Page 65 of Not Your Little Girl Anymore

And that’s unsettling.

I don’t want to be the reason he screws his career up.

Storing that away, I take two minutes to gather my composure and turn back to look at the case file. Alec’s hands rest on my hips as he hovers over my shoulder, reading with me. I lean back into him, needing to feel every inch of him touching me.

My eyes narrow, squinting as I focus on the seam of the folder. My teeth draw my lip between them, and I nibble down, trying to understand what I’m staring at. Alec releases his hold on my waist, moving to the side of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see his features coat with concern as he looks from the file back at me.

“What is it?” he asks, staying cautious with his tone of voice.

My stomach churns, flipping around and batting against my intestines. Reaching a shaky handout, I run my fingers along the torn paper beneath the top staple. It’s the only one holding onto this shred of paper, calling out to me as if I was meant to see it.

“This file has been tampered with,” I start, pointing and dragging my finger along the paper. “The edges are uneven. I think someone ripped them out.”

“And there is no way to know who.”

I shake my head. Warmth pools in my eyes, and my lip wobbles.

Why would someone tamper with my mother’s case file?

Rage fuels me, pumping through my veins and heating my skin.

It was all for nothing. “The risks we just took. It was all pointless.”

Sighing, I turn and lean against the counter, pressing my palms into my eyes, hoping that the slight pressure will balance the burn I feel within them.

Alec pulls me back into his arms. “We’ll find another way.”

I love his positivity, but I don’t think I have it in me anymore. I’m at my wit’s end trying to solve this myself. In truth, I have no business in trying to figure it out. No equipment. The only thing I was holding onto was the idea that there was something written in this file that could lead me to who killed my mother.

Was it really my father?

I take a deep breath, pushing Alec away from me. “I need to talk to my dad.”

His jaw tightens as he shakes his head. “Not without me.”

“Alec,” I warn. “I appreciate you. I do. You’ve done more for me than anyone else has in this lifetime, but I need to do this. Alone.” I keep my expression stern, so he knows how serious I am.

I can tell that he doesn’t like this any more than I do. But truthfully, I won’t be able to get what I need from my father if Alec is involved.

His chest rises as he takes in a deep breath. I watch it lower as he breathes out. “Can I at least give you a ride?”

With a sincere smile, I nod. “I’d like that.”

***

It’s a strange feeling.

Being raised by two loving parents who taught you everything you needed to know to succeed in life.

I once heard that people never change. Not unless they want to. Is that the case here? Was my father holding the aggression inside of himself my entire life, and all it took was my mother to cheat on him? I can’t get the thought out of my head.

“Sunshine,” Alec says, parking the car on the side of the road in front of my house.

My eyes move swiftly to the driveway before dropping back down to the manila folder in my lap.

Dad’s not home, which doesn’t surprise me. It’s five o’clock in the afternoon, and his typical work schedule has him there until six thirty. That’s if he doesn’t stay late.

Alec reaches his arm to my face, running the back of his fingers against my cheek.

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