Mitch shook his head. “I don’t know. You are so right about everything. I think Aaron is too blinded by family loyalty to see it, or maybe he knows the truth, but like you said, they never hold Lauren responsible for her actions. She gets away with everything. Maybe he’s simply letting her off the hook, contributing to the cover-up.”
“If that’s true, I’m going to be so mad. I can’t accept that. I can’t go along with it. I can’t enable it. If that’s what he’s doing, then whatever we thought was going on between us is over before it even started.”
She sat on his black leather couch. The one Lauren had made him buy, because that was the controlling person she was. Bonnie was going to make sure she helped Mitch find a new home, new stuff, new everything so he didn’t have to live in a Lauren-created world anymore.
“I’m so tired.” Emotionally and physically, Bonnie was exhausted. She couldn’t think straight anymore. Maybe that was why everyone was able to believe Lauren. They were too tired to fight her lies.
“Why don’t you go lie down?” Mitch suggested. “I have a guest room. You can close your eyes for a little bit, give yourself a chance to relax.”
That sounded pretty spectacular at the moment. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you being here for me. And listening to my nonsense at this point.”
Mitch wouldn’t hear it. “You are not speaking nonsense. You’re the only one I’ve heard be real all day.” He showed her to the room, which had its own bathroom. She washed her face and lay down on the bed. She could sell this condo for good money. She would sell it for him and she would find him a new place to live. Maybe she would talk him into moving out of Blue Springs. Maybe it was time she moved out of Blue Springs. Her eyes grew heavy, and her thoughts slowed and quieted down.
Bonnie didn’t know how long she slept; she only knew she was awakened by raised voices in the living room. It took her a minute to realize what was going on.
“What do you think is going to happen?”
“Keep your voice down. She’s sleeping.”
“Bonnie wants nothing to do with you, and it doesn’t matter what you do or what you say, that’s not going to change.”
“Do you think you get to speak for her because you love her? She isn’t yours to control. She gets to make her own choice and have her own opinions. You Coles are all the same—you love to tell people what to do. Love to be the boss, and you pretend it’s love so that makes it okay. Well, I got away from your sister just in time, and I’ll help Bonnie see you for what you are before it’s too late as well.”
Bonnie sat up. Her heart pounded in her chest. Had Aaron said he was in love with her? Why did Mitch think that? She shook her head. That was beside the point right now. She didn’t want anyone to fight over her. She rolled out of bed and went to stop them from arguing. Aaron’s face was red, and Mitch was standing much too close. Aaron pushed Mitch, and he stumbled backward and tripped over the footstool in front of the chair in the corner. He landed hard and almost hit his head on the glass coffee table.
“Stop it!” she shouted at Aaron, going over to Mitch to help him up. “Are you okay?”
“Come on, Bonnie,” Aaron said. “I’m here to take you home.”
“I don’t need you to take me anywhere. I will go home when I’m ready to go home.”
“I know you’re upset. We need to talk about this. Me and you, without anyone else muddying the water.” He glared at Mitch.
“I’m okay, Bonnie.” Mitch winced as he tried to get up. “If you need to go, you should go. Don’t worry about me.”
He was clearly in more pain than he wanted to let on. She helped him to his feet.
“Please, Bonnie. Come with me. Your dad is waiting in the car.”
So much for not involving anyone else who might muddy the waters. Her dad had been soft on Lauren from the get-go. He was part of the problem, not the solution.
“There’s nothing to talk about. You believe your sister. I don’t. I won’t.”
“What if the evidence proves she’s innocent?”
“The cell phone tower her phone pinged off when you texted her? Easy, she could have had Theresa or Kathy driving her phone around, away from the house, so no one would know she was there.”
“Do you hear yourself right now? Do you really believe that Lauren would be that diabolical?” Aaron asked. “Do you think she planned an elaborate scheme to vandalize my house and cover it up with multiple accomplices?”
“Yes,” Mitch answered for her.
Aaron tugged at the front of his hair in frustration. “Literally no one is talking to you.”
“I agree with him,” Bonnie said in Mitch’s defense. “I think it’s more than possible.”
“Oh my gosh.” Aaron smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand. “You have turned into Lauren. You sound exactly like her. You’re doing to her what she did to you. That is so hypocritical.”
He might as well have stuck a dagger in her heart. That was what it felt like. She certainly hadn’t gotten enough sleep to be able to take that hit with grace.
“Get out!” She pointed him toward the door. “Get out and tell my dad that you two can defend Lauren until you’re blue in the face, but I am going to tell everyone and anyone that she was behind this.”
Aaron’s laugh was somewhat maniacal. “You just did it again. You’re making the same arguments and threatening the same smear campaign. Listen to yourself.”
“She told you
