Page 185 of Return Policy

She nods, and we turn to her phone as she presses play on a video.

“Kiwi” by Harry Styles plays low. The camera angle shows the front seat of a car with a driver and a blonde passenger. Squinting at the phone, I realize it’s Seth and Sophia. She does something silly, and he reaches over, touching her leg.

“Why are you showing me this?” I ask, wishing I could erase the visual permanently from my memory.

“Just watch,” she whispers.

A flicker of something appears in front of the windshield before a loud bang explodes from the speaker.

“Sophia…”

Yelling starts, and doors slam. I’m assuming they’re getting out of the car. The angle now makes it impossible to see anything of use—flashes of green and blue—but the voices are clear.

“Is this what I think it is?” I say almost at a whisper.

Sophia doesn’t reply, but her sniffles next to me, along with the next few minutes of dialogue, give me hope that just maybe, this could be our ticket to finally end this nightmare with Seth.

“Where did you get this?” I ask as my hands shake.

“Charlie sent it to me.”

“She had it this entire time?”Are you shitting me?“This whole thing could have ended months ago?”

“Elijah…” Sophia tilts her head at me. “I can’t be mad at Charlie for being afraid. Even if I had this myself, I don’t know if I would've had the courage to use it until a few weeks ago.”

“Is that what you want to do?” I ask hesitantly—hopefully.

She nods slowly, and I can breathe for the first time in weeks. “I didn’t want to do anything until I showed it to you. But I’m ready to turn it over.”

I reach up, brushing tears off her cheeks. “I’m so proud of you for being brave.”

She swallows hard. “I’m not brave… I’m balls out terrified.”

“No, you’re balls of steel.” She laughs. “We’ll see Mark together, okay?”

“Okay.” She nods, and I pull her to me, kissing her lips gently.

“Knock knock,” a familiar sweet voice says as my door opens. A wide smile breaks across my face at the sight of my mom standing in the doorway. Sophia gets off the bed, rushing over, and Mom pulls her in a tight hug.

A head pops around the corner, and my eyes widen as my sister comes barreling toward me, flying past Sophia.

She throws herself on me and I wince in pain, putting an arm around her. “Missed you too, Abbs.”

Laying her head on my chest, she hugs tighter. “Eli, you scared the hell outta me.”

“Just giving you a taste of your own medicine.” I smile, taking Sophia’s hand as she returns to my bedside.

Abbs looks up at her. “This must be the girlfriend Mama was telling me all about,” she says, standing and pulling Sophia into a hug.

“I hope so.” Sophia blushes with an awkward laugh.

“I still can’t believe it.” Abbs’s gaze flicks between us. “Jesus, I really was gone a long time.”

“Abigail, don’t use the Lord’s name in vain,” Mom chastises.

“Sorry, Mama.” Abbs smiles sweetly.

“So how’s it feel to be back on the outside?” I ask Abbs.

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