by CeeCee James
“But, you’re single now, right?”
Eyes still closed, Miranda nodded. Her heart felt like she was lying. But it was the truth. Jason didn’t want her any more.
Dylan squeezed her hand. “I’ll slow down. We’ll take it one step at a time. It’s just—” Taking a deep breath, he ran his hand through his perfect blonde wave. His gaze fastened on her again, waggling his eyebrows like a naughty boy. “I mean, that was awesome.”
Miranda softly laughed. “Yeah it was. Now quit talking about it. I’m not sure I’m ready yet.”
He tried to wipe the smile off his face to match her serious expression. The light caught his rugged cheekbones at just the right angle. “Yes Ma’am.” He saluted her and she immediately wished he didn’t look so darn handsome. She had to turn her face away, not sure she’d have the will power to resist him much longer.
* * *
Once back at home, Miranda slipped her shoes off and padded, barefoot, over to the couch.
“You finding any good celebrity gossip?” she called to Cassie, who sat at the kitchen counter with her laptop.
“Chris Pratt’s making a new movie. Did you have fun?”
Miranda thought about it. “Oddly yes. I had a great time.”
Cassie snorted. “You sound surprised.”
“Yeah, I kind of am.”
“I don’t know how I feel about that.” Cassie heaved a deep breath. She glanced at Miranda sprawled out on the couch, her feet propped up on the arm. “I mean, Jason is family.”
Miranda groaned. “He left me. And not just once. Twice.”
“Yeah, but you know he doesn’t mean it. He’s messed up.”
“Cassie, try to understand my point of view. I tried. I can’t love someone enough to make them love me back.”
“Yeah, I know.” Her sister sadly faced the computer. She typed for a minute, then let out a long sigh. “I wonder where he is tonight.”
“Ugh, well, I was feeling good about tonight.”
“Sorry. I just worry about him. I know he still loves you.”
“I’m learning to let people make their own choices. He doesn’t get to be a Jack-in-the-box, popping in and out of my life, depending on if he believes if he’s good enough or not.” The conversation was making her want to scream. “This breakup has wrecked me. I mean, I could barely get out of bed in the morning for a while there.” Her heart twisted inside and that familiar lump in her throat appeared.
Miranda grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. She was over this conversation. Suddenly she regretted the movie with Dylan. I need to find another way to move forward with my life. Maybe get back into hiking. She hadn’t gone on a hike since the crystal cave, almost as if she couldn’t bear to make new memories without Jason. Rubbing her hands across her face, she sighed. It was time to face the facts. Her love hadn’t been enough. How am I supposed to go on? Was it wrong to just want to feel happy again?
“You still love him, too,” Cassie muttered.
Pressing her lips together, Miranda stabbed the Volume Up button. The screen flickered to a Saved by the Bell rerun, one of Jason’s favorites. Trying not to care, she flipped past it.
Archer jumped up and she scooted to the side so he could lie next to her. “You’re lucky you don’t fall in love,” she whispered to the dog. “Because it hurts so bad.”
Archer whined and laid his head on his front paws.
“Hey Sis, come look at this.” Cassie called. Miranda thought about ignoring her.
“I’m serious! This is important.”
The tone of concern was unmistakable in her sister’s voice. Miranda tossed the remote onto the end table and walked over. “What is it?”
“I just got a message about our uncle.” Cassie’s face was white.
Our uncle? The same one we escaped from all those years before?
Chapter Seventeen
Autumn
Heart pounding, Jason stared at the ledger, then up at the lawyer. “You’re kidding me—”
“Oh no. It’s quite a shock, I’m sure.”
Jason leaned back in the leather chair. “I guess I will take that drink after all.”
The lawyer laughed, his own chair creaking as he stood. He walked over to the sideboard and carefully poured two fingers of brandy into crystal glasses, handing one to Jason. “Cheers,” he said and held his glass up.
Jason took a solid sip from the glass, relishing the burn. He turned his attention back to the ledger and rubbed his temple in disbelief. After reading it one more time, he stood and walked over to the window.
The city stretched below him, wild and chaotic with busy life. Cars trudged along bumper to bumper. Tempers flared. Miniature people bustled about on the sidewalk, late for something or other. Just minutes earlier, Jason had been one of them.
And now his entire life had changed forever.
He slammed down the rest of the alcohol and winced at the burn. Turning, he studied the lawyer. “Is this for real?
“Yes. It’s for real. Congratulations son, you’ve got some money.”
Jason heaved a deep breath out. That ledger was his. The money was his. He could fix his truck, buy a new house, start over. Heck, he could get a new truck!
He wasn’t some poor kid with two deadbeat parents anymore.
Jason’s face lit in a big smile. “Thank you, Mr. Ashbach. I appreciate you letting me know.”
“You’re very welcome. There’s still some paperwork to fill out and you’ll need to ID yourself at the bank before the money can be released. Let’s set up a meeting tomorrow to sort it all out with the bank.” The lawyer folded his hands on top of the lacquered desk and smiled at Jason. “Be wise with the money. But have a little fun. I know your grandparents would have wanted that.”
Jason rubbed the stubble on his jaw line, trying to process. A new account, filled with cash. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and burst out of him in laughter. I can’t wait to tell Miranda. His joy was cut off and his forehead creased as he remembered Dylan. It’s not too late. I’ll change myself completely, be the person she needs. I can win her back.
The lawyer cleared his throat. Jason shook his head to clear his thoughts and glanced back at him.
“It’ll take some time to process, I’m sure. But trust me, you’ll adjust just fine.”
Jason stuck out his hand. “Thank you again. Sorry it’s been such a trial tracking me down.”
“Well worth it.” The lawyer gripped his hand firmly and shook it again. “Finally nice to see the face of the person we’ve been chasing for so long. If there’s anything else I can do, you know where to find me.”
Jason nodded and opened the door. He wandered back through the office, consumed with his thoughts. Everything felt surreal. Pushing the elevator button on autopilot, he pulled out the ledger and twirled it.
“Have a good day!” The cheery voice of the receptionist made him start.
“Oh yeah. Thanks.” A big grin broke across his face, and he had to resist holding up the ledger like a trophy. “It already is.”
Jason jogged down the steps as he walked out of the office and into the bright sunshine. He jiggled the keys and went to find his truck. Sliding into the battered seat, he whispered, “Maybe time for an upgrade, ol' girl.”
Chapter Eighteen
Autumn
Cassie bit at her thumbnail. “Look at what my friend just sent me on Facebook.”
Miranda bent down to read the screen. A tiny post said, “Hey, how come I didn’t see you at your uncle’s wedding?”
She frowned as she straightened. “Your friend means Uncle Vince?”
Cassie nodded. “Yeah. I guess he got married last month.”
“Wow—” Miranda actually felt speechless. She rubbed her face with her hands. “Wow—” she repeated.
“I know exactly how you feel,” Cassie said.
Stumbling a little, Miranda made her way back to the couch. Her heart was numb with shock. “Can you find out any of
the wedding information?”
“Yeah probably.” Cassie nodded. “You sure you want to know?”
“I don’t know how I feel.” Miranda slumped against the cushions and flung her arm over her eyes.
She listened to the sounds of Cassie furiously typing. Her heart began to pound in that all-too-familiar way. Taking a slow breath in, she practiced her technique to battle the panic trying to attack her. Breathe for six, hold for four, let out for eight. I’m an adult now. He can’t hurt me again.
“I found him,” Cassie muttered, her voice low. “He’s moved to South Bend. He got married on August 27th of this year.” She squinted at the screen. “The lady looks young.”
Miranda groaned. “What’s his address?”
“What?”
“Does the post give his address?”
Cassie typed some more. “Yeah. I got the street address.” She swiveled around on the bar stool to face her sister. “What are you thinking?”
Miranda bit her bottom lip. What she was considering was crazy. But maybe crazy would finally banish the ghost from her past.
* * *
Life just gets more and more insane. Heart pounding, Miranda reached for the handwritten note on the seat next to her. She held it steady against the steering wheel, reading the address, before glancing back at the street sign.
This was it.
She’d driven nearly six hundred miles to get here, staying overnight at the first decent hotel she’d found after traveling through the mountain pass. And now she was within a stone’s throw from her uncle’s house. Thinking about actually throwing a stone made her smile. Right through the front window of his precious Mercedes.
Cassie had done her investigation thoroughly. She hadn’t come with Miranda. “I’m still researching,” she said. “So don’t confront him yet. Just find his house and call me. I’ve got a lead I’m following, and I’ll be there in a couple days.”
Cassie wouldn’t share the lead with her, no matter how much Miranda had pulled the big sister card. She shook her head and told Miranda that she needed to be patient for once and let someone else be in charge.
Miranda hadn’t much liked the idea of Cassie driving by herself to meet her, but she was too impatient to wait. She had some vacation time, and suddenly it felt vitally important to track this man down now. In a small way, she felt like she was finally standing up for the little girl she’d been when her uncle molested her.
He’s not going to get away with it. That thought would have to sustain her until her sister arrived tomorrow night.
Blinker on, Miranda spun the wheel and turned down the street.
The homes in this neighborhood were cookie-cutter versions of each other, repeated every fourth house. All were two-story, with three car garages and stone work wrapping around the front doors in an arch. Every manicured yard was bordered by two long rows of flowers.
Miranda’s stomach churned. These neighbors probably had block parties and barbecues. Maybe they even organized neighborhood watches. They didn’t know they had a predator in their midst. A man with a trusting face who was capable of chugging the hell out of a beer like the good ol’ boy he was. She remembered how charismatic he was. Heck, they probably told each other, “Be sure to invite Vince! He’s the life of the party!”
34480, 34485. The knot in her stomach tightened. Her hands squeezed the steering wheel until her knuckles shone white through the skin. What am I going to do when I find him?
Miranda shook herself alert. The last house she’d passed was 35430. The next one would be his.
Slowly, she edged up the street.
There it was.
A two story split level, with its wide three car garage and aggregate driveway. She reached into her purse for her sunglasses and shoved them onto her face. Her heart pounded. She hoped the windows in the Jeep were tinted enough to avoid detection.
The lawn was well-maintained, and a large flower garden sat out front, close to the footpath. Miranda noticed a child’s striped pinwheel stabbed into the soft dirt, its vanes twirling innocently in the slight breeze. Seeing it made her blink back tears.
The driveway was empty of cars and all the blinds were shut. It was obvious no one was home. Now what smarty pants? Drive up and down the street until he comes home from work?
She sped up, cringing as she saw the next yard filled with bikes and a tricycle. A lone doll sat perched on the porch steps. I’m going to get that son-of-a—She’d nearly reached the end of the street when one final glance in the rear view mirror made her slow down.
There was a blue van coming down the street. It stopped in front of her uncle’s house, and a little girl, about seven or eight, wearing a dance leotard, climbed out.
Miranda glanced forward. Adrenaline shot through her as she saw a parked car straight in front of her. “No!” she screamed, slamming on the brakes. The Jeep rocked to a stop, inches from the car’s fender. Heart pounding, she pushed her sunglasses up and craned her neck to watch the little girl in the side mirror.
The girl opened the gate in the white picket fence and skipped up the walkway to the front door.
“No way…. What the—?” Miranda’s mouth dropped open. The van backed out of the driveway. It carefully passed her, the back windows showing her glimpses of more laughing ballerina girls, before it turned the corner and sped off.
Air rushed out of her as though she’d been punched in the gut.
“What do I do?” An irrational thought of running to the door to rescue the girl flashed through her mind. “What is she doing there?” Miranda’s body zinged with the sense of danger. She grabbed her phone. “Who do I even call?” Miranda glanced back at the house, but the little girl had disappeared inside.
She…lives there? With him? With a monster? How can they not know?
You can’t do anything. Leave now, before someone calls the police on you. She put the Jeep in gear and slowly moved forward.
I need to find someplace to park, someplace I can think.
At the stop sign she dialed her sister. She set it on speaker then turned the corner.
The phone rang a few times. “Pick up. Pick up. Pick up,” Miranda muttered.
“Hello?” Cassie’s cheerful voice answered.
“Cassie! Oh, thank goodness you’re home.”
“Did you find him?” Cassie’s voice went ice-cold with fear.
“Yes!”
“Are you okay?”
“Cassie, some little girl is staying with Uncle Vince!”
“What?”
“Yes, I’m serious!”
The line went silent. Miranda shivered inside. “Talk to me.”
“Okay, calm down. We’re going to deal with this.”
“How?”
“Go check in at the Best Western, I’m coming down tomorrow.”
“Cassie, I feel like throwing-up.”
“Yeah, I bet you do. I’m sure just seeing that girl triggered some memories or feelings. Hang in there, Sis.”
“How can we fix this?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll figure out a way. Maybe its not too late to press charges.”
Miranda felt her stomach roll over at the thought of what her sister was suggesting. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
“I’ll be with you. You’re strong.”
“I’m about as strong as a wet paper bag right about now.” Miranda started shaking at the thought. “I’m chickening out. I just want to leave this place and go on a long hike. I hear Bridal Falls is beautiful this time of year.” She gave a nervous laugh.
“Okay, breathe. Relax. You’re not going anywhere except for the hotel. Call me when you check in. We’re going to fix this, and get him before he hurts anyone else.”
* * *
Ten minutes after Miranda checked into the Best Western, a stab of loneliness hit in her core. All she wanted was Jason’s arms around her, telling her it was going to be okay. “I don’t even recognize my life any more.” She sighed and wal
ked over to the window, yanking open the curtains. The light hardly made the room cheerier. Dark bedspreads covered the two double beds. A nondescript painting hung between them; something with a lot of blue—maybe the ocean. The scent of the previous occupant’s old perfume hung in the air.
Her phone buzzed. The text was from Dylan —Hey baby, how’s it going? Miranda rolled her eyes and powered the screen off. What am I even doing with him?
She flopped back on the bed with her arms behind her head and stared at the ceiling. Nothing to do but wait. And remember.
Miranda bit her lip and tried not to feel cheated. What would life have been like if Mom had lived? I’m so sick of it, sick that he even gets to affect my life any more. He doesn’t get to win!
Unconsciously, her gaze traced along a stain in the ceiling in the shape of the state of Florida. She counted the curtain rod hooks, then the flying birds in the painting; anything to distract herself from the memories now falling like boulders from the past. I will not be crushed by this. I’m stronger. I’m not a victim. I’m not a victim.
“Why, God? Why did you let that happen?” Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. When does it get better? She buried her face in a pillow, letting out a scream of helplessness. Sitting up, she pounded it with her fist. “I wish this was his face,” she muttered. After hitting it a few more times Miranda threw it off the bed and walked to the bathroom. The mirror reflected streaks of mascara and red blotches. Seeing herself cry stirred her anger again. “Don’t you do it. Don’t you cry over him. Ever. Again. You are strong. You are going to get through this.”
She splashed cold water over her cheeks and used a tissue to wipe under her eyes. “You’re doing this for her. For that little girl. Strength is standing even when you are afraid.”
Taking a deep breath, she held it for a few seconds before releasing it slowly. She repeated this a few times, and reached for the TV remote. “Time to just chill.” Miranda found a movie, then grabbed the hotel folder by the phone. Flipping through it, she located the number to a pizza place.
