Page 63 of Spiteful Lies
“This is Detective Taylor. Remember, I gave you and your friends lifts home?”
“Sure. Are you calling to wish me a Merry Christmas?”
He laughs a deep laugh. “Maybe. I have decent news. Ted Leister has accepted a plea deal and is headed to prison for a lesser sentence, followed by community service. He won’t be our governor anymore.”
I stop in my tracks. “That’s good. I mean, it is good. Right? He didn’t get away with it.”
“He should be going to jail forever, but I’ll settle for a few years.”
Smiling, I want to jump up and down, but maybe that’s not the correct reply. Rawlins would probably thank the guy. “Thank you for letting me know, Detective. It’s good of you. I’ll tell my sister.”
“I want to commend you both for your testimony,” he continues, “If you hadn’t stepped forward, that sick fuck of a…sorry, I mean that disreputable individual would still be out there breaking the law.”
I can’t help but laugh. “No, you’re right. That sick fuck of an asswipe deserves to go down, and may he get what he gave in jail.”
“Whoa. Couldn’t have said it better.” He chuckles. “Astrid, Merry Christmas to you and your sister. And if you need the law, give me a call.”
I smile. “Merry Christmas, Detective.”
I want to blast a text and let everyone know that we did it. We took Ted Leister down, but the smile fades off my face as I think about Justin. In private, I should tell him first if he doesn’t already know.
By the time I reach Stonehaven, I’ve missed four calls. It’s impossible to run and talk in the bitter cold. It chills the lungs. As I race up the steps into the dorm, I check my phone. Bryce…Wyatt…Justin…Pierce. I smile, wondering where they are as I dash into my room.
“Justin?” The phone is on speaker as I pull on the long floral skirt and oversized sweater I bought for today.
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
I smile, and then it dies on my lips. “Have you heard?”
He nods. “I got a call from Mom, and she spoke to Ted’s attorney. I don’t know how to feel about it. There was a time when I loved him and wanted him to love me. But now, I can’t say I don’t hate him. He is my father, but I’ll never speak to him again.”
If he was here, I’d hold him in my arms. Instead, I hope he hears it in my voice. “We’ll get through it together. You and me. Maybe some couple’s counseling over Zoom.”
He laughs. “That is so everybody, and ugh.” He smiles. “What if I give you your present instead?”
“I’d rather have happy times, but if you need to talk…”
“And I expect you to do the same. Where are we meeting? At the dorm?”
The dorm seems like a letdown after my run through Rockingham. “Sure, let’s meet here.” I take the key off my desk and turn it over in my hand, “But give me an hour.”
Chapter 40
Astrid
Later, in my dorm, I don’t know what to expect when Justin hands me a small square box. I open the paper slowly, watching him as he opens his gift. He smiles at the house key I wrapped in paper, and I’m relieved. “I suck at picking gifts,” I tell him, “Do you know what it is?”
He nods, slipping it into his pocket. “I’m pretty sure I can guess. Go on. Rip the paper.”
I tear it off, and inside is an amazing carved wooden box. I open it, and inside is a silver and turquoise ring. The eagle is slightly larger than the band. It looks like my tattoo. “It’s beautiful,” I tell him as I put it on. “It’s wonderful.”
“It’s not conventional, but I thought you’d appreciate it more.”
I stare at the ring on my finger and want to ask what he means by conventional. What is he saying with this ring? What have I agreed to by putting it on my finger? “Conventional?” I ask hesitantly.
Justin smirks. “You’ll see.”
There’s a knock on the door, and before I can ask another question, Bryce comes in, bundled up in a navy puffer and a navy knit cap. His blond hair sticks up when he takes it off. I give him a silly grin as if I’ve never seen a better-looking guy. He pats Justin on the shoulder and then leans into me for a quick kiss. It doesn’t matter that it’s a quick peck on the mouth. It still curls my toes.