Page 15 of If You Love Me

She offered me a sympathetic smile as she closed the door. I strapped myself in and relaxed in the passenger seat. Finally, I felt safe. Maybe, just maybe, I would be home soon.

I satin the interrogation room, warming my hands on the mug of hot coffee. After being taken to a local hospital for medical clearance, Officer Hilbert brought me to the police station. I’d told my story to three different people, and I was beginning to get frustrated with repeating myself. I could understand needing the full story, but either relay the message, record my statement, or gather everybody who needed to hear it in one room.

I’d been told Leon’s story several times, and it seemed to me that everyone felt a little sorry for him. Apparently, he’d spent time in and out of the psych ward before and after his wife’s accident. He was on medication, and he was doing okay until the anniversary of her death came around every year. When he tookme, she hadn’t been missing at all. She’d been dead for three years. Every year, he went looking for her.

That time, he found me.

According to the officers, he’d left the state for a little while to escape the memories and had just come back two months before he snatched me up. It wasn’t clear if he was taking his medication at the time, but if I had to guess, I would say he wasn’t. Mentally competent people didn’t just kidnap a complete stranger for no reason.

The door opened, and Officer Hilbert walked in with that same sympathetic look on her face.

“How are you doing in here?” she asked.

“I want to go home.”

She nodded. “We were able to verify your disappearance.”

I frowned. “Did y’all think I was lying?”

“No, ma’am. We just needed to make sure you were who you said you were so we could locate your family.” She sat back in her seat and looked at me with sad eyes. “Mr. Kane didn’t make it. They think he had a heart attack.”

I stared blankly at her. I didn’t care that the man was dead. He’d taken ten years of my life. Ten years of my time with my husband and child were gone. I missed everything surrounding Summer Rose. That was time I couldn’t get back. Mental health or not, I was still the victim here.

“When can I leave?” I asked.

“Soon. Who would you like us to call?”

Without missing a beat, I answered, “My husband, Tyrion Lewis. The address is 424 Fox Trail Drive in Grand Hills. Am I anywhere close to there?”

“That’s about a two-hour drive from here.”

I dropped my head in my hands. This whole time, I’d been two hours from home. If that wasn’t ’bout a bitch, then I didn’t know what was.

“I’ll give you some time to process all this. I’ll get someone to contact your husband.”

“Thank you.”

She left me with a smile. Once the door closed, I picked up the coffee cup and took a long sip. My nerves were on ten. What if Tyrion didn’t want to come get me? What if he thought this was all some cruel joke? I’d held onto my love for him, but what if he didn’t love me anymore?

The thought of that made me cry.

All I wanted to do was go home to my husband and my child and start all over. I had so much to learn about Summer Rose, and I prayed she would be receptive. I wanted to fill in the gaps of my absence with all the love I never got to give her and her father. While our time together had been cut short, we had the rest of our lives to make up for it… at least I hoped we did.

Time seemed to tick by as slow as possible before the door opened, and Officer Hilbert motioned for me to follow her.

“He wants to speak to you.”

I swallowed hard. “He—he does?”

“I don’t think he’ll believe us until he does.”

I’d waited for this moment for so long, and now it was like my feet were cemented to the floor. I simply stared at her until she walked over to me and extended a hand.

“I know this is moving fast, but you waited ten years for this moment. You’ve got this.” She guided me to my feet. “Come on.”

I allowed her to lead me out of the room. My heart was pounding as we navigated the hallway to a private office.

“Just press the flashing button to connect the call,” Officer Hilbert said as I took a seat.

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