Path to Deciduous (Sequel to Road to Evergreen) | #Wattys2018

t h i r t y - t h r e e

He arches an eyebrow. "If you don't know how to hold your liquor, I'm going to start considering that."

I finish the cup. He pours another.

"See," I gesture to my cup. "You're good at bartending after all."

He rolls his eyes. "Adam was the one who told you, wasn't he?"

"Yes. Yes, he did. He hid it for some time. Riley was the one who told him."

"Riley, Riley?"

"Riley," I confirm.

"And after that he still got the decency to look me in the eye and ask me to marry him."
Goosebumps erupt and I run my hand along my arm. "Who does that?"

He looks away, staring at his cup. "Someone who's afraid of losing you."

I gulp down and lick my lips, feeling them turning numb. "And Maria shot me."

"Maria, Maria?"

"Maria."

"Jesus." He rubs his head as he finishes his drink. He pours again.

"So basically, just trying to organize the series of unfortunate events."He gives me a look and I roll my eyes. "Riley came to you about his sister. Maria was there and shot you. Riley found out who Maria is. He told Adam. Adam hid it for two months. He tells you now and you find out your father is alive and you have a step-brother."

I cross my legs and adjust myself on the couch. "Something doesn't add up though."

His eyebrows frown. "What do you mean?"

"I kept repeating those series of unfortunate events," I quote him. "But I always stop at why Maria shot me."

"She didn't want you to find out." He offers.

"Yeah, but if that, her intention was to kill me. She missed."

"Bad aimer?" He arches an eyebrow.

"No. Why do you think my father was best friends with her? She was an athlete and archery was her sport."

He takes a second to let it all in. "She doesn't miss."

"And that got me thinking. What if she was forced to shoot me?"

"Blackmail?"

I nod.

"But by who?"

I smile. Not because I'm happy of what's going own. But because I finally figured out the dangling clue.

"Lucian."

"Come again." He shakes me off.

"Think of it. He got something on her. Probably that she's married to my supposed to be dead father."

"No," he cuts me off. "That doesn't make sense. She knew you'd find out eventually. I mean, Riley did see her."

"Then what did he blackmail her with?" I ask.

"We better find out. Because if Lucian was the one who forced her, this will help the trial. We'll get her to testify."

"What makes you think she'll do that?" I frown.

"Because we will offer her an agreement to reduce her sentence if she does. Both ways if she picks our side or his, her "secret" will be exposed by either of us."

I arch an eyebrow, impressed.

He shrugs. "I learned a thing or two from my uncle."

"She can lie. We need to find evidence. And if you noticed we barely even have evidence against Lucian."

"If she lies, the truth will come out eventually. And she'd be accused of perjury. I mean, she's losing both ways we just need to offer her a way out."

"What would that make me?" I gulp down and place the cup aside. "I help put Lucian behind bars for Adam and Maria for my father."

I cover my face. "I'm a horrible person." Hot tears threaten to leave.

"None of these people cared enough about you to consider their consequences. They brought this on themselves."

I wipe my tear away. "And I'm speeding up the equation."

"No." He cuts me off. "You're simplifying it."

I sigh.

When will this nightmare end?

Our attention jerks to his phone beeping. After he reads the text, his face falls. "Speaking of the trial, it's been pushed. It's after two days."