Free All of the Lights by K. Ryan Page B

hit."
    She nods quickly and a shaking hand lifts up to sweep some of that vibrant, dark cherry-colored hair out of her eyes. The movement distracts me for just a second and it's a second too long. I'm not going to fall into her trap again, especially not when it comes to my brother.
    "I coulda told you that," I shrug. "Someone else did it. So what? Sean's the one in prison."
    "I told the cops right on the scene. Even when I was strapped to a gurney and they were loading me into an ambulance, all I can remember is that I kept saying there were two of them."
    Her eyes shut again like the memory is too much for her, but I don't care about that either. The problem now is she's finally told me something that's sparked my interest.
    "What happened after you told that to the cops?"
    A resigned expression crosses her face and she lifts a shoulder. "My dad happened."
    "And then you lied because that was what he told you to do."
    She shakes her head furiously. "I didn't mean to—"
    My breath pushes out in one angry huff. "You didn't mean to?"
    "You don't understand," she's still shaking her head in vain, desperate for me to understand something so nonsensical I don't even know where to start. "I was in so much pain. They were pumping me with all these painkillers and I wasn't even really awake long enough to even—"
    "Yah know what?" I cut in abruptly and gesture to the door. "I think your minute's just about up. You can show yourself out."
    "No, wait!" Rae holds her hands out again like that will somehow stop the inevitable. "Just listen. Please."
    I don't know why I'm still standing here. Maybe it's those green eyes. Maybe it's the fact that she hasn't left yet. I don't know. All I know is that I'm still as much an idiot now as I was Friday night.
    "When I got to the hospital," she tells me and this time, she can't hide the way her voice shakes on each syllable. "I was lucky I could even tell them my name, let alone anything else. Then I was in and out of surgery and somewhere along the line, my dad told me I was wrong. He told me there was no else. And I believed him. I shouldn't have."
    Silence floats between us now as I digest everything she's just told me and I backpedal until my calves hit the back counter. My eyes settle on a crack in the tile at my feet when she starts speaking again.
    "I'm not trying to make excuses because there's nothing I can ever say that will make it right. I'm just trying to...I guess I just needed to explain how it happened. My dad just sort of took over, like he always does, and suddenly the cops were telling me there was no record of my statement at the scene and that Sean had pled guilty. I just...I was 20 and stupid and in the worst pain I've ever been in my entire life. I thought I did the right thing by listening to my dad."
    It makes sense, but I'm not stupid enough to tell her that. Instead, I fold my arms tightly across my chest again and keep my eyes on the floor.
    "That's a nice story," I muse. "But that doesn't help Sean now. What do you think you're gonna do anyway? Show up at the precinct after seven years and go, 'Whoops. Sorry, guys. My mistake. Let's go get that guy from Southie out of prison'. Doesn't work like that, sweetheart."
    "Why couldn't I?" she leans into the bar, her eyes filling with that familiar determination again. "Couldn't I tell them I remember seeing someone else there? I could get a lawyer and—"
    "I'm gonna stop yah right there," I narrow my eyes at her. "You really think you could just walk into the precinct, with or without a lawyer, and anyone will actually listen to you? Your good ol' dad's got at least half of those guys on his payroll and the other half not on his payroll report to the ones who are. You say one word about that night in the precinct and you'll be out on your ass faster than I can say I told yah so. Besides, even if someone actually does listen, if your so-called statement at the scene inexplicably disappeared, those cops aren't going to take