Page 35 of Watch Me Burn

And it was one thing to proclaim we were ready to see justice—and a whole other to face uncomfortable truths that’d stir even more trauma than what we were forced to shoulder as children.

I let Anna snuggle into me as we surfed her laptop. Man, the feel of her warm body was something else. Sure, it made it tough to concentrate on digging up the truth, but it was totally worth it.

Chapter 16

Anna

I was perched against the counter in my kitchen. I was lucky to know a few guys who could lend Ethan a suit for this occasion. Mr. Lautner didn’t say anything about dressing to impress, but I could just whiff from his attitude through Facebook Messenger that he didn’t take kindly to young people dressing “lazily.”

I primmed every part of Ethan’s presentation, gelling back his thick black hair and even slicking his eyebrows neatly. I had to admit, normally, Ethan made my heart skip a beat, but expensively groomed, he made my thighs clench together like I’d been stimulated to oblivion. The way his muscles filled out that suit, with his neck tattoos playing peekaboo over the shirt collar—damn! I just wanted to shove him onto my bed and ride him until we were both screaming.

Jesus . . . Get a grip, girl!

And yet . . . It still bothered me how quickly Ethan agreed to just remain friends. He didn’t even put up a fight—I was squirming for him to take the lead, growl “no” into my ear before he grappled me by my hips and fucked my brains out.

But maybe he was fine with this “simplicity.” I must’ve been the only one thrown off by this.

Perhaps foolishly, I scrambled to dress myself last. There weren’t any special changes I thought I needed to make compared to my average workdays: pencil skirt, trench coat to shield my body against the autumn weather, and opaque leggings tucked underneath ankle-high boots.

My heels echoed against my condo’s wooden floor as I sashayed out of my bedroom. I caught Ethan ogling my ass from where he sat on my couch, but I pretended to not notice. He’d have to satisfy himself with his imagination once I cloaked myself under my coat.

“We’re fifteen minutes late,” he informed me rather nonchalantly. I guessed he was in no rush to tackle this weight on our shoulders, either. I just knew it would be freeing to get this meetup over with, but I also recognized that what was hidden within the faculty had to hold some dark secrets. Possibly, one of vengeance and eventual murder.

Ethan placed his hands on top of my shoulders. I hadn’t realized how badly my body was trembling until he stilled me with his strong grip.

“Relax,” he whispered into my ear. His breath tickled my neck.

Because relaxing would be so easy to do with him inches away from my skin.

But I wasn’t about to be standoffish now. To tell the truth, his intimacy warmed me. Reuniting with Ethan taught me how lonely I’d been for the past fifteen years. It was strange—I hadn’t seen the void within me until he sparked what it was like to feel alive. Not just surviving or toiling away in my makeshift office while every day dulled into a repeat of tasks.

Ethan brightened my life. And I had to thank him for that.

Turning to face him, I stood on my tippy toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. He was surprised to be pecked so suddenly, but he smiled in understanding.

We were partners now. Nothing could drive a rift between us.

He took my hand boldly as we walked out the front door, having no clue as to what laid before us in Gatineau Square.

When we got to the park, I had to swivel my neck around a few times to make out where Mr. Lautner sat. Contrary to his spiel about technology and whatnot, he was practically burrowed into his phone at a table positioned optimally under the trees’ shade. His skin was etched with time-weathered wrinkles, a testament to years lived. Sparse white hair adorned his head, and a scruffy beard framed his face.

Ethan squeezed my hand. It was now or never. I clutched the bag that held my father’s notes tighter as I stalked to where Mr. Lautner was. He didn’t look up until he heard our footsteps rustling the grass right next to him.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Lautner,” Ethan said, extending a hand. Mr. Lautner studied his face, and when he inevitably recognized who Ethan was, his lips curled in disgust.

I jumped in to soothe the tension. “I’m Anna Hudson. John’s daughter.”

Mr. Lautner shook his head. “And this is how you choose to honor your father’s legacy, huh?” He rested his phone on the table, spreading his legs proudly in his chair. “When I heard you wanted to talk, I had no idea it’d be to get this killer involved in an interview. I hoped prison had killed him by now.”

Never had I wanted to punch someone’s face as badly as my arms itched to punch Mr. Lautner’s. But Ethan remained shockingly collected at my side, maintaining his smile as he slid into a chair opposite Mr. Lautner. I followed his lead.

“Mr. Lautner, I completely understand how you feel. The trial fifteen years ago has fueled a lot of feelings of resentment in the community, and I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t want anything to do with me. I know you were his best friend.”

Multiple emotions flashed across Mr. Lautner’s face. “Best friend? We were just colleagues at best, but it doesn’t take knowing someone that much to point out that their life was stolen cruelly.” He glared extra menacingly in Ethan’s direction. He didn’t flinch, making Mr. Lautner’s hostility appear even more pathetic.

This wasn’t the time to get wrapped up in admiring Ethan’s resoluteness, however. I narrowed my eyes at Mr. Lautner. “What do you mean, you weren’t best friends? My father always said you were his closest friend at the high school.”

Mr. Lautner glanced at me confusedly, then stared up at the sky in thought. “Sure, we talked a few times more than the other teachers, but I wouldn’t say he was especially close to any of the faculty members. He was a charming personality, I’ll tell you that—all the young, female teachers wished they could snag a guy like that for themselves.” Fascination colored Mr. Lautner’s recount of my father’s past—it was almost like he was an icon among the teachers rather than a mere friend. Mysterious yet liked.

---