Page 58 of Then Came Love
He rubbed his chest. “I don’t want to talk about it, and don’t give me shit. This is my mistake, and I had to make it or I’d never have forgiven myself for not trying.”
“I’m not going to give you hell, but I’d like to give her a piece of my mind.”
“Jilly,” he warned. “This isn’t Jordan’s fault, and you know it. Do not go after her.”
“I won’t,” she snapped. “But come on. Her fiancé is a shit, and you’re amazing. It’s her loss. I hope you know that.”
“Jilly. I don’t need a cheerleader right now.”
“I’m just pissed. I’ll take over the design and manage the team, but you have to make me two promises.”
He was hit with as much relief as he was regret. “Anything.”
“Don’t leave until after our birthday party. It’s our thirtieth, and I don’t want to celebrate without you. I know that sounds selfish, but it’s only a few days from now, and you can take off the second it’s over.”
“And the second condition?”
“That you’ll come back. Give me a timeline and stick to it.”
“I don’t know how long it’ll take to get my head on straight.”
“You can’t do that to us, Jax. Think of Mom and Dad.”
“I can’t think right now. I promise I’ll come back. That’s the best I can do.”
He ended the call, picked up Coco, and went home. He hadn’t slept in days. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Jordan’s tormented tears. He headed out back to shoot some hoops and try to wear himself out, but being around his gardens just made it worse. He missed every shot and gave up.
Coco cocked her head, as if to say, That’s not like you.
“Yeah, I know I’m off my game again.” He sat down, and Coco climbed onto his lap, licking his face. He leaned back on the lounge chair, tucking one hand behind his head and looking up at the sky as he petted her. She’d stuck to him like glue since he’d come home Saturday night. He hated feeling like this and hated bringing his bad mood into Coco’s world, but he was grateful for her comfort.
He lay there until the sun went down, replaying every minute of his last conversation with Jordan until it blurred together and he couldn’t take it anymore. Then he headed inside and took a shower.
His phone rang as he was drying off, and Reggie Steele’s name appeared on the screen. He answered it as he went into his bedroom. “Hey, Reggie. How’s it going?”
“Not bad, actually. Is this a good time to talk?”
“Yeah, sure. Did you find something?” He pulled on boxer briefs and sweats.
“Yes, but I don’t know how meaningful it is yet. I spoke to some people who were involved in the investigation, and it appears there was evidence of another vehicle at the crash site.”
“That’s good, right?”
“It would be if the evidence still existed. It never made it back to the station, and they buried the report, as if it never happened.”
“Who is they? Aren’t there protocols for that sort of thing?”
“Yes, but rules are only as good as the people who carry them out.”
“How could they get away with that?”
“It could have been an honest mistake. I’d hoped to speak with the lead investigator, but he died a month after the accident. I asked around the department, but nobody’s talking. I also looked at the age-progression photos, and technology has advanced tremendously since the images on file were done. I think we can get better ones.”
“Do it. Let’s get this out to the media and see what we can find.” As he said it, he realized he shouldn’t have. Jordan would never go against Todd’s wishes, and if the other night had shown Jax anything, it was that even if he knew in his heart that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, she’d chosen Todd. That was a tough pill to swallow, but one he had to find a way to come to grips with.
“Slow down, Jax. I won’t bring attention to this case without meeting with your friend and knowing it’s what she wants. I don’t want to give her false hope, and there are other factors to consider. If I start poking around and find that we’re looking at shady cops and not just an honest mistake, there’s a good chance this will blow up, and it could be hell for your friend. Even if I don’t find anything unsavory with local officials, circulating new pictures to the media will bring out all sorts of attention-seeking psychos. Not only are we likely to get thousands of false sightings, but your friend needs to be prepared for the worst. And by worst, I don’t mean finding a body. I mean coming up empty again despite putting forth our best efforts.”
