Page 190 of Their Cruel Play
“But she thought I was sleeping with you guys.” I try to think of something to eliminate them as suspects. “They didn’t know I was going to the locker room at the last game.”
“Who knew?” Nico asks.
“The girls in the bathroom who told me about it, and I texted Kenz.”
“I talked with Zoey Turner, the cheerleader in the bathroom.” Luke narrows his eyes on me. “She doesn’t strike me as the kind to sic a guy on a girl like that.”
“Why didn’t Kenz go with you?” Caden’s voice is low, and I try not to get defensive of my best friend. We’re just talking out everything. No one is casting blame.
“Brandon was playing. I told her to wait and make sure you guys didn’t miss me while I went down to the bathroom to try to wash the stench away. I texted her when I went to the school.”
“Why didn’t she go to check on you when you didn’t come back?”
My heart freezes as I look at the guys. They all have that look like they think she’s the person harassing me. No, no way.
“Kenz is my best friend. She did text me, and she went to get you guys but couldn’t get into the locker room. She told Jack.”
“At half-time. You were gone for almost half the game, kitten.” Eli’s voice is soft, but his eyes are cold and calculating. Fuck, they can’t punish her.
“She was with me the night someone broke in.” I straighten. My mind races to try to find some way to disprove her as a suspect. “Why would she slash my tire?”
“That was the day we ignored you.” Caden rubs his jaw. “She could have used it to get you back into our good graces.”
“Brandon was the one who told us about him and Kenz fucking.” Jack puts his hands up in surrender when I glare at him.
“She knows pretty much everything about you, Harper.” Luke watches me carefully. “It might be too perfect though. Have we ever done anything to her?”
Jack shakes his head. “She’s been with Brandon for a few years, so she dropped off our radar.”
“She knew you were home alone with her that night. She could have called whoever broke in and potentially left a window open so he could get in.” Nico’s words ring in my ear.
“Stop!” I have to move, because I don’t want it to make sense. Standing, I pace the room. “No. Fuck, no. Kenz is myfriend. She wouldn’t do that to me. Never.”
I stop and glare at each of them in turn.
“Kenz wouldn’t do that to me.” I feel it resonate in my bones. We’re best friends. She’s never cared about the horsemen. “She doesn’t care about you guys. Don’t you think I would know if my best friend was betraying me?”
“You didn’t know Nico was a horseman,” Jack helpfully points out.
“We were kids,” I spit out, wrapping my arms around my waist. Tears burn the backs of my eyes. “Kenz and I have been friends for years. I’m not going to accuse my best friend of trying to have me raped or hurt me in any way. So stop.”
Caden comes up behind me. His arms slide around my waist, drawing me back into his warmth. “Okay.”
I spin in his arms and search his eyes, trying to figure out whatokaymeans.
“We’ll believe you and leave her alone. But we still have to look into everyone, little nympho. Even if it hurts.”
I rest my head against his steady heart and release the tension from my body. “She’s my only friend.”
The words are soft, but they’re so true. For years, it was just me and her. I needed someone and she was there. She’s the last person I would ever suspect of being involved in whatever scheme I’m wrapped up in.
“She seemed genuinely surprised by the guy in Harper’s room.” Luke’s eyes are soft when they meet mine. “I don’t think she was expecting it.”
My heart beats a little faster and louder and gratitude flows over me. Caden tightens his hold on me like he’s afraid I’ll leave him to hug Luke. He’s not wrong. The impulse is there.
Instead, I mouththank youto Luke, and he gives me a slight nod.
“Then back to Penny and her crew.” Eli’s voice is a little disappointed. I can see where he might think Kenz is the one, but she’s not. She can’t be.
