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I’ve never felt like a bigger asshole in my life. “I acted like a dick. There’s no excuse. I’m sorry.”
My parents are dead, as are Ed’s parents. Chloe is dead. The two of us are the only family Noah has. “We both love Noah,” I continue. “I’ve wallowed for too long. It’s time to leave the past behind. Can you forgive me? Can we start over?”
He nods slightly. “Chloe would have wanted us to get along.”
She would have. “What if we stuck with mediation?” I ask. “This time, I’ll cooperate. No sniping. No passive-aggressive jabs.”
“Can you resist?” He stares at me for a long time, and then his eyes slide to the soft toy next to me. “Noah said he dragged you to five different stores to find the perfect bear.”
“He can be pretty damn persuasive.”
“That he can.” There is another long pause. “We both love Noah,” Ed repeats, breaking the silence. “Like Renata said, that’s a good starting point.”
“Yeah, it is.” I hold out my hand to him. He gives me a crooked smile and shakes it.
It feels momentous. We’ve turned the page. I’m finally ready to put the past behind. I’m ready to look to the future.
A future with Gabriella in it.
I’ve barely seen her the last few days. I’ve neglected her terribly, and I miss her. As I drive back from the hospital, I send her a text. ‘Take-out tonight? Indian food?’
Her reply comes almost immediately. ‘Sounds perfect.’
An instant later, my phone beeps again, notifying me of an incoming email. I glance at the display absently.
Then I take in the words on the screen and excitement jolts through me. I pull off the side of the road and read the entirety of the message the private detective following Denton Mitchell has sent. I flip through the attachments. I zoom in on the images.
Mitchell has been able to gain the upper hand because he’s willing to resort to violence, and we aren’t. But finally, we might have an edge.
