He is on his feet before her hand gets close.
“Simona, just get lost,” I say, stepping between them.
She exhales and drops back into the chair, crossing her arms and leaning in as if she owns the space.
“Maybe I’m not the person you should push away,” she says. Her eyes slid to him. “Right, Judas?”
My brows pull together. I look at him. “What does she mean?”
She smiles. “Maybe he should explain. I’m not here to blame.”
I tilt my head at him. He lifts one shoulder in a slow, helpless shrug, his eyes as lost as mine.
But she keeps going.
“Judas came home that night in 2014 with blood on his hands,” she says. “You were locked in a juvenile while William tried to protect him. He didn’t know if Judas killed your mom and stepdad, or if he killed someone else. He always had tese... Blackouts. Nightmares.”
The words land one by one.
My fingers curl around the hair tie on my wrist. I twist it until it snaps against my skin. Again and again. The sting is the only thing keeping me here. Because this can’t be real.
“No,” I say. The word barely leaves my mouth. “No.”
Judas shakes his head at her. I don’t know if he is stopping her, or denying her, or breaking under it himself.
That night is still a blur to me. I still don’t know what really happened. But I did see someone.
Was it really him?
Judas grabs my hand and squeezes so hard, but my fingers stay numb. My eyes lift to his, and all I see is him asking me to listen without words.
“Simona, can you take me home?” I whisper. A tear slips down my cheek.
His hand loosens.
I stand, my legs still shaking. He stands with me and reaches for my hand again, but I catch his wrist and gently pull away.
“Judas, I need some time to think.”
Simona smiles at me and slips her arm under mine, guiding me toward the exit. Her touch keeps me moving.
“I don’t know what your game is,” I whisper as we pass the doors. “But leave Judas alone.”
She says nothing. She only smiles at the nurses and walks me down the stairs, out into the cold air, toward her sedan. She opens the passenger door and helps me inside. I click the seat belt across my chest as she closes the door. She circles to the driver’s side.
The car smells the same as always, my nose wrinkles as I sniff before she opens the door and sits down.
She exhales and starts the engine.
“Did you know Judge Harrington is my father?” The words just spill out of my mouth.
She stays quiet until we pull out of the hospital parking lot. When we reach the road, she glances at me for a second.
“Yes.”
Her breath leaves her in a slow exhale. “Your mom struggled with drugs when she had you. William’s family didn’t want him to stay with her. He didn’t know you were his daughter until he started the adoption papers.”
“How did you know?” My fingers twist my hair tie until it snaps my skin again.
