Breaking The Ice

I Did Something

TJ's POV

I'd heard people talk about that feeling, the one where your blood runs cold in your veins, your heart seemingly stops beating, and your brain just turns off because it is unable to comprehend the information you were just given. Up until that moment, I'd never actually experienced it myself, but as Kate's words hung in the air between us, I literally could not think or feel a single thing.

"What?" I choked out.

I knew that I was probably feeling a million things, anger, sadness, fear, but in that moment I was just too damn confused to feel anything except shock.

I obviously didn't believe for one second that Harry could have done it, I knew him too well to know that he would probably kill someone before he hurt a woman, but it was Brielle that I was dumbfounded by. It wouldn't have been believable in any sense, but a stranger who didn't know him would have been much easier to understand than someone he had actually spent time with. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why Brielle would think that lying about Harry attacking her would be plausible or what benefit it would have for her to bring someone down who she seemed to respect.

She always seemed so cool and genuine, so much so that I'd been jealous of her, and on top of that I knew that she really liked Harry. She'd told me herself that she appreciated how respectful he was toward her, that she'd been impressed by his honesty and maturity about them sleeping together. I'd even seen them together after that day a few times and they were on nothing but good terms, and she always looked happy to see him.

So what the hell happened?

"I don't understand...that can't be right." I said as I looked up at Kate and Dean Richards. "There's gotta be some mistake, Brielle wouldn't say that about Harry. She knows what kind of guy he is."

"I'm sorry TJ, but that's what she's reported." Dean Richards sighed.

"Harry would never lay his hands on a woman, ever." I said firmly, knowing I didn't need to convince them but feeling like I needed to say it.

"We know that, Honey. Of course, we know that." Kate said softly, sniffling as she squeezed my hand.

"This doesn't make any sense, why would she lie? I just can't see her doing this." I said breathlessly, doing my best to understand something that I just couldn't seem to wrap my mind around.

It didn't feel real. It felt like some kind of sick joke that was so ridiculous there was no way it could even be believed. Of all the scenarios that had played out in my head after Harry had been arrested, this one had never entered my realm of thought. Mostly because the very idea of it was just so insane it was almost laughable.

"We don't know. But we're gonna do our best to find out." Dean Richards sighed. "What can you tell us about her?"

"Not much...they hooked up once." I said, shaking my head as if it could help me think straight. "Just one time, and she told me what a gentleman he was about it. She raved to me about how respectful he was."

Not only did it not make sense that she would accuse Harry of that, but the timing didn't make sense. It had been over a month since they slept together, and she was obviously fine afterwards. So why would she decide to lie about it now? Everyone knew they'd been on good terms ever since, why the hell would she wait a month?

Kate and Dean Richards just looked at each other and sighed, all three of us completely gobsmacked as to how this could be happening. The reality of it slowly began to sink in and I felt the anger beginning to rise inside of me.