Page 30 of Ten Years Later
Emily, too, was riled up. She slammed the car door shut after climbing in. “Zane got fired. I know you had something to do with it. I can’t believe you.”
“Yeah, well I can’t believe you. You met him at the beach, didn’t you?” Mia glared at her.
Emily fell silent.
From under the driver’s seat, Mia pulled out Emily’s sketchpad. She opened it to the page with the depicted scene. “So you’re not going to deny it?”
Emily made no response.
Mia threw the Lexus in drive and didn’t look or talk to Emily during the few minutes it took to get home.
Once inside, Mia turned to her. “I wanted to be delicate with this news. I wanted to pick the right time to talk to you. I wanted to have finesse. But I’m done.”
“What news?” Emily snapped.
“I’ve been offered a job in London with an international real estate company. I am taking it. We are leaving this weekend. I’ve already notified your current school. You are being enrolled in aboarding school there in London because my new job has a lot of travel involved.” Mia pinned her daughter with a harsh gaze, daring her to protest.
“Is this about Zane?”
“My attitude that you’re seeing is completely brought on by your sudden interest in Zane Young. I warned you. That man is in histhirties, Emily. I don’t know what you’re thinking. You don’t seem to realize how inappropriate it is.”
“It’s not like that. We’re friends. He’s like a father to me.”
Mia lost it. “Emily, you are not a stupid girl. Why can’t you see what I see? No man that old has aninnocentinterest in a girl your age. I can’t fathom what you’re thinking. Do you have a crush on him?”
“God, Mom, no! I told you, he’s like a father.”
“He isnotyour father.” Mia threw her hands up. She paced a tight circle. “You know what, it doesn’t matter. We’re leaving. You will never see that man again. If you try, I will call the cops. You better believe it.”
20 /CURRENT DAY
Keaton satin his living room eating a TV dinner while simultaneously paying what little bills he could in order to stay afloat. If he paid all his bills, he’d once again be out of money.
His phone rang. Emily’s name lit up the screen.
“Hi,” he said, smiling.
She sniffed. Her breath caught.
Keaton sat up. “What’s wrong?”
“Mia says we’re moving to London.”
“What? When?”
“This weekend.” Emily’s breath hiccupped on a soft cry. “I don’t want to leave. What am I going to do? Can you talk to her?”
His heart broke. “No, I can’t.”
“I hate her.”
His brain whirled. This spur of the moment decision was not a coincidence. Mia had to be onto his real identity.
“What if I…what if I ran away?”
Keaton stood up. He paced. “Don’t do anything. Let me think things through.”
“She said you’re a pedophile.”
