Page 104 of ILY
I don’t know if I hate that I was right about this whole thing. Rain seems like a nice guy, and I’m not sure he’s going to cope with the idea that his mother really was the monster he was afraid of.
And I’m not sure Leaf will ever sleep comfortably here again. But I am going to try to fix it.
The detective looks up at me. “Your guys coming in?”
“It’s an FBI cold case, so yeah. They should be here in a few days.”
The detective tosses the shovel. “What do you need from me?”
“Shut this place down completely and pause your investigation until we get a few photos verified.”
“You the lead here?”
I shake my head, and while that might have pissed me off once, right now, it’s nothing more than relief. I’m not the lead in the case, which means they won’t need me as much.
It means I can focus on Leaf and getting him through what is sure to be an absolute emotional fucking shitshow.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
LEAF
Thom goeswith me to get a hotel since I’m in the middle of freaking the fuck out and don’t trust myself to drive. He’s kind and steady, which keeps me from totally going over the edge.
I’ve been there before, and it’s not a fun place to be.
At the counter, Thom bumps my arm out of the way and smiles at the receptionist. “What’s that suite that you guys have?”
“The king suite?”
He nods. “Yeah. Let’s do…I don’t know, four nights?”
My eyes widen. “Thom, I cannot afford that.”
He offers me a smile. “I can. And you can downgrade if this whole thing ends up taking longer. You and Thorne deserve a luxurious rest.”
It’s too kind, and I almost feel sick to my stomach accepting his offer. But I also don’t have it in me to fight him, so I just accept the key when the receptionist hands it over. Right as I’m debating about whether or not I should go up to the room, my phone starts to buzz. It’s a FaceTime request from Thorne, and my heart leaps.
“Hey. Hi,” I blurt the second he appears.
He chuckles softly, looking happy to see me. “Oh, sweetheart. You okay?”
‘I’ve been better,’ I sign, my expression dry as the Sahara.
His smile widens. “Where are you right now?”
“Uh…the…what is this place? The Emerald Mountain Resort?” Fuck, why didn’t I just go for the Marriott down the street. How much did Thom actually pay?
I can hear a tapping sound on his phone as his FaceTime blurs out, and then his face reappears. “I can be there in ten. Meet you in the lobby?”
“Yeah,” I breathe. “We can go upstairs and see how bouncy the beds are when you get here.” Beside me, Thom makes a choking sound.
Thorne’s smile turns a little sad. “We can absolutely do that, but it’s going to have to wait. I need you to come back to your place to sign a few consent forms and then pack your stuff. I don’t know when you can come back.”
Oh god, this feels way too real. My stomach churns. “Yeah, alright.”
“I’ll see you soon,” he promises. I catch a glimpse of his car as he ends the call, and then I turn to Thom. “Well. I guess I’m homeless for a while.” Or forever. I don’t even know.
He eyes me for a moment, then grabs me and yanks me into a hug. “It’ll be alright. You know there are plenty of people in town who will take care of you. And you’ll be with Thorne.”
