Page 128 of The Oscar Escape
“I saw the surveillance video. It’s her. Luckily, her aunt and uncle are close with the owners. I’m hoping they’ll be able to persuade them not to press charges.”
Oscar couldn’t help but crack a smile. “We do know how she feels about bonbons.”
Dom released an anxiety-ridden puff of a laugh. “I can’t figure it out, Oscar. I want to help her. Where would she go? See if you can crack the code, man. I’ve got to wrangle the press and make sure the wordsgrand theft autoandAria Paige-Grantdon’t make it into the same sentence. Call me if you hear anything.”
“Absolutely.”
The line went dead.
“Wow,” he breathed. He hadn’t imagined possible felony charges would be thrown into the mix. Then again, if anyone brought the drama, it was Aria and her eat-worms persona.
“Aria must really want a bunch of chocolate,” Ivy commented. “Maybe she’s borrowing the truck so she can have a little snack.”
Oscar nodded to his sister. He didn’t want to alarm the kid and couldn’t let on that this wasn’t good. “Yeah,” he lied, “that has to be it, Ives.” He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I thought you’d be pleased,” Georgia said coolly.
What the hell kind of statement was that?
He frowned. “Why would I be pleased?”
“Didn’t you want her to give up the limelight?” the woman pressed, watching him like a hawk.
He peered at the letter and the driftwood. “I did, but I don’t want that now. Not anymore. I was looking at my relationship with Aria through a skewed lens. All these years, I stood by, ready to swoop in when she was at her breaking point. But that’s not love. That’s fear. She doesn’t need me waiting in the wings for her to fall. She needs me to believe she can fly. She needs a partner, not a protector.” He met the judge’s gaze. “This is what my mom would want. I honor her memory by choosing love.”
The judge nodded. “It appears you know what you need to do.”
Madelyn raised an eyebrow. “And it sounds like an epic narrative.”
“Words matter, and so do actions.” He paused. “Where would Aria go?”he asked, mulling over the question.
“Maybe Aria wanted to go on a picnic and took the truck to go to the park or someplace nice and grassy,” Ivy chimed.
And then it hit him. He took in his intuitive little sister. He could smell the earthy scent of fallen leaves. He could see a ray of sunlight cutting through a blanket of dark clouds.
“Ivy, you’re a genius.”
The kid beamed.
She might not be there now, but he had a good idea of where Aria would end up.
And he knew what he needed to do.
Georgia plucked the check from the judge’s grasp and handed it over. “We bought your house. You’re rich. It’s done. I can see the wheels turning in your head. You’re working on a plan. How can we help?”
Oscar paced. “How much time do we have until Aria’s due on stage?”
His dad checked his watch. “About six hours.”
Oscar eyed the check and the papers in the box. He had everything he needed to pull off a bold, grand gesture to prove his love and devotion. He had to go big. His situation required a sweep-her-off-her-feet moment for the world to witness.
The clock was ticking.
He set the items on the hood of his truck next to his mother’s letter and the driftwood. First, he needed some information.
“How long does it take to fly from Maine to Denver?”
“A little over four hours?” Madelyn answered. “If flying by private jet.”
