Page 96 of The Love Penalty

My shoulders slump, that familiar sadness swamping me yet again. “Yeah.” My voice sounds rough and raw, doing nothing to hide the pain riding through me. “But it’s all too complicated for her.”

“Yeah, I get it. She can’t be around Harvey, even if he’s not lying. It’s too traumatic for her.”

I nod.

“And if he was lying, well…” Her voice trails off, and I glance up, frowning at her.

She clears her throat, her movements stilted as she edges farther into the room. Glancing over her shoulder, she spins back to face me with a look I’ve never seen before. “We’re not having this conversation.”

“Huh?”

Her eyes take on a worrying sheen and she blinks, looking down at her hands while she fidgets with the ring on her pointer finger. “One of my friends in high school accused Harvey of raping her. It never stuck, because according to what everyone else said, she was making out with him, and no one believed that the sex wasn’t consensual. But she swore that when he started taking things too far and she tried to stop him that he wouldn’t listen. She told me he was rough and just wouldn’t let up. She felt violated and…” Halsey blinks, wrapping her fingers around her arm and wincing. “I, of course, sided with my brother because he’s fun and sweet, and he would never do something like that, right? He was so cut up that she would accuse him that way. You should have seen him.” She glances up at me, her expression buckling even more. “But that isn’t the only time I’ve heard stories like this. And now… I can’t help wondering if maybe he did it. Because I’m pretty sure if you asked around at Lennox…” Her voice wobbles while my stomach writhes. “You might find some other girls who…” She shakes her head, her body snapping to attention when the pool room door opens.

She bulges her eyes at me before quickly turning to spot her father.

“Oh, hey.” I can tell she’s putting on a smile. Her voice is overly bright and breezy.

“Hey, cutie.” Uncle Hayes winks at his daughter. “Mind if I have a quick chat with Asher?”

“Sure.” She glances over her shoulder, her face folding with concern before she forces a smile and walks out of the room.

I watch her go, my heart pounding so hard, I nearly miss the fact that my uncle is talking.

“…find it hard, and I completely understand. Parents can be difficult.”

I blink and try to catch up to what he’s saying.

“But family is important, son. Even when we don’t always like each other, we have to be loyal and true. We fight for each other, no matter what.”

My head bobs automatically because I know that’s what it’s supposed to do.

And it’s only then that I notice the hard gleam in my uncle’s eyes. I’ve never seen him like this before, and my gut twists into a painful knot as he stops mere feet from me and looks me right in the eye. No, not looks—he’s fucking glaring at me.

“How dare you accuse my son of raping your girlfriend.”

“I… I didn’t.” I shake my head. “I simply asked him if he did.”

“Do you not see how abhorrent that is? That you would even think for a second that Harvey was capable of such filth!” He lets out a disgusted scoff. “I’m ashamed of you.”

I blink, struggling to reconcile this man with the fun-loving uncle I grew up adoring. Struggling to wrap my head around this shit when Halsey just told me her secret.

“You know…” Uncle Hayes bites his bottom lip, shaking his head with a disappointed frown. “I’ve always thought of you like my son. I’ve spoken up for you, pulled strings for you. I’ve provided free housing for you. I even got that apartment for your little friends—Rachel and…” He flicks his fingers in the air.

“Mikayla,” I croak.

“That’s it.” He clicks his fingers, then slides his hands into his pockets, all smooth businessman, like ruffling even one of his feathers would be an impossible task.

“So, when you accuse my actual flesh and blood of something so disgusting, it actually hurts me, Asher.” He bores into me with an admonishing stare that’s hard to counter. “You hurt me.”

I end up dipping my chin, hating myself for it, wishing I didn’t feel like a ten-year-old kid being reprimanded. His disappointment is like a tsunami wave trying to take me out.

“How am I supposed to stand up for you when you’d willingly betray the family this way?”

“I haven’t betrayed anyone,” I mutter.

“You bought into some woman’s lie without hesitation. You came at Harvey with nothing but your anger and your bullshit.”

My eyebrows rise as I let out a surprised breath. “I’ve gotta stand up for my girl. You get that, don’t you?”