AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Without discussing it, we walk into the living room. We’ve got the curtains drawn, meaning he can pull me into his arms. We discussed not being overly intimate in places Dad might be able to spy on us. He’ll be able to see how badly I want Jamie and that I’m not his prisoner. Or, if I am, Iwantto be.
“The cops may not believe us,” Jamie says. “Or maybe, back then, they were in on it. It was strange how easily they accepted all of this.”
“But that was years ago. I bet those cops wouldn’t risk their necks forDad.”
“They’d risk it for their own, though. To protect what their predecessors did.”
I clutch onto him tighter, squeezing his sides through his shirt. “There has to be something we can do.”
“No, you’re right. We have to call the cops.” He sounds reluctant. “It’s the only move we can make, really…”
He trails off, his voice taking on a dreamy quality. It’s like he sounded in the documentary when he was talking about his novels.
“Why do I feel you’ve just had a spark of creative genius?”
“We could lure your dad here, as you suggested. It won’t be difficult for me to get him under control. Then yes, the logical next step is to call the cops, but if the copswereinvolved in the past, they’ve got every incentive to bury it.”
“So, how do we stop them?”
“I write about what happened. I try to make it compelling. I try to write it so that people will care. It will have to be short, to the point.” He sighs darkly. “Maybe nobody will even notice, but maybe we can kick up enough of a fuss to make people care.”
“That will take a long time, won’t it?”
“No,” he says firmly. “We can get it done fast. We can publish it online. Hell, what am I thinking? I haven’t had access to the proper internet for years. I don’t know how any of this works.”
“Wait a second,” I say, an idea occurring to me.
I go upstairs and grab my phone, Jamie following me. Opening the internet browser, I navigate to a webpage.
“This is a true crime site. My friend Sabrina goes on it sometimes. They accept articles from their viewers. They have a podcast too. We can send something to them, but they like it to be catchy. They need a twist.”
Jamie’s eyes get brighter and brighter the more I speak, and then he grins like a wolf. “What aboutFalling for my Dad’s Killer?”
“It certainly has a ring to it.”
“I’ll need your help, my perfect editor,” he says. “I’ll write the story about the pills, my addiction, the threats, and you. I served my time. I did my part, and he’sstillcoming after me. It’s time we fought back.”
“Together,” I say, taking his shoulders and squeezing hard. “I mean that, Jamie. I think I’m being mature, forgiving you so soon. I understand your reasons. That’s why. Family. No more lies, okay?”
“No mo—”
I step forward, looking him right in the eye. “If you feel you’ll have to lie to me again to keep me safe, just know right now Idon’twant that. I don’t want to live in the dark anymore. I’ve done enough of that.”
“No more lies,” he says fiercely, leaning down for a kiss.
* * *
For two days, we become a team. I risk my mortgage by calling in sick to work and ignoring college, but there’s magic in working with my man. He locks himself in my bedroom, typing on my laptop in a frenzy. Then we print his work, and I go over it with him. We discuss how to make things more impactful and add the proper emphasis.
He writes. I make him rewrite. We keep going. I wonder if this is what falling in love feels like, but though we kiss and hold each other, I stop him from going further. I can’t focus on anything else while knowing Dad’s still out there, gun in one hand, cuffs in the other. Jamie thinks he was here for him, but I’m not convinced. What if he wanted to kidnapme?
Dad doesn’t visit. The envelope stays in its place. I’m not sure my ruse is going to work.
At the end of the second day, I lie in Jamie’s arms, wondering if he’s tiring of the no-sex thing. It’s not something I’ve come outright and said. It’s more like I’m on alert, too ready for something terrible or surreal, or terribly surreal, to happen.
“You’re an incredible writer,” I murmur. “I love watching you work.”
“You watch me work?” He kisses the top of my head and pulls me closer. “When?”
