AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Whatever, it’s a moot point anyway. Because you’re not getting out of my help with your search, Carmichael. We’re in too far now; I feel committed to seeing it through with you to the end.”
He sent me a reluctant grin that seemed to be followed by a melancholy sigh.
Pulling up in front of Miguel’s school, he turned his attention to my brother, as if avoiding something I’d said. I didn’t pursue it in front of the ten-year-old, but as soon as we reached my building and I saw a familiar figure outside, hobbling along and trying to carry three sacks of groceries at once, I popped out of the car to catch her before she disappeared inside.
“Hey, Mabel,” I called to the elderly woman as I raced to catch up with her.
She paused and turned, her face lighting with pleasure when she saw me. “Gabriella! Hello, child. How are—oh! Thank you,” she gushed when I gathered the sacks from her arms. “You’re such a sweet—well now.” Peering past me, she locked her gaze onto Hayden as he stepped from his car. “Who’s this fine young figure?” Eyebrows lifting with interest, she turned to me, eager for juicy details.
I nearly laughed over her curiosity. “Miguel can help you carry these groceries up to your apartment, you know.” I shoved them all at my unsuspecting little brother. “Is it okay if he stays to visit for a few minutes too? Hayden here was just going to take me to get us some scones at the bakery down the street.”
“Were you?” Mabel turned to Hayden, smiling brightly. “Well, now. What a kind, kind handsome man you are.” She ran her gaze over him lasciviously, letting him know it was the handsome part she actually meant to repeat and emphasize.
Hayden didn’t seem to know how to answer, so he merely nodded respectfully. “Ma’am.”
“Mmm.” Mabel nodded as well. “In that case, come along, Miguel. Have I told you the story about the two trespassers who broke into this bungalow in the woods, only to realize the owner was a blind cannibal who wanted to sauté their bones over an open fire and eat them for dinner?”
“No,” he said, his eyes wide with delight as he followed her into the building. “Cool. Did she catch them or were they able to get away?”
As soon as they were gone, I whimpered miserably. Great. I should’ve known she was going to tell him another one of her terrifying Mabel fables. He was probably going to have nightmares tonight.
Hayden glanced at me, lifting an eyebrow. “Scones, huh?”
“Yep,” I answered merrily, hooking my arm through his and then clasping my hands around his bicep, the crisp material of his dress shirt crinkling under my fingers as I steered him down the street. “Scones.”
He shook his head, smiling softly. “And if I don’t want scones?”
I shrugged. “Then you can get yourself something else.”
“Okay, I’ll bite.” He walked with me without resisting. “You obviously want to talk. So, what’s up? I assume I’m in trouble.”
With a shake of my head, I smiled. “Not at all. I just…” Furrowing my brow, I glanced up at him. “You were acting a little off there in the car. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
He blinked in surprise. Then his eyes searched mine for a full five seconds before he glanced ahead of us, focusing on where we were walking as he blew out a long breath. “It’s stupid,” he finally said, so quietly that I had to squint and lean closer, not sure I’d heard him right.
Then I tightened my grip on his arm and airily answered, “Then I definitely want to hear it.”
He sent me a warning glance, only to soften his expression into a smile and shake his head over my teasing. But a second later, he fell serious again.
“Realizing Lana couldn’t be completely innocent in this thing with your stepdad’s not-dead lawyer friend kind of hit you hard, didn’t it?” I guessed quietly.
Heaving out a long sigh, he bowed his head and shook it slowly from side to side. “I knew I wouldn’t like what I found. I knew it. And yet, I’m still…”
Touching his back gently, I guessed, “Surprised? Disappointed? Devastated? Pissed?”
He looked up at me and nodded. “Yeah,” he admitted. “All of that. But I don’t get why. I shouldn’t be surprised. I shouldn’t be disappointed. I shouldn’t be so damn upset. This is what I expected all along. At least…” With a pause, he wrinkled his brow and glanced around the street as if lost. “I thought it was what I expected to discover.”
“It was,” I agreed softly, drawing small, soothing circles on his back with my palm. “It’s just not the result you were hoping for.”
He glanced at me in surprise, only to wince. “You know what; you’re right. All this time, I thought I was so focused and driven to find the truth because I wanted justice. Because of Kaitlynn. Because I wanted to right a wrong. Because I wanted my freedom. But no. I mean, yes, partially all that too. But deep inside, I was kind of hoping I could really just prove that my awful suspicions weren’t true. I wanted hard evidence to point at and say, see, my mother’s not really the monster she always portrays herself as. She’s actually had a good and noble secret agenda all along. I didn’t really come from pure evil, and she’s actually loved me the entire time. Except no. That’s not the case. She’s exactly what I feared she was, isn’t she? She’s not innocent of anything.” Spiking his hands into his hair, he clutched his head and rasped, “Holy shit. I’m an idiot.”
“No, you’re not!” I cried. “Of course you hoped for the slim possibility that she might be innocent. The woman’s your mother. Who wouldn’t hope for a good parent?”
“I don’t know if I can turn her in,” he blurted, shaking his head.
When I opened my mouth to reply, he lifted a hand to stop me as if he couldn’t bear to hear me disagree. “I mean, I’m sure I will. I know she needs to pay. I want her to pay for what she’s done, but…” His eyes turned weary and sad. “I don’t know if I can be the one to turn her in. And shit, how am I supposed to tell Brick? And Kaitlynn?”
“Why do you have to be the one to turn her in?”
