xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
On Sandy's orders, Ryan followed Kirsten and Seth into the house, leaving his foster father and attorney to finish talking to the police. He was still in shock from hearing the accusation. Holly was saying that he'd raped her. He hadn't--Ryan would never, ever do anything like that, would never use any kind of violence against a woman. Anyone who knew him could tell you that, but that was the problem. He didn't know many people in Newport, and of those he did know, about ninety percent of them thought he was a juvenile delinquent-slash-car thief who was nothing but trouble.
Holly Fisher, on the other hand, was the daughter of one of Newport's wealthiest and well-known families. It didn't matter that Holly had come on to him, or that she had been the one who'd talked him into having sex with her. There were no witnesses, only his word against Holly's, and he had a pretty good idea who Newport was going to believe.
"Ryan, what's going on?" Seth was asking him, his eyebrows drawn together in a mixture of confusion and concern. "What happened tonight?"
"I don't know," Ryan mumbled. An even more disturbing thought came to him. What if the Cohens didn't believe that he was innocent? What if they didn't want him to live with them anymore? Kirsten had been wary enough of him when he was just a car thief, he wouldn't blame her if she decided that she didn't want a rapist anywhere near her family.
"Come on, dude," Seth pestered him. "Who's the girl? What exactly happened? I need details here."
"No, you don't," Kirsten interrupted. "Seth, upstairs. In your room, please, I don't want to catch you eavesdropping again."
Seth gave his mother a look of wide eyed innocence. "Mom, how could you ever think I'd do something like that?" He glanced at Ryan's expression, and dropped the teasing immediately. "Sorry."
He reluctantly trudged up the stairs, and Ryan didn't know whether to be grateful to have a rest from Seth's constant questioning, or uneasy that he no longer had a buffer between him and Kirsten. He sank onto a kitchen stool and rubbed a finger against the shiny granite countertop, afraid to meet Kirsten's eyes and whatever he might find in them.
There was a clicking noise as Seth's door closed upstairs. Kirsten pulled out another stool and sat down across the counter from Ryan. "What happened tonight, Ryan?"
Ryan was so nervous that he couldn't read her tone, couldn't tell if she was angry or upset or disappointed. "I didn't rape anyone," he offered timidly. "I'd never do anything like that." He risked a brief glance at her, but looked away immediately. "But I'll understand if you don't want me in your house anymore."
"I know we got off to a bumpy start," Kirsten began quietly. "And I can understand why you might think that. I know we're still getting to know each other, Ryan, but from everything I know about you, I don't think you're capable of hurting someone like that."
Ryan's eyes finally met hers, and she could see the skepticism in them. "You sound like you haven't made up your mind yet."
Kirsten sighed. "Sandy should be having this conversation with you, I'm not good with words like he is. I'm afraid I wasn't very clear just now."
Ryan didn't respond, but the worry lines creased in his forehead and the apprehension in his eyes spoke volumes.
"Do you remember when Seth and I came to visit you at the detention center?" Kirsten forced herself to continue, hoping to find the right words to give the boy the reassurance he so desperately needed from her. "When you got into a fight with that other boy because of what he was saying to me?"
Ryan nodded. "You brought me back here after that."
"I'm not saying that fighting that boy was the right thing to do, or that you don't get into trouble because you can't control your temper," Kirsten tried to explain. "But you respect women, Ryan. I've never seen you be anything but polite and respectful toward me, or Rosa, or even the Newpsies. And I can't believe that you could commit a crime like that. It goes against everything I've learned about you."
The apprehension was still in Ryan's eyes, but there was something else there now too, a flickering emotion that Kirsten thought might be hope. "Wow," Ryan said softly. "That's…I don't know what to say."
Kirsten reached across the counter and touched Ryan's hand. "It's okay. I believe you, Ryan."
The front door slammed, and seconds later Sandy joined them in the kitchen. "Wow."
"What do you mean, wow?" Kirsten demanded. "What's going to happen?"
"I don't know yet," Sandy admitted. "The girl has already talked to the police, and there are some lab tests out right now that should come back first thing tomorrow morning. In the meantime, Ryan, I need to hear from you exactly what happened tonight."
"I think I'll go see what Seth's up to," Kirsten excused herself. She briefly placed a hand on Ryan's back, and the warmth and weight of it made him feel a little better. Part of him wanted her to stay, but another, larger part was relieved that she was leaving. The conversation with Sandy wasn't going to be pleasant, and Kirsten might change her mind about letting him stay once she'd heard it.
That was, if Sandy didn't decide first to kick him out. After all, he'd been nothing but trouble since Sandy had brought him to Newport, and an incident like this could easily be the last straw. Even if he was innocent, the Cohens didn't need to get him out of trouble with the law every week.
Ryan heard Kirsten's footsteps on the stairs, and knew that he was alone in the kitchen with Sandy. He kept his eyes down and let his lawyer speak first.
"What happened, Ryan?" Sandy asked, sensing the boy's fear and keeping his voice soft. "What went on tonight?"
"I didn't rape Holly," Ryan answered quietly. "I'm not that kind of person, Sandy. I'd never do something like that."
"I know, Ryan," Sandy tried to reassure him. "No one in this family thinks you would. I need you to remember that."
"Okay," Ryan agreed, but Sandy heard the reluctance in his voice and knew the boy would need a lot more convincing. There was nothing he could say right now that could make Ryan believe him. Only by staying by his side and supporting him throughout this ordeal could he prove that he meant what he said.
"Why don't we start at the beginning?" Sandy suggested. "Where were you when you first saw the girl--Holly--tonight?"
Ryan felt himself relax a little--this question wasn't so bad. "I was outside, sitting on the front steps. I was taking a little breather from the event."
"Perfectly understandable," Sandy agreed.
"Then Holly came out and sat by me on the steps," Ryan continued. "She said she was tired of watching Marissa and Luke make out, and that…" he paused, his face starting to flush. "Is this important?"
"I need to hear everything that happened," Sandy answered gently. "Even if you think something isn't important, it could turn out to be crucial. I need to know everything that happened between you and Holly."
Ryan sighed. "She said that she thought Marissa had made a mistake because I was better looking than Luke," he mumbled. "And that I was probably better in bed too."
"Then what happened?" Sandy prompted.
"She said that her parents would be at the charity event until at least eleven and her house would be empty till then," Ryan finished quietly. "And that it would just be sex, no strings attached."
"So you had sex, then?" Sandy asked.
Ryan nodded, too embarrassed and too nervous to look at Sandy. "Yeah."
"Did she change her mind at any point?" Sandy continued. "Did she ever tell you no, she didn't want to have sex?"
Ryan shook his head. "No." Holly had been the leader throughout the night's encounter, although he had been a perfectly willing participant.
"Did you use protection?" was Sandy's next question. Ryan would have been mortified if he wasn't so afraid about what was going to happen to him.
"Uh, yeah," Ryan mumbled. He waited for a moment, hoping Sandy would satisfied with that answer, but gave in and added "I had a condom in my wallet."
"All right," Sandy agreed. "I think we're done for now."
"Thank God," Ryan groaned.
"Like I said before, Holly's lab tests should come back first thing tomorrow morning," Sandy continued. "Since the two of you had sex, the tests will indicate that, but that's all that they'll be able to show, not whether it was consensual or not. It's probably going to come down to your word against Holly's."
"I wonder who everyone's going to believe," Ryan muttered.
"You forget you've got the mighty Sandy Cohen working for you," Sandy protested, trying to coax a smile out of Ryan.
"Yeah, I do." Ryan forced a smile for Sandy's sake.
"Anyhow, when the lab results come in, the DA will likely issue a warrant for your arrest," Sandy continued. "But they're going to give me a call when that happens, and I've been given permission to take you down to the police station myself. I'll have you out of there in no time."
"Fine," Ryan agreed listlessly.
"You're not alone with this, Ryan," Sandy insisted. "You've got everyone in this family behind you."
"Thanks," Ryan answered, but his eyes were still on the counter and Sandy could tell that the boy didn't really believe him. "Is it okay if I go to bed now?"
"All right," Sandy gave in. "I'll get you up tomorrow morning, okay?"
"Fine," Ryan said again, wanting very much to get away and have some time to think on his own. Or not think. Even better.
He said goodnight to Sandy and made his escape to the pool house. He collapsed onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He'd been stupid to think that he could have a fresh start in Newport. The people here would never give him a chance, would never believe that he was anything more than a dangerous criminal who had scammed his way into the Cohen's home.
There were no second chances, not when you were from Chino.
Especially not when you were an Atwood.