Page 108 of Entangled

“How the fuck does that happen?” I ask, voice cracking against my will as I finally look up into his concerned eyes.

“I don’t know, Blondie. I don’t know.”

I feel his fingers start to trail soothingly up and down my spine and voice the question I almost can’t bear to speak. “What if there’s no answer, Jace? What if the police file doesn’t have anything either?” I gasp at the unexpected pulse of pain in my chest. “What if sometimes people just leave and there’s no explanation good enough for those of us left behind?”

He swallows visibly, eyes turning pained. “Then it becomes a choice.” His voice comes out gravelly. “You have to choose it. What to let go of because you can’t bear it. What to keep because it’s intricate to you. What future you’ll choose. To make peace with the demons and then overcome them. To choose not to let it hold power over you anymore. To shine in spite of it all.”

I drop my eyes from his and let the sound of his heartbeat soothe me while I think over his words. A small smirk pulling at my lips when I realize that I recognize a bit of myself in them.

“Okay, Yoda.” I sigh and press my lips to his chest. “I hear you.”

“Good.” He tickles at my side, making me laugh as I bring my eyes back to his. “When did my aunt say she’d have that file for you?”

“Should be any day now. I was actually planning on stopping by the station today and paying the delightful Sheriff Reynolds a visit to check on that.”

“I can do that,” he offers quickly, flashing those dimples. “Probably best to keep you two in your separate corners.”

“True.” I scoff. “Anyway, that will give me plenty of time to run my other errand.”

He tilts his head at me in question. “Which is?”

“A surprise.” I fight against the twitch of my lips. “But I think you’ll like it.”

“Hmm.” He pulls me up by the waist and presses his lips to mine. “If it’s anything to do with you, I’m sure I’ll love it.”

I lift my head and give him a haughty look. “True.”

He laughs lightly and tugs on my hair. “Want to meet back at your gram’s place? I can cook dinner.”

“Sounds good to me.” I cock a brow teasingly. “I would say let yourself in, but you always do.”

***

I pull into the driveway of my gram’s house and see Jace all leaned back on the steps of the front porch, picking the strings of his guitar with two glasses of wine by his side. His head lifts at my arrival and I give him a grin, putting Franny into park and turning off the engine before pausing to look down at my right wrist. The fresh black ink there stands out in harsh contrast against my skin, the edges still a bit red and angry looking.

I hear Zane’s voice in my head from earlier today as I look down at the tattoo.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah.” I give him a small smile and nod. “He’s earned his piece of my skin.”

Pushing open the door, I hop out of the car and slowly amble up to the porch steps with a mischievous look, making sure to keep my wrist turned away so that Jace can’t see it yet. He watches me with a soft grin, continuing to pick at the strings of his guitar and nodding his head to one of the glasses of wine beside him when I sit.

“Dinner is in the oven.” He looks back down to his guitar, picking a string and twisting one of the tuners.

I use my left hand to pick up my wine and take a sip. “And what are we having tonight?”

His lips lift, playful eyes flicking to mine. “Cabbage.”

I narrow my eyes at him in warning. “Very funny.”

That melodic laugh leaves him, joining the sound of cicadas in the air. “I thought so.”

“What’d the sheriff say today?”

“Besides how happy she was to see me?”

“Yes.” I roll my eyes. “Besides that.”

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