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I felt my heart clench as I looked up at him. In my grief, I'd pushed him away, making him doubt the nights he'd held me and I'd found comfort in him, or the night he shielded me from an accident with his own body. I never stopped loving him. Sadness had just taken over my life.
"I love you, Ethan; I never stopped loving you. Iwas justso angry."
"And now? "
"Yeah," I said, looking away.
Ethan sighed, feeling helpless once more.
"I know you didn’t kill my uncle.I know who did," I spoke quickly to stop his train of thought from going too far. I wanted him to be free of guilt and the fear of losing me and I him.
Ethan remained silent, as if he didn't fully understand what I was saying.
"You do?"
"Just before my uncle died…" I closed my eyes, the memory filling my mind with pain and sadness."Hetold me the truth just before he died."
"He spoke to you?"
"They were his final words to me, and he explained the origins of his rivalry with Luke. He told me that, but I think I've figured out the rest."
"Alright. Tell me."
I smiled, relieved that he appeared to believe me. "My father and mother were killed when I was much younger. Uncle Fred said he spent every waking moment at the police station trying to move the case forward, but despite the abundance of evidence, itwas closed for lack of evidence after many, many months. That's when Uncle Fred joined the Mafia, and he soon discovered that Luke was the one who had murdered them."
When I looked up at Ethan, his face was as hard as stone. "Why did he do it?"
I pulled out the newspaper clipping from my back pocket and handed it to him. He scanned it while I scanned his face. I couldn't remember being so close to him in a long time; I'd missed him.
"Yes. I am aware of the situation." He raised his eyes to me. "Uncle Luke was found guilty of rape. However, after being found guilty, he paid his dues. How does tha—"
"Was that his only conviction?"
"Yes, but—"
"Does Luke ever talk about his time there?"
"No. Vanessa? Why are you asking all of these questions? It was Luke's sole appearance in court.When I was younger, he told me about everything that had happened in there—or at least some of it. It felt like it was all because it was so bad that I didn't think there could be any more. But, in any case, he despised it in there and vowed never to return." Ethan looked at me as if he wanted to know if I was pleased.
I was. "And what do you think he'd do to the woman who put him behind bars?"
"The girl? She died not long after. It was proven that it was a car accident. What do you mean? You don't think…”
"Oh, I believe so. I don't have any proof, but I do know something. My mother was the only person who saw the rape. Luke was convicted because of her testimony." I dashed over to him and noted my mother's name in the report.
Ethan's eyesand mine met, but I averted my gaze. "Luke despised my mother more than anyone else in the world, and when he got out of prison and discovered she was married, he hated my father as well."
"So what do you think happened?"
"Thinkor know?"
"Both," he said, sighing. "It appears they're the same fucking thing."
"I know he killed my mother and father with the help of his Mafia connections. Uncle Fred discovered this when he joined the Mafia. And he went straight for Luke."
"However, Luke escaped."
"He did, indeed."
