Page 225 of Skate the Line

“I don’t have proof of that, though.”

“I do,” she argues. “I have proof that he was involved in a hit-and-run too.”

I quickly climb to my feet. “Wait, what did you say?”

“My private investigator called me about a week ago and said that he had followed him one evening and that he was involved in a wreck but left the scene. He took photos and everything, but he couldn’t quite catch up to the person that Nicholas hit. By the time he got back in his car to make sure they were okay, they began driving off.”

I press my hand to my mouth. Nicholas hasn’t changed at all. In fact, I think he may have gotten worse.

“Ally?”

“I’m here,” I force out. “Send me all the information you have on him.”

“To this number?” she asks.

“No, send it to…” I rattle off my old email, knowing it’s still active.

“And Ally?”

“Yeah?” My chest is wound with fear. I’m terrified that Nicholas is going to do something to Rhodes—or worse, Ellie. Did he hit us because he thought Marco was Rhodes?

“I’m so sorry I brought you into our lives.” She sniffles. “He wasn’t always like this.”

My eyes sting, but I quickly brush the emotion away.

“Everything happens for a reason,” I say.

We hang up after I promise her that I’ll be in touch via email and stand on shaky legs. I gather myself on the way to Jamie’s desk and slide the phone over to her.

“All good?” she asks.

I nod with a tight smile.

“Can I head to my nana’s room now?”

She walks with me and talks about Cole some more, but the only thing I can think about is how I’m going to take care of Nicholas.

I need Nana.

The moment I lay eyes on her, my eyes gloss over.

“Oh, now, don’t do that.” She opens her arms up to me, and my heart swells.

There is nothing quite like a hug from the one person that has always been there for me, no matter what.

“Sorry, Nana,” I choke out. “I just missed you.”

I kneel beside her and continue to give her a hug. My head rests on her woven afghan, and she pats my head with her weathered hand.

“I know you better than that, Allison. Does this have something to do with that man?”

Which one?

I slowly pull back and eye her.

She doesn’t know about Nicholas.

Does she?

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