Page 16 of I Should Hate You-but I Don't

While having Kenna turn her back on her would devastate her, it was better than the constant worry that Kenna was dead, and that's why nobody could find her.

Her mom and dad had died. It wouldn't be unheard of for something to have happened to Kenna. She hadn't seen or heard from her sister since she was twelve, even though Kingsley had taken pictures and relayed messages between her and her sister until Kenna turned eighteen.

She blamed the foster system. They were sisters. They should've stayed together.

The state was all about making families, but they tore apart families, too.

She'd called social services the day she became an adult, trying to find Kenna's last known address. Her sister would've been nineteen and out of the system. But the state wouldn't give her any information without a court order, and it wasn't worth the expense to get it because even if she got the address, Kenna was already long gone.

What she needed was a miracle.

A twig snapped. She raised her gaze, and all her heavy thoughts left. Zane had sought her out. She walked faster and then broke into a jog.

The closer she got, the more his stern expression softened until she saw the grin underneath his beard. She stopped in front of him, so happy to see him.

"When did you get back?" She hefted her backpack higher.

"A few hours ago." He turned and motioned for her to give him her pack.

She slid it off her shoulders and handed it to him. "How was the visit with your dad?"

Listening to him talk about his family sometimes allowed her to remember hers. It wasn't a bad feeling, only good. She missed her parents and sister more than anything.

"It was short." He put his hand on the back of her neck and walked with her along the path. "They only allow me to be in the room with him for thirty minutes, even though it takes two hours for me to go through security and wait with everyone else. It's pretty much a waste of a day."

"Don't say that." She leaned against him. "He's your dad. No matter what he's done, be happy you can still see and talk with him."

He grunted. She let him have the quiet time to think. So many times, when he closed himself off, he left to avoid conversing with her. She was happy he was here and wanted to see her.

"Want to grab dinner at the bar?" he asked.

She nodded, afraid to say anything to change his mind. They hadn't eaten together in over a month.

It only hit her that maybe he brought her to the bar because he had bad news for her.

He took her to the back corner booth. She wanted to slide into the seat with him but took the bench on the other side of the table.

"Chicken strips and fries?" he asked.

That was her go-to meal. The chicken was perfection, and the fries were salty.

As soon as Rebecca, the waitress, took their order, River planted her elbows on the table. "Did Kingsley find out anything about my sister?"

If it was bad news, she wanted to hear it now. The wait about killed her.

"That's one reason why I wanted to talk with you." He paused as Rebecca returned with a glass of rum and coke—his go-to drink. Once they were alone again, he continued. "Kingsley texted me before I rode home from the prison. Your sister wasn't there."

She sagged in the booth. After a few days of getting her hopes up, the letdown sucked. Unshed tears burned her eyes. She looked down at her hands in her lap. Would she ever find her sister?

"But, the tip turned out to be true."

She snapped her gaze at Zane.

He took a drink. "Kenna did work at the bar but left two weeks ago."

"So, she has to be nearby." She sat straighter. "Billings is only...what? Four hours away?"

"Seven hours."

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