Tyed

chapter thirty four

Tyler tells this whole story, beginning to end, shaking and not really pausing to explain. Colby's shocked silence only breaks at one point.

"I went into that room," he says, "where... where you said he was. He wasn't there. Unless he hid, and called the police..."

"I knew it must've been him who called the police," Tyler says, honestly numb. "But... I thought... it was him, walking around. I never saw you."

"Because I went into the garage after that," Colby says. "I can't believe you said you burned his house down, because I definitely did."

Tyler raises an eyebrow. "How?"

"I... I didn't have the idea immediately," Colby admits, running a hand through his hair. "But I stress-smoked a lot, and I remember when I went into the garage I was considering whether or not I should leave. I lit a cigarette, and that's when I saw he had massive containers of gasoline. I think he was a car enthusiast and he just kept his own fuel for long drives or something? I 'accidentally' kicked them over and dropped my cigarette in them. The fire caught so much quicker than I thought it would, and I ran out before seeing what happened. I didn't hear any cops or anything."

"So..." Tyler mutters. "...I think you doing that saved me from taking the fall."

"How?"

"I always assumed Nancy somehow left her DNA somewhere," Tyler explains, "like when she was searching the room for the money. Because the only reason the cops couldn't arrest me is that they found male DNA on the scene that wasn't mine, wasn't Sandys', and they had seen that my accomplice was a girl so they assumed it wasn't her. They didn't catch Nancy and never learned she was trans. But... they swabbed my cheek, right? What they compared the DNA to was my saliva, which doesn't necessarily mean that saliva was the DNA they found, but it tracks with that interpretation. Your cigarette, if you smoked it, would've still had..."

"I have never thought of that," Colby mutters. His arms wrap around Tyler, pulling him close against his chest. "You're so smart, doll, I never would've realised. I'm so lucky you were there for the cops to catch."

"We saved each other by accidentally burning down the same guy's house at the same time," Tyler laughs. "How fucking insane is that?"

Colby isn't really laughing though. "Have you... thought about it, though?"

"Thought about what?"

"What happened to Nancy. What he did to her. He had a box of jewelry, did you say?"

"Mostly wedding ring-" Tyler stops suddenly. "Wait, you- no, that's the only thing that makes sense, isn't it?"

"Scarlett's always grown up in an environment of repression about that kind of thing. I... don't think she would've told me if he raped her."

Tyler buries his head in Colby's neck, not sure of his response until it's bubbling out of him. "No, no, no-"

"Dear god," Colby breathes. "I assumed- I assumed so much based on what he said, and she never- she never-"

Tyler's not listening, because all he's hearing is that Colby's regretting divorcing Scarlett. "Don't go," he whispers quietly against Colby's neck.

Colby pulls him back to look him in the eyes. "What did you say?"

Tyler shakes his head. "It's stupid. You should call Scarlett. T-talk to her, I don't know, just-"

"No, stop, wait." Colby stares at him forcefully, eyebrows raised. "What's on your mind right now?"

Tyler shakes his head again, but is only met with, "Tyler."

Colby sits up straighter, and Tyler almost falls off of his lap, holding on for dear life because he doesn't want to slip away. "I've just discovered I'm a fucking asshole when it's too late to not be an asshole. Tyler, please don't make this harder on me. What's wrong?"