Page 133 of I Never Stopped Loving You

“I lied when I said my mother and father died when I was eight. Only my mother died. She was murdered…by my father. They never found him.”

“Is that why you panicked when you saw the photos?” I ask.

“Yes. It was like seeing the crime scene photos of my mother’s murder. I looked into the case shortly after I began school to become a lawyer. I wanted to know if my father had ever been caught, but to this day, he’s never been seen again.”

“Is that why you moved to Texas to be with your grandparents?”

“They weren’t related to me by blood. They were actually part of this program that’s designed for serious cases of domestic violence. Think of it as a foster care system that helps hide children who have been involved in cases similar to mine. The records are sealed away so tight that no one can find them.”

Yeah, don’t I fucking know it. My guy couldn’t even find them, and he’s one of the best hackers I know.

“What I’m about to tell you, well, just know that if you want, I’ll drop you off on the side of the road here and come back to get you when I’m done. That way you can feign ignorance.”

As if I’d let her leave me on the side of the road while she gets to enjoy one of the best bonfires she’ll ever have.

“Nope. Whatever it is, I’m coming with you. So stop asking,” I say, causing her to huff.

“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you or give you an out. We’re going to burn my childhood home to the ground.”

CHAPTER 60

WILLOW

He didn’t flinch.

He didn’t even bat an eye.

His hand is still resting on my thigh, and I swear I can feel his excitement flowing through his body.

“Noah, say something,” I finally pleaded.

“What? There’s nothing to say. I already told you I’m coming, so what else is there? Do you want me to strike the match, or did you want the honors, Little Rabbit?”

I’m worried he thinks this is a joke. That I’m just talking out my ass about burning down a house. Jesus Christ. What is wrong with me? I’m a lawyer. He’s a lawyer. And yet we’re about to burn a house to the ground that belongs to someone else.

I cut the lights as we slowly coast down the road until I pull us into the driveway and park in the back, as I did before. The house is still just as I left it. The shattered windows. The peeling paint on the siding. The tattered curtains flowing out of the broken windows. The way the roof sags on one side of the house. It’s all still here.

“Are you sure about this, Noah?”

“Willow, if you ask me one more time, I’m going to make a Molotov cocktail and burn it to the ground myself.”

Fuck. I think I’m in love with this man.

Love? Jesus, Willow. We’ll circle back to that one when we aren’t about to commit multiple felonies together.

“Is there anything you want to get out of the house before it goes up in flames?” he asks, and it’s then that I realized there might still be photos or family heirlooms I should take.

“Uh…maybe.”

“Why don’t you go in and start looking? I’m going to just check in with Jeremy and let him know we went out, just in case he goes back to the house. I’ll be inside in a few minutes,” he says as he pulls out his cell phone.

“Don’t text him where we are,” I say quickly.

“I know. No documented evidence of where we are. I swear it’s like you don’t think I went to law school or something,” he teases before he grabs me by the chin and kisses me roughly. “I’ll meet you in there.”

I make my way back in through the kitchen, trying my best not to look at the stain and the small handprint in blood on the floor. My stomach rolls just thinking about those photos again, but after tonight, hopefully I’ll be able to move on.

I climb the steps and use my phone's flashlight to light my path as I walk down the hall to my parents’ old bedroom. I pause, letting my hand linger on the doorknob for a few seconds before opening it. The room is caked in dust and evidence of animals. It smells rancid in here, stale and disgusting. I hate it.