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“Everything’s fine, sir, but we need to talk.”
He frowns. “Just a moment.” He closes the door, then reopens it a minute later. “All right. Come in.”
When I step into the room, I find both parents in their robes. Mrs. Alexander is seated on a chair by the hearth.
Mr. Martin stands, facing me. “Go ahead.”
Exhaling heavily, I shove my hands in my front pockets. I get right to the point. “I found Layla in her closet a short while ago with a knife she stole from the kitchen.”
Mrs. Alexander gasps. “Did she cut herself?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?” she asks.
“Yes. I checked for blood, both on her and on the blade. There was none.”
“Where is she now?” her father asks.
“In her bed sleeping. She was pretty distraught after the incident, but I was able to talk her into going to bed. I stayed with her until she fell asleep.”
“Thanks for telling us,” the judge says. He meets his wife’s gaze, and they share a moment. They both look worried.
“She’s afraid you’ll be disappointed in her,” I say.
Mr. Alexander shakes his head. “We’re not disappointed. We know she can’t help it. We’re just concerned for her safety. Where’s the knife now?”
“It’s in my room. I’ll return it to the kitchen tonight.”
The judge nods. “Thank you, Jason.”
“I’m sorry, but I should have searched her room before now, and I didn’t. That’s on me. I’ll do random sweeps from now on. It’ll never happen again, I promise.”
Mrs. Alexander nods. “That’s a good idea. Margaret and I check her room regularly, but we obviously missed this knife. I would appreciate your help as well.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Please, Jason,” she says. “Call me Ruth.”
I nod. “Ruth. Got it.”
Layla’s father claps me on my shoulder. “You did the right thing by telling us. We’ll talk to her tomorrow.”
I nod, because I know he’s right. But that doesn’t make this any easier. “Please don’t be hard on her, sir. She’s already afraid of disappointing you and being seen as a failure.”
“Martin,” he says. “Call me Martin. And we understand that. But we do need to address the issue with her, and with Dr Hartigan. We can’t just sweep it under the rug.”
I nod, understanding their position. But I can’t help finding myself on Layla’s side.
After returning to my room, I retrieve the knife and take it down to the kitchen, where I wash it and stow it away with the other cutlery.
I hope tonight doesn’t damage the progress I’ve made with Layla. I can’t help her if she doesn’t trust me.
Chapter 12
Layla Alexander
Memories of last night come rushing back, and I’m absolutely mortified that Jason saw me like that. Other than during the abduction and my recent stay in the hospital, I haven’t had an emotional meltdown that bad in a long time. I’m glad my parents didn’t see it. They’d be frantic with worry—especially my mom. And so disappointed.
