Page 141 of In the Air Tonight

“We’ll watchCarsafter for him. Go get it ready. I’ll be right in.”

After she scoots off toward the family room, I lean back against the counter and close my eyes, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. Am I crazy for demanding my day in court when I could’ve made the whole thing go away by agreeing to the plea?

No, I’m not crazy.

The last time I faced off against these people in court, I was a broken seventeen-year-old with no idea how to fight back against the evil that was done to me by him and everyone who supported him.

I’m not a girl anymore. I’m not afraid of them like I once was. I want them to pay for what they did to me, not just criminally, but in the court of public opinion, where they’ve reigned far too long as kings.

I will be their downfall.

Blaise

NOW

I receive the text Houston told me to expect from Ramona Travers Silvia, asking if we can get together to talk.I’ve given my sworn statement to the AG, and they said it would be okay if I reached out to you.

I’d like that, but it can’t be in public.

Can you come to my house in Bristol? I’m free any time after 5 pm on weekdays.

Would tomorrow around 5:30 work?

Perfect. I’ll see you then.

She includes her address, which is about thirty minutes from Jack’s place, over two bridges.

I put down my phone and return to what I was doing in Jack’s studio, trying to create a filing system for his work that makes sense to someone other than him. That’s turning out to be a far more complicated proposition than I first thought, but I love a good challenge.

Every time I glance up from what I’m doing, I catch him looking at me.

“I’m not an artist, but it seems to me that you need to put your eyes on what you’re doing and not on me.”

“You’re much more fun to look at. Come visit me.”

“I’m right here.”

“You’re all the way over there.”

Rolling my eyes at his sad pout, I get up and go over to him. “Is this better?”

“It is, but this would be even better.” He brings me onto his lap and wraps his arms around me. “There we go.”

Fenway sees us snuggling and lets out a perturbed grunt that makes us laugh. She’s so put out by us, but thankfully she’s not holding it against me that she’s gotten less attention from herfavorite guy since I came along. I still get plenty of wet, sloppy kisses from her.

“It’s hard to get anything done with you and your pouting distracting me.”

“You’ve gotten so much done in just a couple of days. That whole side of the room is actually useable again.”

“I’ve made the smallest of dents.”

“You can see why I needed you, right?”

“It took about two seconds of really digging in to see you need a full-time keeper.”

“Are you volunteering for the position? It comes withamazingbenefits.” To make his point, he kisses my neck and makes me shiver. “I’d love nothing more than to be kept by you full time.”

He’s made me breathless and brainless with his words, lips and hands, which never stop moving.

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