Lies, Lies And More Lies✔️

71: I Was Framed

I crossed my arms, pouting. I wanted to talk to him now. Couldn't he just say hi?

"What about my friends?" I asked as the girls crossed my mind. They should have been here.

"I sent them out to eat. They've been here all day." Benjamin said and I nodded.

"Were any of them questioned by the police?" I asked as I recalled Detective Kabir's words.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Ziora and Zahrah were questioned. They were just asked to corroborate your story."

"And none of my other friends were questioned?"

"Not that I know of. Why?"

"Detective Kabir said a friend of mine witnessed me pushing Ruby off the roof." I explained to him and he glanced at me in shock.

"What? Are you sure it wasn't Candice?"

"It wasn't Candice. I asked."

"Ziora and Zahrah would never betray you like that." Benjamin stated and I nodded, although, I wasn't so sure anymore. They had been questioned by the police and if Detective Kabir wasn't using an interrogative tactic to get me to confess, one of them had actually betrayed me. I felt a knot in my stomach at that thought. I didn't want to believe it.

*

I had just gotten off a video call with Tosin, Ziora and Zahrah. They had seemed genuinely glad that my name had been cleared but I couldn't help the doubt circulating in my mind. One of my two longest friends had most likely betrayed me and they had put on a mask, pretending to be my friend.

The girls promised to see me in the morning as it was already nightfall and I needed to rest. I had fallen asleep the moment I got home and had only woken up several hours after. It was a little past ten in the night and I was still exhausted from today's activities. I wanted to go back to bed but then I heard my name.

"Tiara, Derrek's here!" Benjamin poked his head into my room and I jumped up to my feet.

I was already in my black silk pyjamas with a silk bonnet on my head. I hadn't expected Derrek to show up tonight as it was already late but then, I realized that had never stopped him before.

I pulled the bonnet off my head and rushed over to the mirror to check my appearance. I looked horrible.

"Tell him I'll be down in a minute." I told Benjamin and he nodded before retreating.

I rushed into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face, then, I assessed my appearance once more. I still looked horrible but at least my face was awake and my breath was very fresh.

Lastly, I put on a fruity body spray and proceeded downstairs to see Derrek. My heart was beating fast in anticipation and also because I had run down the hallway.

I stopped at the top of the stairs, taking in a deep breath to calm my ponding heart. I couldn't let Derrek know how badly I had wanted to see him.

"Dune." I said casually, giving him a subtle head nod as soon as I got into the living room. He was talking to Benjamin with a frown on his face but it melted into a smile the moment he saw me. My heart fluttered instantly.

He walked up to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, giving a sigh of relief. I wrapped my arms around his waist, grinning from ear to ear.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked as he pulled away slightly to see my face. I nodded. "Are you sure? Those officers didn't hurt you, did they? Tell me if they did and I promise I'll—"

"I'm fine, Derrek. Don't worry." I chuckled and he looked relieved. He hugged me even more tightly and gently brushed his hand over my head as I laid it on his shoulder.

"I'll be in my room if you need me." Benjamin excused himself but I didn't say anything. I was too distracted by the rising and falling of Derrek's chest and the citrus-y scent of his cologne. He also felt warm and I felt a million times better. I could have stayed in his arms forever.

A few moments later, Derrek moved us to the couch where we settled down and he took my hands in his, brushing his thumb over my knuckles ever so lightly.

"What happened last night?" He asked after a few moments of silence and I narrated the whole story to him. "Do you think Candice pushed her?"

"That's the only explanation. People don't just go falling off a roof."

"Candice is many things but I don't think she'd try to kill someone." Derrek said and I scoffed, pulling my hands away from him. Did he really not realize just how crazy Candice was?

"I didn't push Ruby off that roof! If Candice didn't do it, why would she say I did?"

"I guess we'll know when they find her." He gave a sigh, leaning back on the couch. "The police can't find Candice. It's like she vanished into thin air."

"That's very suspicious."

"I'm sorry you keep getting dragged into her messes. If I hadn't brought her into your life—"

"You're not responsible for Candice's choices. This is not your fault." I told him and he reached for my face, brushing his fingers over the side of my face for a moment. I leaned back in the couch so I could be closer to him.

"Come 'ere." He stretched out his arms and stared at me with a cute smile playing on his lips. I smiled as moved into his arms, wrapping my arms around him and placing my head on his shoulder. "I won't let her hurt you again. I promise." He said and placed a kiss to my forehead.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath as he drew circles on the curve of my shoulder with his fingers. I felt very warm and calm in Derrek's arms. I never wanted to leave.

I heard Derrek whisper something to me a few moments later but my ears couldn't catch his words as I started to drift into sleep. I felt another kiss on my forehead right before I was transported into the world of dreams.

***********************

Here's a new year update guys!

LLAML is coming to an end with only a few chapters left. I've tried to end it before but I wasn't at all happy with the final draft. However with this rewrite, everything seems in place. Thank you all for sticking with this book so long I appreciate each and everyone of you.

❤️❤️❤️