Page 61 of Mountain Freedom
“I do. It’s getting late and I already interrupted your sleep last night. I’m not going to do it again.” He kept his tone light, but I could tell he was still upset.
“Okay,” I said, not wanting to push. “See you soon?”
“Yeah. And if you need anything, you know you can call me. Anytime.”
“I know,” I said.
“Alright then. Let’s get you inside.”
I turned away, disappointed as I walked up the stairs. He followed me to the door and waited for me to go in.
“I’m going to wait to hear you lock up,” he said. His face was neutral, but he couldn’t fool me.
I saw the old pain in his eyes, the lies he still believed. Raindrops ran from his hair down his face, reminding me of tears. I was tempted to smooth them away, wishing somehow it could wipe away all the hurt he hid so well from the rest of the world. But I kept my hands to myself.
“Goodnight,” I said softly. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Always,” he said.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and closed the door between us. I stayed there, listening to his footsteps as he slowly walked away.
When his truck pulled out, I ran upstairs to get a towel to dry my hair. My clothes were so wet I had to peel them off of me before trading them for a dry pair of sweats. I had just changed when I heard a knock at my door.
He came back.I smiled, feeling hope bloom again. But when I opened my door, it wasn’t him on my steps.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Honey, I’m home,” Mike quipped, pulling a giant bouquet of roses from behind his back.
“That’s not funny,” I said, shaking my head. “I didn’t invite you to come.”
“Come on,” he said, dipping his head and giving me his most charming smile. “I drove all this way. The least you could do is let me in. I just want to talk, Allison. Hear me out. If you don’t like what I have to say, then we part as friends and I’ll never darken your doorstep again. But even if that’s the case, don’t I at least deserve some closure?”
My shoulders sagged. “Fine.” I opened the door wider, making room for him to enter. “But I hope you booked a room at the motel, because you’re not staying here tonight.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jackson
Alone in my bed,I spent a restless night haunted by nightmares of Russell. Knowing he was dead wasn’t even enough to convince my brain I was safe.
I was starting to wonder if I would ever truly be free from him.
Sleep or no sleep, Sunday morning started bright and early with a call from my mom. “Morning, Jackson!” Her cheery voice rang through the phone, exactly the same as it did every week, bringing a small smile to my face.
“Morning, Mom.”
“What’s wrong?” Her tone changed instantly.
“Nothing. Everything’s fine.” I stifled a yawn. “I was asleep, that’s all.”
“Jackson”—I could practically hear her rolling her eyes on the other line—“I’m your mother. I can tell by your voice that everything isnotfine. What’s going on? Rough case?”
I forced myself out of bed and headed for the coffee pot, knowing we were in for a long conversation. “Russell’s dead.”
The other line was so quiet I thought I had lost her.
“Mom?”
