Morton went straight to Zara's side, his eyes brimming with undisguised concern.
"What happened? Who was that man just now?"
Zara's gaze darted away, and she looked at me with a timid, frightened expression.
"I... I just got here and found Viola hiding in the garage with that man... having some kind of secret rendezvous..."
"He probably got spooked when he saw you and ran off."
I stared at her in disbelief. I'd just saved her, and she was twisting the whole thing around, repaying my kindness with a knife in the back.
But Morton believed every word. He was convinced I'd been cheating on him.
He wouldn't let me explain. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the car, practically shaking with fury.
Back at the house, Morton flung me onto the couch.
The room spun as he pinned me down beneath him.
His jaw was clenched so tight the words came out through gritted teeth. "No wonder you've been avoiding me lately. You've got someone else on the side."
I fought against his grip. "I don't!"
"Zara saw it with her own eyes. You're still going to lie to my face?"
His eyes were bloodshot, and buried somewhere in those depths was a flash of hurt I couldn't quite understand.