Chapter 161

It is the Tyler I had a crush on in my first year of college. The cool popular kid with the easy smile and outgoing personality. The charismatic boy who had a lot of friends because everybody was drawn to his charm.

I shake my head and open my eyes. Linc is seating close to me, his eyes are watching me warmly, his hand covers mine, I stare at him for a second too long before I am able to gather myself. Hernandez is seated further down the table. Watching us silently.

"There must have been a mistake. Are you sure it was Tyler they found?" I ask him dumbly. Desperate for a change in the reality of the truth. I don't want to accept it. Because then I must face the other possibility. And that is worse than anything I could handle.

"Sheryl identified him in the early hours of this morning." Hernandez replies quietly. No tone to his voice. Just plain and polite. It drives me crazy. I want him to lie to me. For the first time, I want lies. Not this cold hard biting truth.