Luca nods slowly. “Yeah… I had no idea. According to the documents you provided to the sheriff’s office, you had been divorced for two weeks when he moved me in.”
The documents… The photos of me. The police reports. The proof of my failure. All of it still shames me. And the consequence of my failure is sitting across from me, his grayeyes sad and eyebrows drawn together. I gave them those photos as proof. In case they needed to document a pattern to keep Austin from getting into trouble for essentially beating Damien to death. I gave them permission to share the file with Luca if he wanted to see it. My stomach aches at the thought of anyone else seeing it.
“How old are you?” I ask.
Luca cocks his head. “Twenty-six.”
My throat closes up. “You were just a baby when it started.”
He nods, leaning closer to me, lowering his voice even more. “So were you, though.”
My eyes burn, but I really don’t want to cry. “I’m sorry I failed you.”
He sinks back into the couch, his jaw clenching as he cocks his head at me. “What do you mean?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t think… I—I tried, you know? I did all the right things. Reported it. Gave my testimony in court. If I hadn’t failed, I could have saved you from this.”
Luca studies me for a second. “The only person at fault is Damien. You’re not culpable for his crimes.”
I’m not sure that we’re ever going to agree on that, but instead of arguing, I just nod. “Okay.”
“I’m an open book,” he says softly. “You can ask me anything.”
I shake my head. “Maybe later. For now, I think I’d just like to get to know you as a human and maybe get that lunch.”
He brightens. “I was thinking grilled cheese and soup. Austin made it for me my first day back in town, and it was exactly what I needed.”
“This is my second day in town, though,” I tease, trying to force myself to smile and match Luca’s energy.
“Well,” he says, smiling at me. “Better late than never.”
“Sure.” I nod, hoping my stomach doesn’t betray me. “That sounds great.”
Chapter 4
Hunter
Myalarmgoingoffat 2:45 a.m. drags me out of my sleep. I try to keep Lila on a good feeding schedule, and it’s a bit like what I’d imagine a newborn baby is like. Only I can’t hear her from the house, so I’ve gotta rely on my phone instead of her crying for me.
I’m tired tonight. Well, it’s not just tonight. I enjoy working on the farm, but getting up multiple times a night, getting dressed, and trudging outside into the cool night air is starting to catch up with me a bit.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll try for a nap.
I yawn, kicking my legs over the edge of the bed, and stand. I’ve got all my clothes laid out, so I slip on my worn jeans and step into my boots, not even bothering to tie them as I put a jacket on to cover my bare upper body.
Making a bottle is second nature at this point, and I grab a flashlight so I don’t trip over anything on my way out to the barn.
I’m approaching it when I hear a soft voice, and I freeze, half worried that someone’s broken into the barn.
“It’s tough being all alone, huh?”
Theo. He’s… Is he in the barn, talking to Lila? I tiptoe closer, wishing I had tied my boots so they’d be a little quieter.
I peek around the corner and see Theo sitting on the ground, his back to the door, right outside of Lila’s enclosure.
She’s lying on the other side of the fence, and he’s got his hand stuck through the bars, petting her head like she’s a dog. That’s a typical bottle baby for you. Spoiled as all get out already.
I lean against the wall, just watching. Maybe I shouldn’t be, but I’m fascinated by Theo and his sad eyes.
