Page 99 of The Photograph

Fuck.“I’ll take you home.”

During the silent ride, she’s quiet, staring at the window with her fingers curled tight around her cellphone. When the car pulls over in front of her house, she turns to me.

“I’m sorry again … for earlier.”

As soon as she steps out of the car, her front door opens on Cara whose face is ravaged with tears.

Her sister sobs. “Angel…”

Aelin hurries to her sister. “I’m here, my Cara.”

Before the front door closes, Cara wails like a wounded animal and Aelin crumbles on the floor supporting her sister’s weight.

****

Mike strides into my office and sits across my desk. “Have you heard?”

“How’s Cara coping?”

He sweeps his palm over his face. “Not well. Like the asshole hasn’t done enough to hurt them.” My brother shakes his head. The funeral’s going to be a hell of a shit show.”

“You’ve been invited?”

Michael sighs. “I take it you haven’t.”

Is Aelin angry with me?“Vanessa’s back.”

Mike’s brows hit his hairline. “The fucking original blonde.”

“What the fuck are you on about?”

He leans in. “All the women you date are clones of her. You keep them around for a few months and you leave them with expensive gifts as well as a designer clothes account when you break up with them.”

Fuck. Who talked?Before I can ask, Mike retrieves his cell from his back pocket and hands it to me. “Gotta say she’s got good timing. This is one of the picturesElle Décorran in their article on Holloway.”

The photographer has captured her mid-laugh, leaning toward the other woman from her team. She’s stunning.And she doesn’t want me to be there for her.

I hand Mike his cell back. “She’s going through a divorce, and Philip Hawthorne had an iron clad prenup, so she’s left with very little compared to what she had before.”

Mike frowns. “When did you see Vanessa?”

“Last night.”

“Weren’t you with Aelin last night?”

Yes, and she was kissing me“Vanessa showed up last night ‘by chance’.”

Mike leans in. “How did Aelin take it?”

After I pushed her off seconds before she learnt her abuser died?“Fine.”

When my cell rings, I pick up before the second ring and get on my feet. “Aelin, how are you, baby?”

Her voice is small. “I’m okay, uh… I… The funeral is on Wednesday.”

Pacing to the window, I make my tone gentle. “I can send a lawyer for you and Cara.”

“No. Chris, our lawyer, will be there. He says we should be there for the reading of the will anyway… But thank you.” She takes a deep breath, and I tense. “Gabe?”

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