Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“Don’t bother,” he said, then turned and walked out the door.
“Fuck,” Dad groaned and ran a hand down his face.
“You need to go after him,” Uncle Jack said, the gravel in his voice showing he was angry at Dad, not only for upsetting Angus but also for making both his sons suspects. I expected he had a lot of apologies to make tonight. I felt like crap about it because if someone wasn’t targeting me, then none of this drama would even be happening. It was tearing my family apart.
“Yeah, I know,” Dad replied before looking to Roan, Elias, and Kami. “I’m sorry I had you down as suspects, but it was necessary to rule you out. With a little more time, I think you’ll all come to understand that.”
He left then, following after Angus, and I sure hoped he had some good grovelling prepared. Angus had been through a lot with his own parents, and my family had become a sanctuary for him. My parents took him in, treated him as their own, and I knew he considered us his real family. For Dad to suspect him of doing something like this, it must’ve hurt deep. My father could be so committed to untangling mysteries that he didn’t realise who he was hurting along the way. It was his one big blind spot.
I was guilty of a similar flaw. When I was on drugs, I’d been so focused on blotting out my trauma that I’d lost sight of what was truly important above all else, my wife and child.
“I’m so sorry about all this,” I said, addressing everyone left.
Uncle Jack came and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t apologise for my brother’s fuck ups. It’s not your fault.”
“I still feel like shit about it. I knew what he was doing, but I couldn’t manage to talk him out of it.”
“I think everyone’s ignoring the worst part of all this,” Kami said, garnering our attention. “We still don’t know who the catfish is.”
“Actually, I might have a theory,” Shannon said, her gaze meeting mine, and I instantly knew who she was referring to. The dickhead from her work. “But I need to run it by Jay first.”
“Why not just tell us?” Kami said. “Since we’re supposedly in the clear. We deserve to know.”
“It’s not that simple. If I’m wrong, I could cause trouble in this person’s life, and I’d rather not do that until I have more concrete proof.”
“Maybe it’s time to get the authorities involved,” Aunt Lille suggested, and it was at that moment my mam finally appeared.
“The authorities?” she asked, peering around at everyone gathered in the hallway and quickly taking in the tense atmosphere. She sighed. “Okay, what did I miss? And why do I have a feeling my husband is at fault?”
***
Mam made tea and did her best to soothe everybody’s hurt feelings by patting shoulders and offering chocolate biscuits. Dad had come back after trying to mend things with Angus. I wasn’t sure what was said between them, but he wore the expression of a man who’d fucked up royally. I decided I’d stop by Angus’ place later to see how he was doing.
I watched as Shannon drank the last sip from her teacup, then stood from the armchair she’d been sitting in. She brushed down her outfit, swatting away a few stray biscuit crumbs, and my gaze followed her hands. It was difficult not to focus on every little thing she did, tough to give her space when all I wanted to do was pull her close.
“Let me drive you home,” I offered.
She barely met my gaze as a rosy tinge stained her cheeks. “It’s still early. We can walk.”
We were standing close, so close I could tell she was thinking about what I’d said to her earlier before all the drama broke out. How did she feel about me wanting her back? I couldn’t read her emotions, only that she seemed a little more self-conscious than usual.
“You sure? It’s cold out, and Zara’s exhausted.”
Shannon’s gaze went to our daughter where she sat on the couch, her head bobbing in a clear sign that she was drifting off. Her expression softened.
“Okay, then, if it’s not too much trouble.”
I reached out to push her hair over her shoulder, the silky strands soft to the touch. “Never,” I whispered, my gaze tender, and she seemed to stiffen.
“Listen, Jace—”
“Don’t,” I cut her off. “Not yet. I know you’re probably scrambling through your head, trying to think of the best way to let me down gently, but not yet. Please. Let me live with hope, just for a little while longer.”
I’d never felt so vulnerable and exposed. Shannon’s eyes flickered back and forth between mine, empathy and understanding marking her features before she gave me the gentlest look and nodded. A short moment of quiet passed while Shannon looked back to Zara, noting she’d fully fallen asleep.