Em sobs softly beside me. She’s trembling, so I put my arm around her and try to comfort her.
“Why didn’t you ever do or say anything?” I ask him.
“I was never certain he was behind the accident. Besides, there was never much I could do without Em’s mom wanting to press charges.” He meets my eyes. “We almost moved. After the accident. I wanted to pack up everything and get away from this town, the house, the memories.”
“Why didn’t you?” I frown. He hated being in that house after Mom died.
He gives Em a soft smile and leans over to press a kiss to her temple. “I couldn’t leave her. If nothing else, I could be here to provide a safe place and keep an eye on things. Why do you think I never once complained about you sneaking in and out of each other’s windows?”
Em cries harder, and I don’t know what to do. She gets out of her chair and wraps her arms around my dad, sobbing into his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It should have been my mom, not Kate.”
“Don’t apologize, sweetheart. She died doing what she did best. Saving people.”
Em nods and returns to her seat next to me. We sit in silence for a minute before Dad clears his throat. “Maybe we should head home? It’s been a long night.”
With a nod, I stand and pick up Em’s coat from the back of her seat. There’s no point in staying at the restaurant any longer, none of us are eating. We’re all sitting here in an uncomfortable silence. The news her dad killed my mom rocking us to our core.
Em kisses my dad goodnight and heads straight upstairs to bed. Following Dad into the living room, I collapse on the sofa beside him.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
Dad shrugs. “Didn’t want to cause you anymore pain or stress.” He sighs. “And I only found out the truth a few years ago.”
“How?”
“He told me. Got drunk one night when you and Em were at her prom, or dance or something. Came over here and was bragging about still having his wife when mine had died because of him.”
“I’ll kill him.” I push myself up and get ready to go next door and show Hayes exactly what I think of him.
“Settle down.” Dad reaches up and grips my arm to stop me from doing something stupid. “Go up there and look after your girl. She’s upset.”
“My girl?” I drop my eyes to him, and he nods.
“Your girl.” He smirks, making me think he knows something I don’t.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, kiddo. I’ve had a long time to come to terms with it. Now you and Em have to.”
I clap him on his shoulder. “Sorry for ruining your birthday.”
“Are you kidding me? My night was far from ruined. You’re here. Em’s here. It’s more than I could ever want.” He smiles and nods his head toward the stairs, dismissing me.
“Night,” I say and head up to my room.
“Night.”
Em’s lying on my bed in the fetal position hugging a pillow to her chest when I walk in. Stripping off my clothes, I climb on the bed behind her and wrap my body around hers. I hold her tight and stay quiet while she cries.
After a while, her sobs quieten and her breathing evens out. She rolls over and hugs herself to me tight.
Stroking her hair, I kiss her head. “You okay?”
“No.” She sniffs. “I’m the reason your mom is dead. And for what? My mom stayed with him even after he...” She chokes, unable to get the words out.
Killed my mom.
“You’re not the reason. Never think that. It’s not your fault. It’s his. Okay?”
She doesn’t reply, so I press harder, “Okay?”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“Say it properly.”
“It’s not my fault. It’s his.”
“Feel better?”
“No.”
I roll off the bed and pick up my shirt from the floor. Climbing back on the bed again, I pull Em’s shoes off before unzipping her jeans and sliding them down her legs. She doesn’t fight me or try to stop me. She lets me pull her shirt off and slide mine over her head, feeding her arms through the sleeves like she’s a child. I pull back the covers and Em climbs in, resting her head on my chest when I lie down beside her.
“Can we go to the police?” Her voice is soft, defeated. Heartbroken.
“What for?”
“Explain to them what happened. They might charge him with something. He needs to pay.”
I hug her tight. “I wish we could. But it’s been so long, I’m sure the statute of limitations has passed on that one.”
Em sniffles and she cries silent tears. The wetness on my chest and the slight tremble of her breath, the only thing that gives her away.
“I know it’s hard but try not to think about it. You never have to see him again.” I stroke her back, and run my fingers through her hair, trying to cheer her up and take her mind off the news her dad is responsible for my mom’s death. “Get some sleep.”
18
Emerson
After crying myself to sleep in Colt’s arms last night, I’m a lot better this morning. More optimistic. More positive. Though I still don’t know how Mr. James can live next door to my parents or can bear to be in the same room as me knowing what he does.
If I thought I hated my parents before, it’s worse now. It’s a raw hatred, so full of anger and disgust that I never want to see them again. They can literally burn in hell for all I care. I’ll even light the match.
Rolling out of bed, I half expect Colt to still be asleep after spending half the night comforting me—but he’s not here so he must have gone for a run. I grab my toothbrush and a change of clothes, and tip toe over to the bathroom for a shower.
The water is hot and soothes my tense muscles as I stand under the steady stream for too long. My eyes are closed and I’m lost in thought, so I don’t hear the bathroom door open or the shower either, until it’s too late.
Snapping my eyes open, I scream, and Colt screams before his hand comes up and covers my mouth. He stares at me with wide eyes as his other hand slides around my back, catching me when I slip from shock.
My heart is thundering in my chest and I can’t breathe, partly because Colt is blocking my mouth, partly because he scared the life out of me, and partly because I’m naked and wet and so is he.
“Sorry,” he breathes, dropping his hand from my mouth. “I didn’t realize you were in here.”
I arch an eyebrow. “The sound of running water didn’t give it away?”
Colt stares at me as though he can’t hear me and that’s when I look at his ears. Dammit. He can’t. I reach up and pull the tiny earbuds out.
Noise canceling headphones. They blocked the sound of the water.
He straightens up and smiles. His lips pulling into a wide grin. “Hey, I can hear again.”
I wriggle out of his hold and open the shower door. Leaning out, I drop the earbuds on the bathroom counter so they don’t get any more wet than they already are. Colt’s arms slide around my waist again and he pulls me back under the warmth of the water.