Page 91 of Arrogant and Merciless

Odin also pulled her phone records from before she disappeared—there were no messages exchanged between them.

Everything keeps confirming what I already suspected.

I was wrong. I failed her, and now I need to fight for her forgiveness.

My phone rings, and I step away from the door so as not to interrupt her performance for the children.

"Hey, William. You wanted to talk to me?" Jackie asks on the other end of the line.

"Yes. Thanks for calling back. I need to ask you something. The night Taylor disappeared, I went after her at the bar. When I got there, a blond guy with long hair told me she didn’t work there anymore."

"That must have been that asshole Todd. He was the reason Taylor got fired. Why are you asking?"

"He showed me pictures of my father and Taylor together that same night, in the parking lot of the bar."

"I don’t know why he showed those to you. Maybe he was obsessed with her. He wanted to be with Taylor, and she said no. He disrespected her, and when she reported him to our boss, she got fired because, at the time, the woman was sleeping with the jerk."

"Why would he photograph her?"

"Who knows? There are all kinds of lunatics out there. He was probably planning to blackmail her. But I’m sure that was the first time your father went to the bar looking for her. On the way home, she told me about the weird conversation they had. He offered her a job, and she turned him down. Look, I know you’re suspicious, and if I were in your shoes, I’d probably think the same, especially since Taylor doesn’t remember anything. But I’d bet everything on her innocence. I just hope you realize the truth before you lose her for good, William."

William

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

"I didn’t knowyou were already here," she says, smiling, her face flushed. The smile, however, unlike before, doesn’t reach her eyes.

"I’m always in your shadow, Taylor. I’m always at your side because I can’t help it. I don’t want to help it."

"Except when I disappeared," she says, putting her violin away without looking at me.

"Come with me?"

She finally lifts her head to meet my gaze. "What’s going on?"

"I want to take you somewhere." I extend my hand to her, and she looks at me, confused. Even though we know that everyone in the hospital suspects our involvement, we’ve never touched in public.

"Where?"

"Do you trust me?"

"If I were a smart girl, I’d say no."

"But you’re not?"

She looks down at her feet. "No."

"What are you, Taylor?" I take a step closer and lift her chin.

"A fool."

"Why?"

"I have no proof, but I know I did nothing wrong, yet I accept the crumbs you give me."

"I never gave you crumbs. I’ve always been yours. Even with anger, longing, resentment, and bitterness, I was always yours. Come with me."

She accepts my hand and, for the first time, takes the initiative to entwine our fingers. "Where to?"

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