Chris gripped the steering wheel, his mind tangled in a ss of emotions. His chest felt tight, and the silence in the car was suffocating. His thoughts kept circling back to Claire's face before she stepped out—how pale she looked, the way her lips had parted like she wanted to say sothing but couldn't.
He exhaled sharply and reached for his phone, dialing Alex's number. There was no way he was letting her stay there all alone in this situation.
The call barely rang twice before Alex picked up.
"Chris? What's up? Did the dinner end already? Why are you calling? To tell you're tired of my sister?" he joked.
Chris let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah. The dinner ended before it even started."
There was a pause. "What do you an?" Alex asked, not liking Chris's tone.
Chris gritted his teeth, gripping the wheel tighter as he navigated through the streets. "Claire and my aunt know each other. Or at least, my aunt knows Claire. And she accused her of..." He hesitated, his throat tightening around the words.
"Of what?" Alex pressed, his heart beating really fast now.
There was no way it could be Claire's past knocking on her future now. He told himself, waiting to hear what Chris had to say.
Chris ran a hand through his hair. "My aunt accused Claire of Murder."
The silence on the other end was heavy as Alex ran a hand through his hair in frustration wondering how Claire must be doing knowing that Chris now knew about the past she so desperately wanted to hide.
Chris let out a frustrated sigh. "Alex, I don't get it. My aunt was saying all this crazy stuff about Claire killing soone, and Claire—" He swallowed. "She didn't even defend herself. She didn't say anything, Alex."
Alex didn't say anything as he could barely register what Chris was saying. His whole focus on Claire's wellbeing.
Chris frowned. "What's going on? Do you know sothing? Say sothing. Why didn't Claire defend herself?" Chris asked, wondering why Alex wasn't saying anything.
"Hello? Alex, are you still there?" he asked as he pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at the screen in disbelief.
What the hell? He had hung up? Without even offering a word or an explanation? What the hell was going on?
He thought as he redialed, but the call went straight to voicemail.
His stomach twisted uncomfortably. Alex was acting strange. The way he had gone completely silent, the way he hung up without a word... It wasn't normal.
Chris exhaled, pressing a hand against his temple.
What the hell is Claire and Alex not saying? He mused, the thought made his pulse quicken.
His mind was already a ss trying to process what had happened, and now this? Alex's reaction only made things worse.
Chris forced himself to focus on the road. He needed answers, and he was going to get them—starting with his aunt.
When Chris stepped into the house a mont later, his mother and Nicole were seated in the living room, neither of them saying a word to each other.
Both won turned their heads as he walked in.
Nicole's gaze was calm, but Chris could see the sharpness in her eyes. His mother, Elizabeth, looked more concerned than anything.
He didn't waste ti before demanding fir an explanation.
"What was that back there, aunt?" His voice was tight, controlled, but the anger underneath was unmistakable. His eyes locked onto Nicole. "Why would you accuse Claire of sothing as serious as murder?"
Nicole exhaled, setting her teacup down carefully. "Because it's the truth."
Chris's hands curled into fists at his sides. He couldn't believe Nicole was still bent on saying that.
His mother placed a hand on his arm, her voice gentle. "Chris, calm down—"
"No, Mom." His jaw tightened as he turned back to Nicole. "You don't just throw an accusation like that at soone. You don't ruin their life with a word unless you're absolutely sure." His voice dropped lower, his anger barely restrained. "So, tell , Aunt. Why would you say sothing like that?"
Nicole didn't waver. "Because Claire killed soone."
Chris let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "That's a lie."
"I wish it was but it's not." she shot back. "I know what she did," Nicole said, tears glistening in her eyes.
Chris took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check. "Claire wouldn't do sothing like that."
Nicole's lips pressed into a thin line. "And how do you know? Because she's your girlfriend? Because you think she's incapable of hurting soone?" She leaned forward, her eyes sharp and cold despite the tears threatening to fall. "Let tell you sothing, Chris. That woman killed my boyfriend!"
Chris's stomach dropped at Nicole's words.
His mother gasped. "Nicole... you an Mat? It was her?" Elizabeth asked since they had all learned about Mathew's death from the news years ago and had thought Nicole had always been cranky because she had lost the love of her life so soon.
"Yes, sis. It was her...."
"But how? What happened? What did he do? Why would Claire kill him?" Chris asked, the whole thing still not adding up.
Nicole turned to him, her tears flowing freely now. "It was prom night. I got dressed and waited for Mathew to take to prom. But then, he never showed up and I didn't call him either, thinking he had taken soone else. But two days later, I heard he was dead on the news." Her voice trembled slightly, but her expression was rigid. "Nobody would say anything. They just said he got drunk abd wandered off to an abandoned house. I wouldn't believe so I decided to ask around abd that was when I discovered thar Claire Sterling was discovered at the scene with him!"
Chris felt like his body had turned to stone as he listened.
He had heard that na before. Mathew Fischer. Though he was way younger when it happened, his mother had told him about Mathew when he was a bit older and always asking why his aunt was always cranky—how his aunt had loved a boy in high school but never married after losing him.
That was him?
Chris swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his ears.
He turned back to Nicole. "You're saying Claire killed Mathew?"
Nicole's expression didn't change. "Yes."
Chris exhaled sharply, his mind spinning.
No. Claire wouldn't do sothing like that. There has to be a reason behind it.
"Aunt, I understand that you're bitter but I can't believe what you just said. Claire can't kill soone and even if she did, it has to be for a reason and I must find out what it was. For the records, I'm not leaving her because of this," Chris said and without waiting to hear what Nicole or his mom had to say, stord off.
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