Page 57 of Not Your Little Girl Anymore

“Care to share your whiskey?”

“I’ll share anything with you,” he murmurs before getting up and grabbing two glasses.

The whiskey bottle pops open and Alec pours half into each glass. The sound of the dark liquor hitting the bottom of the glass reminds me of all those times I was at the ocean, shoving seashells against my ear to listen to the sound of waves.

“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but everything you’ve told me isn’t something you can avoid,” he says, placing the glass in front of me and sitting back down.

I make an ugly mocking face, knowing he’s right and hating that he is. “I know. It’s a lot. He’s still my father. Growing up, he’s was nothing but a loving, caring man. I… I don’t want to be right.”

I can see him nod as I bring my glass to my mouth for a sip. The small sip I thought I was taking turns into a mouthful, leaving me choking on the sting of it as it shifts down my throat.

Once the coughing stops, I shake my head. “I don’t understand how you even drink this.”

He chuckles. “I enjoy the taste once in a while. To be honest, this bottle is about two months old. The rest are years older.”

I scrunch my nose. “So, you buy more bottles to add to the collection?”

“Stop avoiding the conversation.”

I throw my head back. “I hate this.”

He slides the stool closer to me and swiftly moves his arm to rub my back. “Anyone would.” Silence falls, but Alec doesn’t stop touching me for a while before he adds, “Do you have access to his cases?”

“Why would I…” I pause, my mouth agape. “I can sneak into his office at the station.” Alec’s eyes shoot to mine at the same time I turn my head, a look of confusion and concern filling his eyes. “Officer Brentley. He and my father have been really good friends. He recently changed positions to work at the front desk at the station because he wanted to spend more time with his wife.”

Alec’s eyebrows crease. “How would he be able to help?”

“Typically, with my father’s position, he doesn’t continue a case after an arrest. That’s left up to the detectives to deal with, but my father said he was helping with a case, which means he has temporary access to case files.”

“You want to break into the station and potentially steal confidential information.” He states, his voice dipped with worry, and I understand why he would be.

“It’s the only way, Alec.”

He shakes his head, scratching his jaw. “If you get caught…”

“I won’t,” I cut him off. “I can do this.”

I know I can. I’m confident enough.

Alec doesn’t move his eyes off mine, and for a second, I think he’s about to talk me out of this. But then he nods.

I take a deep breath, knowing this is going to be one of the hardest things I have ever done, but if there is a chance, any chance at all, of getting my hands on my mother’s case file, it’s worth it. I could figure out who is behind her murder… even if it does turn out to be my father.

“One condition,” Alec adds, and my eyebrows furrow. “You are not doing this alone.”

My eyes shoot open, and I shake my head. “No. Absolutely not. Alec, no. You have a record. If I do get caught and you’re in on it, you’ll do jail time.”

Alec shrugs. “Well, we better not get caught.”

***

I place my hand over my eyes to block out the bright light shining through the window, the silk sheets soft against my arm. My hand pauses, and my eyes fling open.

This is not my blanket.

This is not my room.

A ball of anxiety flies through my chest as my subconscious recalls every incident that happened in the past twenty-four hours. The last thing I remember before my eyes drifted closed, leaving me in an endless slumber, is watching Fast & Furious with Alec on his couch.

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