out of her own town. Luke had won twelve years ago, and in the past couple of days. But he wouldn’t win any other time.
As Ava entered the station, Susan stood with a sigh. “He’s not here.”
She didn’t even bother listening to Susan. For a town where crime never happened, the sheriff was sure busy all the time, which was strange considering he loved sitting in his office with his feet up.
Without knocking, she opened up his office door, and there he was, alone, feet up on the desk, reading a magazine and this time, nibbling on a sandwich.
“I’m sorry, Sheriff, she barged—”
Ava didn’t give her a chance to finish. She slammed the door closed and flicked the lock into place.
“Are you attempting to take me hostage? If so, I should warn you it’s a—”
“What did you do with them?” she asked.
“Whatever do you mean?” he asked.
“Cut the bullshit. I know you manipulated those statements. I never once mentioned Logan, other than to say where Luke may be.” She slammed her hand against the desk, leaning on it as she yelled at him.
Her anger had risen. Seeing the proof of the sheriff just sitting there, in his chair, it annoyed her, filled her with a rage she couldn’t even begin to describe.
“You need to leave,” the sheriff said.
“I know my statement. I remember what happened.”
“Please, nothing happened.”
“If nothing happened why wouldn’t you do the rape test? Why wasn’t Luke arrested? Why is he walking around town as if nothing happened, but Logan is the one pissed off!”
“The accusations you have flying around right now, you better be careful. You should learn to take responsibility for your actions.”
“Fuck you! You’re a monster. I will find something on you and make sure the entire town knows what you did. The girls in this town need to be protected.”
“Again, your lies are going to get you in trouble. I saw the videos. You think I don’t know what I’m dealing with?”
“I was an eighteen-year-old girl. He cornered me. What you saw was me trying to get past everything.” She shook her head. “You don’t deserve to wear a badge.”
Turning on her heel, she left the sheriff’s office, determined to find something, anything on him, but she had no way of knowing.
Walking down the street, she headed toward her home only to stop when she saw Luke, parked and waiting.
There was no way she could stop him from approaching. If she got to her house, he’d only shove his way inside and then she’d be alone with him.