Escalation - Tessa Teevan Page 0,65
there. It’s what eventually caught him, so I’m torn between hating him for having ruined my door and wanting to thank him for being stupid enough to leave behind such damning evidence.
So here I stand. Staring at the offending door. Willing it to open. Praying and hoping that the last three years have been a nightmare and, when that door opens, I’ll wake up to Mom’s warm embrace. Her arms will envelop me the way they always did when I needed her. She’ll tell me that everything’s okay. It’s all just been a horrible nightmare. She’s here now. Then the door will open wider and Dad will be standing behind her, playfully scolding Mom for making me stand out in the cold.
The last few years will not have happened.
That is my solemn hope.
The thought, however, is crushing. That can’t be my existence. It can’t be my reality. And how, with as much as I love them, as much as I miss them, can I ask for everything to be erased?
How can I do that? Wish for time to be turned back when it means the man I love and the child in my womb wouldn’t exist in my world?
It’s a vicious cycle. The events of what happened here ultimately led me to Rafe. If they hadn’t died, I’d probably never have left Chicago. I never would’ve met Adrian, and I wouldn’t have been the woman in his home when Rafe was sent there as part of his assignment. We’d likely be with other people, and I wouldn’t be pregnant with his child. The thought alone pains me, but the conclusion is the same. If my parents hadn’t been murdered, Rafe and I would be blissfully unaware of each other.
You can cite fate, serendipity, or whatever you want, but the truth remains. The likelihood of our paths crossing is minimal. And as much as I wish my parents were back, I wouldn’t wish for Rafe’s departure. It’s a paradoxical situation that can’t be fixed. Regardless of what I want, I can’t change the past. I can only focus on the present and building the future.
The unfairness of life hits me hard. My throat burns, and tears spilling onto my cheeks. Strong arms wrap around my waist, holding me tight.
It’s a gentle reminder that, while I’ll never feel the warm hugs of my parents ever again, I still have Rafe.
That means more than anything, and his being here with me is exactly what I need to be able to move on.
His head rests on my shoulder. “You doing okay?” he whispers. “We can get out of here. Whatever you need, Brie.”
I crane my neck and give him a watery smile. “Surprisingly, I think I am. I’m glad we’re here. That you’re here with me.”
He lifts up, and I turn towards him.
“Are they sending someone?” I ask.
A distinct flicker of something flashes in his eyes, and his jaw tightens. “What? What is it?”
His hands fidget with the bottom of his jacket before he places them in his pockets. When his eyes meet mine, they’re full of apprehension.
“You mentioned the estate attorneys showing up before you graduated college, but you never mentioned the sale of the house. Were you a part of that? Do you remember any of the details?” he presses.
I shake my head. “I had nothing to do with it. All I know is it was enough to cover the mortgage. Gerald Burns, one of my father’s associates, and the lawyer for the estate handled all of that. I wasn’t exactly in the right state of mind, and the last thing I wanted to do was deal with the sale of a house. My father had known both of those men for years, and he trusted them. I did, too.”
He takes my hand and leads me to the wicker swing at the edge of the porch. We sit, and he turns to face me.
“The realty company,” he says. “It’s a sub company of Morningstar.”
My nose wrinkles. “They do real estate? I thought it was all investments.”
“Well, apparently, real estate is one of those investments. I didn’t think about looking into the sale of the house.” His jaw ticks. “Burns. You know him?”
“My dad went to college with him. He’s who helped him get the job at the firm. They’ve worked together for years. Our friends were families. He was a huge help after…after what happened. Between him and the lawyer, everything was taken care of. Why?”
“Burns is one of the names your