Building Her Throne Burying My Heart (Claire) novel Chapter 76

Did she really buy that pathetic performance?

“Why would I push him?” I shot back. “Do you honestly think I’m that stupid? Or are you just looking for someone to blame? Why would I start drama for no reason?”

I watched her face as I spoke. “Think about it. You came up from behind. All you saw was him on the ground. You never actually saw me push him.”

Claire was quiet for a second, like she couldn’t argue with that. For a moment, I thought I’d finally gotten through to her. But then her eyes narrowed.

“You’re always twisting things,” she said. “Are you expecting me to believe Garrison just tripped and fell for no reason?”

I met her gaze. “Congratulations, Claire. You finally got it right. He did fall on his own.”

Her jaw clenched, and her eyes flashed with anger. “Lambert, you’re not a kid anymore. Do you think everyone’s as shameless as you? He wouldn’t just make something like this up!”

Garrison must have been loving the show, because that’s when he stepped closer, all innocent and wounded.

“Claire, don’t blame Lambert. This is all my fault,” he sighed, voice soft and full of regret. “If I hadn’t been sick last night, he wouldn’t have had to go down the mountain for medicine. He wouldn’t have gotten into that accident.”

“I just wanted to apologize to him,” Garrison continued, then paused, looking down like he was so hurt he could barely speak. “But I guess Lambert doesn’t want that. And… well…”

He let the rest hang in the air, like there was something too awful to say out loud.

Claire’s eyes darted from Garrison to me. “What did he say? What are you not telling me?”

I stared at Garrison, stunned. That wasn’t even close to what we talked about. I opened my mouth to set things straight, but Garrison jumped in before I could say a word.

“Lambert said it was all my fault,” he told her, voice trembling, but I could hear the lie underneath. “He said I almost got him killed. He asked why I make so much trouble over a stupid cold, why I have to be so dramatic.”

I was speechless, completely blindsided. When had I ever said that? He was just making things up.

I looked at Claire, her face so familiar but suddenly so distant, like she was a stranger.

“So nothing I say matters to you, does it? No matter how I try to explain, you’re always going to think it’s my fault, aren’t you?”

I held her gaze, hoping for some sign she might believe me, but she just looked away.

“You’ve never given me a reason to trust you,” she said quietly. “You’re a liar, Lambert.”

“I don’t believe a word you say anymore.”

Her words hit me harder than anything else. It was like something inside me broke.

“But Garrison was only sick for one night,” I whispered. “I almost died. If you found my body out there, would you even care?”