Текст книги "Fraternizing"
Автор книги: C. Brown
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Текущая страница: 25 (всего у книги 26 страниц)
Chapter 32
Cassie
Sunlight beamed into the room early the next morning, waking me from what felt like a lifetime worth of sleep. I remembered falling asleep in Alex’s arms, but when I woke up he was gone, and I was more than a little sad about it. I looked around, realizing that I was still in the hospital. The night before felt like a horrendous dream, but moving around in the bed, my sore body, and my aching bones, reminded me that it was real.
It was so real.
Flashes of the night, Allen attacking me, the firewatch throwing himself into the mix, Alex coming in and damn near killing Allen...all of it replayed in my mind, making me wince. I wanted to forget about it, but I couldn’t. It was embedded in my head, now and forever a part of me.
The aftermath of it all...Alex holding me, the exit from the hospital...all of that came back as well. My breath caught as I realized that Alex had acted like a protective boyfriend and not like the concerned instructor that he should have. I lay stoic in the bed, thinking about what would become of that if anything at all.
“Good morning, Pfc. Bennett,” my nurse said, cheerfully strolling into the room with a cup in her hands. “Here are you meds. Have you had a chance to order breakfast?”
I took the meds and swallowed them down.
“No, I haven’t. I just woke up.”
“No problem. Here is your breakfast menu. Go ahead and call in whatever you want.”
She began changing out machines all around me, then took my vitals before jotting everything down on the chart.
“Um—there was a guy here with me last night. Do you know where he went?”
She smirked at me, moving her eyebrows up and down.
“That handsome specimen that was here with you this morning? He stepped out with another guy, but said he’d be back.”
I nodded my head, relieved that nothing horrible had happened and that he was okay.
“Go ahead and order your breakfast. I’ll be back periodically to check on you.”
The room was quiet. Much too quiet for comfort, so I leaned over and pressed the button to raise the back of the bed up, putting me in an upright position to call in my food order and turn on the TV. Leaning over to grab the phone, my head throbbed with intense pain as I grew dizzy. I sat back, hoping the feeling would subside, when a knock sounded on the door, and the nurse walked in.
“You have good looking men all over the place.” She winked and led Dalton in.
I smiled, so glad to see him as he strolled in, looking fresh and rejuvenated in the early mornings like he always did.
“Well, if you wanted people to come wait on you hand and foot, you could have chosen a less dramatic way of doing it,” he joked, placing a vase of flowers down near me, then leaning over to hug me, kissing the top of my head.
“Yeah, I like getting destroyed by the living Hulk. It was an amazing experience.”
His smiled faded as he looked at me. I could tell sadness and regret were running through him. I had seen the same look the night before flash through Alex’s eyes. “I’m fine though. What’s going on?”
“Not much. I just had to see you. I felt so bad when I found out. I should have walked you to your room.”
“Stop. You sound like Alex. Neither of you could have known.”
He sat quiet for a minute, looking around the room.
“He was pretty broken when they were taking you out. I didn’t recognize him.”
I quickly remembered seeing Alex cry the night before. It didn’t strike me as weird because I was in such an emotional state that his tears seemed appropriate to me. The complexity of the situation that he must have found himself in had to have been difficult for him. He chose to be Alex and not Sergeant Cruz.
He had made that choice for me.
“Anyway, what did the doctors say? Will you be able to participate in graduation?”
“Yeah. I will probably be out of here by Monday. They said I got a slight concussion, so they just want to make sure everything is okay before releasing me.”
“So what exactly happened? If you don’t me asking.”
I wasn’t sure if I minded or not. The idea of rehashing the most traumatic thing that had ever happened to me didn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. In fact, it felt like tiny pieces of me were shriveling up and dying, but I went ahead and told Dalton anyway. His face went from calm and complacent, to horrified, then disgust. The story was heinous, raw, and emotional.
“Did he—“
“No,” I affirmatively cut him off. “The firewatch got there just in time.”
He breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m so sorry, Cassie. I really should have been there. None of this would have happened to you.”
“I said the same thing,” Alex said, walking in with bags of what smelled like breakfast in his hands. He was freshly showered, wearing shorts, a black Marine Corps t-shirt, and sandals. His hand was bandaged, which I didn’t remember seeing before. But overall, he was the same, delectable and delicious Alex. “I felt the same way, Dalton. And now, we work on healing her. That’s all we can do.”
Dalton looked almost stunned to see Alex in a military environment, yet so casual. He scooted his chair, making room for Alex to sit down. He took out a couple of bowls of oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and bacon. I was starving. I couldn’t recall eating the night before. Alex offered Dalton some, but he declined. We ate and made small talk, trying to avoid speaking anymore about the massive elephant in the room. After a while, the conversation shifted to Third L.A.R. and how exciting that would be for Dalton. He went on and on about what he was expecting, and what he was looking forward to. The reality of my North Carolina orders pinged in my head, bringing a melancholy sadness over me. Alex noticed my silence and took my hand, kissing the top while sympathy poured from his golden irises.
There was a knock on the door again, the nurse strolling in once again.
“More handsome men here to see you. Your life is amazing.”
I looked behind her and watched as Riley walked in, flowers in his hand as well.
“How you feeling, tiger?”
He was so casual, so welcoming, so loving. I hadn’t spent a great deal of time with him, but he was so much more than just an instructor. He felt like a friend.
“I’ve been better, but I’m okay,” I answered, trying my best not to sound down. If people were here to see me, I wanted them to see me being strong and vigilant, not as the broken and battered victim that sat before them.
“Well, that’s good to hear because there’s someone here to see you. And I wanted you to be okay before I just marched someone else in here.”
Riley turned for the door and opened it, leading the way for Angelica, who walked in, looking nervous.
“She was down in the lobby, so I brought her up here.”
Alex sat back in his seat, carefully watching her with low, hooded eyes as she walked in and placed a small bouquet of flowers on the swivel table next to me.
“I hope it’s okay that I came by. I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“It’s fine.” She looked as if there was so much more that she wanted to say. I squeezed Alex’s hand and quietly asked, “Will you give us some privacy?”
He looked at me, making sure that I was okay with this, then leaned over and softly kissed my lips, erasing any doubt that there was much more to us, and cementing it for everyone in the room. He gathered up Dalton and Riley, and the three of them walked out of the room.
Angelica wearily moved closer into the room, sitting down in a chair and smiling awkwardly at me.
“Thanks for coming to see me.” I had to break the awkward silence filling the air.
“I—I just felt awful after what happened last night. We haven’t seen eye to eye all of this time, and I’ll be honest, it was because I was a little jealous of you.” My eyes widened as she confirmed what I had been feeling all along. “I don’t like being second best—in anything. I was a bitch to you, and I was wrong. When I saw what went on last night, it put everything in perspective for me.”
I was a bit surprised but overall happy to see her sitting there. She’d walked out of the shower, dressed in nothing but a towel, and had hit Allen a few times, trying to get him off of me when the firewatch came in and finally removed him.
“I don’t even know what to say,” I replied, uncertain how to respond to her confession.
“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to apologize. When I walked out and saw what was happening to you, I didn’t think of anything else except getting him off of you.” She stopped and looked into my eyes. “I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy, Cassie.”
“I appreciate it, Angelica.”
“And then, I saw Sergeant Cruz go crazy on him, then scoop you up and nurture you. It was so beautiful. He didn’t give a shit that he was laying it all out on the line.” She stopped again, taking my hand and smiling. “I knew you two were an item, but I couldn’t exactly prove it. It’s out for the world now. But you know what? I saw the love he has for you. It’s amazing.”
I blushed and felt a little squirrelly inside. It was out in the open, and surprisingly, I felt so much better about it.
“I’m not going to stay forever. I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry for everything.” She let go of my hand and stood. “You take care. And good luck to you and Alex. First Sergeant O’Hara questioned me for a while last night.”
I swallowed the hard, suffocating lump in my throat. First Sergeant O’Hara was going to be digging, and as much as I was relieved to no longer be living in the shadows, I wasn’t sure how I would react to the imminent fallout. I put on a happy face anyway, not wanting to give away my apprehension.
“Thank you for coming by, Angelica. It means a lot.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy North Carolina.”
She turned and walked out the door, leaving me in a mess of emotions. I didn’t want to give North Carolina a second thought. I was just so glad to have escaped Allen– and have Alex out in the open– that my orders were more like an afterthought. I wasn’t ready to face that heinous reality. I felt like Alex and I had just made a great stride, and now my departure would be taking it all away.
She walked out without a second look back. I knew we were probably never going to be friends, and that was fine by me, but the fact that she came by meant something, so I took it for what it was worth.
Alex walked back in the room, but Dalton and Riley nowhere to be found. His walk was smooth…sexy…confident, but his face showed nothing but worry.
“What did she want?” he gruffly asked.
“Surprisingly, she wanted to apologize.” His eyebrows shot up, but he didn’t say anything. “She says First Sergeant O’Hara questioned her for a while last night. I’m wondering what all she told him.”
“I don’t give a fuck what she told him. I don’t care if she told him she found us fucking on your floor. I just don’t care anymore.”
“But there’s so much—“
“It doesn’t fucking matter, Cassie. I’m done hiding. If the Marine Corps wants to punish me for not being a fucking robot, then punish away. I love you, and I’m done hiding it.”
I reached for him, bringing him close to me so I could plant a kiss on his beautiful, yet oh so foul mouth. I kissed him, trying to go hard, but he wouldn’t let me. “Don’t rile me up because I can’t fuck you right now, and teasing me would just be cruel.”
I sucked my bottom lip and smiled as he pulled away. The words coming from that mouth, filthy or not, always did have a way of making me tingle.
“By the time you can, I’ll be on the opposite end of the country.”
“We’re not even thinking about that right now. We’re nursing you back to health. No more talk about orders.”
There was a knock on the door, and Riley came walking in.
“Hey. Just wanted to let you know that Dalton is in with First Sergeant O’Hara—again. He had him last night, and he has him now. He wasn’t around when all of this Allen mess started was he?”
I sat up in the bed, seeing the urgency on Riley’s face. Alex didn’t seem to care, but the reality of it all was making my stomach turn, and I couldn’t be as calm.
“No. We split off after the gym. He went to his room, and I went to mine.”
“Okay. Just wondering.”
“Riley. If First Sergeant uncovers anything, then we’ll deal with it,” Alex chimed in, standing and patting him on the shoulder. “I’m no longer concerned with what may be. It is what it is.”
Riley seemed to accept what Alex was saying and dropped it. They both sat down in the chairs, chattering about who knows what as I dug into my breakfast that was now lukewarm at best. It didn’t matter. I was hungry. After eating as much as I could, I laid back and fell asleep, feeling the medicine finally take hold.
When I woke, Alex was asleep in two chairs next to me, and Riley was gone. I looked at the clock on the wall, finding that it was well after noon. I leaned over and drank more water. It was freshly filled and had a nice, cool, feel going down my sandpaper throat. Soon I was out of water, and my throat didn’t feel better. I pressed the button for the nurse and asked for more when she poked her head in.
A couple of minutes later, there was a knock on the door, but instead of the nurse walking in, there stood First Sergeant O’Hara, dressed in uniform and looking like the bulldog that he was.
“How are you feeling, Pfc. Bennett?” he asked, his voice stiff and dry. His eyes surveyed the room, stopped on Alex, then swung back over to me.
“I’m doing okay,” I answered after clearing my throat.
Alex stirred, then woke and sat up in his seat, looking at First Sergeant with nothing in his eyes. They looked at one another, causing the room to collapse around me. It was so uncomfortable, yet neither wanted to relent.
“I wanted to come by and get your official statement on what happened last night with Private Allen. I spoke to the nursing staff and delayed my arrival for today in hopes that you could get a little more rest,” he said, after turning away from Alex.
I nodded my head, staring him dead in the face.
“Sergeant, I’d like to speak to her alone.”
I looked over to Alex, feeling the need to keep him nearby since my nerves were fraying by the second. He nodded his head then stood, giving me a covert smile as he made his way out of the room. I had never felt so vulnerable.
First Sergeant O’Hara watched Alex leave the room, then turned to me. I told him everything from the beginning—how Allen had blindsided me, to the attack, to Angelica, and then to the firewatch.
“And how did Sergeant Cruz factor into this?” he asked. His beady eyes looked suspicious.
“All I remember is hearing the firewatch, and him pulling Allen off of me. Then after their fight, Sergeant Cruz coming in.”
He was dutifully note taking, looking up every so often to gauge my expressions, which only made me melt more. His eyes were like an incinerator to my soul, and I was slowly being burned with every passing second.
“Alright. Because this is an on-going investigation, with the potential for brig time, we will be canceling your orders. You will be staying in Twentynine, where a new set of orders will be issued to you.”
For the first time since he had come and sucked the life out of the room, I had a reason to smile, only I couldn’t because that would have been inappropriate in his presence.
“Okay, First Sergeant,” I managed to croak out, still under the intense heat from his stark gaze.
His eyes closed in on me, locking me down like I was about to be viciously devoured. It made me slink down in the bed a bit, afraid of what was coming next. “I told you sexual harassment was a big deal with the Corps, and its turning into quite the shit storm. I have been digging through everything with Private Allen, and I have come across some very eye opening information involving you and another Marine.” My throat suddenly closed, and it became hard to breathe, like my lungs had been doused in gasoline and lit on fire. “So, I am only going to ask you once—is there anything you would like to tell me, right now before I dig a little deeper? I don’t plan on taking this shit lightly.”
His lifeless eyes continued to rip through me, sending my guilt to the surface. It almost made me come out and remove the weight of it all from my shoulders. A second thought quickly came to mind, and I shoved it back down with the bile that was slowly rising as I almost released it all, surely destroying Alex and me for good.
I managed to keep my mouth shut, simply shaking my head and trying hard to look back into those menacing eyes, hoping to pacify him even for just a short while.
“Alright then. I will continue to dig through this cesspool. But if I find more shit, and I fully expect to, hell is going to be paid. You understand that?”
My lip began to quiver, and I made a conscious effort to stop it, not wanting to show any signs of guilt or weakness.
He turned and walked out of the room. I could hear him speak to Alex, grumbling, “I’ll need to see you in my office in ten minutes, Sergeant.”
“Roger that, First Sergeant,” Alex replied, then strolled back into the room.
First Sergeant O’Hara stalked away from the room, hitting the ground hard as he set off on his mission to destroy everything that we had tried to conceal. My stomach hurt more than any other part of my body. I felt as if I were trapped inside of an ever expanding balloon that was nearing its bursting point. The walls were closing in, and I felt it deep down in my gut—we were so close to being busted.
The nurse walked back into the room. There was no doubt in my mind that she had deliberately stayed away until First Sergeant left. She sat the water down, looking curiously at me. I thanked her and turned to Alex, hoping to get a sense of what he was feeling at the moment.
He wasn’t feeling anything. He was just as nonchalant as he was before First Sergeant had arrived. I wanted to understand it, but I couldn’t. The thought of whatever was about to go down in that office terrified me, and I wanted him to be even a tad bit concerned.
“Hey, why do you look like your cat just died? You get to stay in Twentynine, did you hear that?”
My frustration couldn’t be contained any longer. I didn’t understand him. I was losing my shit on the inside, and he was calm as could be.
“Alex. You are about to face the man that could very well destroy us—destroy you.”
He moved swiftly over to me, staring those engulfing honey colored eyes at me.
“First Sergeant O’Hara is a man of great integrity, so he’ll do whatever it is he has to do. If that means he destroys me, then he destroys me, but he will never destroy us. Ever! You understand that?”
His vigor and the passion burning through his eyes calmed me, making me realize that his concern was not in what could happen to him, but what could happen to us. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck as he leaned down. Tears trickled down my face as I watched this man, who was so dedicated to the Corps, cast it aside because of his blinding love for me. It was overwhelming, and at the moment, too much to take.
“You better get over there and see what he wants.”
He pulled back, wiping my tears away. He kissed me, then turned and walked out of the room, leaving me in a conflicted and convoluted mess. I was thrilled that Alex was devoted to me and willing to put everything on the line, but I was also depressed that having everything with me meant having so little with the Corps. I lay back in my bed and turned on the TV to try and drown out the damaging thoughts. There was no way that Alex would escape this meeting unscathed, and I only hoped that our love was enough to overcome the outcome of it all.
Chapter 33
Alex
The drive over to First Sergeant’s office was short and quick. I didn’t give myself much time to think about whatever it was that he was going to say. When I got out of my truck, I was ambushed by one troubling thought that hadn’t factored into my thought process since all of this had unraveled—Cassie. I knew that the gauntlet would be brought down on me, but I didn’t know how far they would push it with her, and the only sickness I could feel since all of this started was where she would be when all of the dust settled.
I walked up to his office, confidently striding through the corridors, almost eager to know what he wanted to do about all of this. There was no way I’d be coming away unmarked, and I was ready for it, but I was also ready to lessen the blow for the girl that meant more than anything to me. I knocked on the door, then turned the knob and walked in, coming face to face with a steely eyed, First Sergeant O’Hara.
“Come on in, Sergeant Cruz,” he greeted, his voice low and clipped.
I walked in, standing at attention as he stood and walked around his desk, standing in front of me.
“At ease, Sergeant. Take a seat.”
I sat down in the chair situated directly in front of his desk. He took his seat, pulling out a notepad and skimming over some notes before looking up to me. The ice from his cold, hard stare began circling the room, knocking my hardened demeanor and concerted effort to remain unfazed by all of this off of the high horse I had placed them on.
“I’m very sorry to have this happen within your class. Private Allen is currently in the hospital, on twenty-four hour watch, and as soon as he is better and discharged, he will be transferred to the brig awaiting court martial and subsequent discharge. You have my word on that.”
“Thank you, First Sergeant.”
“As for Pfc. Bennett, her orders have already been cancelled, and she will be reassigned here. We will need her for the investigation into the sexual harassment as well as the assault.”
His eyes lowered as the walls came closing in, encasing us in the small bubble that held trapped, stale air. He was calculating whatever he wanted to say next, and my breathing picked up, anxiously awaiting the venom that was sure to come spewing from his mouth.
“As far as the investigation into the circumstances of last night, some new revelations have come to light, and I am here to put you on fucking notice.” His mouth curled, almost like a disgusted sneer. “I knew there was something up when I saw Pfc. Bennett by your office door a couple of days ago, but I didn’t follow through. Shame on me.”
His jaw hitched, clenching his teeth his teeth in the process. “So I am going to ask you one fucking time, and one fucking time only. Is there anything you want to go ahead and tell me before I blow this shit out of the water?”
I sat stoic, trying to remain calm and level headed. There was no way I wanted to sit here and admit to First Sergeant that I had committed the ultimate sin as an instructor, but the longer he stared at me…into me… into my soul, I felt compelled to give him what he wanted.
A flash of clarity swept through me, putting Cassie back in the forefront and remembering that unleashing all of my indiscretions would put her on the chopping block, and her well-being meant more to me than my own. So rather than allow him to force a confession out of me, I stuck to my original game plan, even though he was making me sweat with whatever it was he already knew.
He stared at me, his face growing more rigid by the second and fixing into a tight scowl. He finally made a move, wiping his mouth before speaking again.
“You want to play hard ass, Cruz? Go right ahead, but after digging, and speaking to those around you both, your fucking secret is out in the open, and I am going to drag your ass down as far as I can take you.”
His voice went lower, mixed with a deadly concoction of disgust and malice. “You’re a motherfucking predator, using your position of authority to prey on students. I’m going to make a fucking example out of you, and when I’m done you’ll wish you had exercised a little more restraint with your extra-curricular activities.”
He sat red-faced, glaring at me.
My heart was beating so fast I thought it might explode. As badly as I wanted to play it off, I knew what the aftermath would be, and as much as I had prepared myself for it, I hadn’t prepared myself enough. Sweat began coating my brow, my hands, my entire body. My breathing labored, crushing my chest as I tried to hold it in. He was looking for a moment of weakness and, even though it was oozing through me, I wasn’t about to give it to him.
My ego had taken a beaten while my nerves were being severed by the sharp tongue lashing insults at me. A predator I was not, but how was I going to plead my case with him? I wasn’t sure exactly what he had on me, but from where I was standing, he had enough. Now, I just had to keep calm and make him do the excess legwork to actually prove all of it.
I prayed he wouldn’t be able to do it.
I hadn’t heard him say anything about punishing Cassie, so I sat still, giving nothing away in expression, further pissing him off.
“You’ve got nothing to fucking say for yourself, Devil Dog?”
My silence had sent him tumbling over the edge. He was shouting, and the veins bulging out of his neck looked like they would burst and spew anger all over me. He slammed both of his hands down on the desk, leaning over and bringing his face inches from mine.
“You were our goddamned NCO of the Quarter, our most highly respected instructor, and a leader for your peers. You’ve turned into nothing more than another fucking idiot who can’t keep his fucking dick in his pants. I’m going to take this shit as far as I can take it, hopefully setting up your court martial right alongside Allen’s. You’re two peas in the same motherfucking pod.”
That comment hit at my psyche, causing my anger to flare up.
“With all due respect, First Sergeant, I am nothing like Allen. I don’t prey on those weaker than me.” If I had lost my right mind, I would have gone off on his ass for the comparison, but he was still my superior and I was still expected to show him respect.
So I showed it, in the least amount possible.
My response must have set him off because he took his big, burly hands and grabbed me by the collar of my t-shirt, pulling my face up to his where our noses were touching. The hot, foul breath intruding my senses made me want to pull away, but I couldn’t. He had me strong and tight, strengthening his grip as he began to speak.
“You listen to me, and you god damn listen well. We are not here to fuck our students, we are here to teach them. What happened to your integrity as a Marine? What happened to your belief in the eagle, globe, and anchor? You set the precedent as lead instructor, and the rest of them are watching you, thinking they can get away with shit like you have.”
Spit was flying from his mouth, hitting my face like a rain shower. I tried hard to hold strong… to not blink… to not give any piece of satisfaction.
“It’s too bad Pfc. Bennett was attacked because you almost got away with this shit. You hide in the shadows, pretending to be something you are not. Well let me tell you something, Sergeant. You won’t be hearing that title before your name when I get through with you. You won’t be seeing that promotion you’re in line for either. You are a disgrace to me, this unit, and the rest of the fucking Marine Corps. You’re as sloppy as a fucking civilian, and in my eyes, beneath one. Now get the fuck out of my office before I go ape shit on your ass and become unprofessional.”
He let me go, forcefully pushing me away as he did so. He was fire breathing mad, an anger that I had never seen on his face before. My insides were a blended mess. He had me, almost, if not completely. His job was to find concrete evidence to make his claims stick, and I sat there, giving nothing away even though the overwhelming desire to want to spew it all over his desk, like vomit from deep down inside of me was banging on the door—begging to be let out.
While, on the outside, I was calm and collected, my insides were on full panic mode. My throat felt like a spike strip had been yanked up and down, drawing blood and leaving me with the inability to swallow, even though saliva was beginning to build up like a flood.
“I am glad to still find honesty and integrity amongst those around you—that you haven’t tainted them with your affair.” He took a long, deep breath, rubbing his hand down his face. His eyes went into that dark, sinister form that I was becoming well acquainted with before speaking again.
“This shit makes me look bad, and when I look bad, I’m going to make you look worse, you understand that?”
“Yes, First Sergeant,” I replied, looking straight ahead, not giving him any sort of satisfaction.
He studied me for a minute, then looked back down to his notepad.
“Get the fuck out of my office, Marine,” he growled, sitting back down in his chair.
“Yes, First Sergeant,” I replied, showing no signs of weakness where he was concerned. I still hadn’t heard anything about Cassie, so as far as I was concerned, I was leaving pretty much the same way that I went in, only I needed to gather myself and put my insides back together. He had fucking fried them, and now he had me worried about who in our circles went further than necessary and spilled everything. No longer was I worried—I was angry.
Completely fucking angry.
I walked out of his office, sweating a bit but thankful that I was waiting on news that would destroy Cassie, but never came. I rushed off to my truck, headed back to the base hospital, ready to spend the remaining days with Cassie until the hammer would come down hard and heavy over my head. It would be a miracle if he didn’t come after me with a rope to string me from a fucking tree by my balls.
One thing in particular stood out from First Sergeant’s ass chewing, and that was the fact the he mentioned a couple of times that the people closest to us were willing to talk. It had put me on high alert. Not because I was afraid of whatever they had to say—it seemed Cassie and I were out in the open—but because I had to question their loyalty. And loyalty meant too fucking much to me to let this shit slip through the cracks.
I walked up to Cassie’s room, finding Dalton sitting in the chair next to her bed, looking through a magazine with her. They both looked up and met my glaring eyes. Had this motherfucker run his mouth a bit too much? Was he really the loyal friend that she had entrusted him to be? I couldn’t be sure.
