Page 35 of You are the Reason

I toss the keys to him. “Weare going somewhere. You can ask questions later. Let’s go.”

Jesse runs his hand through his hair aggressively, leading the way out the door. Once he’s sitting in the car he turns to face me. “Where to, Meadow? And please try to be smart with your choices right now, I don’t want to deal with Tanner when he finds out I’ve allowed you to get us into some kind of trouble.”

“Trouble? Me? Don’t be ridiculous.” I laugh and he huffs. “Take me to my place, Jesse. Seeing as though you and Tanner have been keeping tabs on me through the security cameras, I’m sure he will find out anyway.”

Sure enough, only minutes after we arrive back at the apartment, my phone dings with a message from Tanner.

Tanner - Forget something at home, Pip?

Me - I’m still processing whether I should be flattered or insulted that you’re pretty much stalking me

Tanner - Don’t tempt me into kidnapping

Me - Ha Ha … I just need to grab some things then we will be heading back to Jesse’s

Tanner - Text me when you get home

I must be scowling at my phone when Jesse approaches. “Trouble in paradise?” he questions.

“No, just Tanner asking if he needs to upgrade from stalking to kidnapping.” I roll my eyes. “Let’s get what we need and go back to your place. The last thing we need is him turning up, realising that this is so much more than someone following me and taking photos.”

“I don’t think he would run if he knew, Kins,” he pauses, speaking quietly, “I really do think you could tell him.”

“You think I’m scared of him running for the hills? That I’m scared to be broken-hearted?” I shake my head. “I’m not worried about me, Jesse. I’m already too far gone, nothing can save me now — but him? He isn’t involved in this yet. These people? They aren’t afraid to kill, Jess. You know it, I know it and it’s just a matter of time before someone else gets hurt. I can’t let him be collateral damage. God, it eats me alive knowing there is nothing I can do to keep you out of this.”

Jesse closes the space between us, wrapping me in his arms. “You’re right, Meadow. There is nothing you can do to keep me out of this and I will spend every waking minute keeping you safe.” He takes a deep breath and on exhale he whispers, “I made a promise.”

Immediately, I still in his arms. Stepping back I look up at him, his eyes are on the floor. It’s written all over his face — he is only now realising what he said out loud.

“Who did you make a promise to, Jesse?”

He leans back against the wall, sliding to the floor. I follow, kneeling before him. He looks me deep in the eyes and says the one word that confirms everything.

“Kyle.”

A mixture of emotions engulf me, but now is not the time to work through them. I stuff them down, locking them away for later.Hold it together Kinsley.

“In Kyle’s journal, the last entry was dated the day before he was found dead.” I already know the answer to what I am asking him, but I need to hear it. “What haven’t you told me, Jess?” My eyes are pleading with him and my body begins to shake.

On instinct he reaches out, wanting to hold me. We don’t have time to sit here and grieve, so instead of letting him pull me down into his lap I stand, and reach out my hand to help him up. Reluctantly he takes it.

“So much, Meadow. There is so much I haven’t told anyone.”

I nod in understanding, there are still so many emotions floating around. One emotion I’m not feeling is anger, I don’t think I could ever be angry at Jesse about this.

“Let’s grab what I came here for and get back to your place; then you can start from the beginning.”

I look to him for confirmation and see a silent tear fall down his cheek. Reaching up, I brush it away with my thumb. “I’m so sorry, Jesse. You should have never been responsible for something this heavy from such a young age.”

He shakes his head and I wish for a moment I was inside his mind. It’s the first time since I’ve known Jesse that I am left not knowing what he is thinking. The inner workings of Jesse’s mind isn’t something I have ever needed to consider, we can normally read each other so well, we don’t keep secrets and in many ways we are one.Until now.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Kinsley

“It all started a couple of months before he passed away, during footy season. We would train late in the afternoons and being winter, the sun would set early. A few times we went to the storage unit — the one where the police stored all your dad’s files on the Lance Harding case. That’s not all that was in there though, there was also the entire case they had put together on your dad’s disappearance.” Jesse draws his eyebrows together. “Kyle was so angry that they had closed the case.”

“Wait a second,” I say holding up one hand, I need a moment to get this straight. “I had no idea. Why didn’t I know the case had been closed? I could have —”

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