me close. This was the outcome I’d been praying for. I was ready to live my life with this man without the worry of what Robin might do next hanging over our heads.
16.
“Mom, are you flirting with my boyfriend?”
Eliza
ELIZA
“Come on!” Rason put me on my feet and grabbed my hand. He pulled me toward the elevator, and we rode down to the ground floor in silence, both of us smiling like loons. The elevator doors opened and he rushed out, dragging me behind him. He pushed the doors open and walked out into the sunshine, his head thrown back as he took a deep, cleansing breath.
I laughed as I wiped tears off my cheeks and watched Rason enjoy freedom and peace for the first time in over a month. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Hank. He answered on the first ring, and I could tell that he was in his truck. I thought I heard a man’s voice in the background but then Hank started talking.
“How did it go?”
“She got a life sentence and won’t be eligible for parole for 56 years.”
“Holy shit! Do you know how odd that is? Can you and Rason leave now? What are you doing?”
“We’re going to take a walk,” I told my brother.
“Dinner at our house at 6:00, right?”
“Yes! The bookstore isn’t that far away, and we can hitch a ride out to your house with my mom when she comes.”
“Okay, that sounds good. Make sure and call me when you’re on your way. I’ve got a surprise for you two. And tell Rason that I’m happy for him.”
“I will. Thanks, Hank. And there’s something I need to talk to you about tonight after dinner, okay? It’s good and bad all at the same time, but I think you’ll understand.”
“Okay,” Hank sounded curious. “We’ll talk later. You guys have fun.”
“Honey, take me for a walk around town.” I laughed as I held my hand out for his.
“Fuck yeah,” Rason whispered.
◆◆◆
“I’m so happy it worked out the way it should!” My mom grabbed Rason for another hug, and he smiled down at her. “Oh, son, I’m so happy she’s in jail. You two can go on about your lives now and be happy.”
“That’s the plan,” Rason vowed. “I’ve had a string of bad luck, and Eliza has been the only bright spot in my life for months. I’m glad I’ll be able to show her what the real me is like.”
“I know the real you,” I defended.
“I mean the me that’s not worried or stressed out,” Rason explained. “The me that can take you out to dinner and not worry that I’m being followed. That me.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Let’s go ahead and leave.” Mom glanced over at the counter and waved at Anna, a long-time employee who I trusted to take care of the store. We called out our goodbyes and walked outside. “Will you call Nicole and see if there are any last minute things she needs?”
I dialed the phone as soon as I had my seatbelt on, and while I listened to it ring I watched Rason and my mom interacting in the front seat. Mom had insisted he drive and he was joking that he might have forgotten how.
“Hey, girl! I heard it went great!”
“Yes! We’re on our way to the house now. Do you need us to pick anything up?”
“Nope. We’ve got it covered. It’s all ready for the three of you to get here.”
“Did you do that thing?”
“I did.” Nicole laughed. “Well, Hank and Grunt did it . . . and bitched and bickered the entire time.”
“Of course they did. Would it be the two of them if they didn’t?”
“This is my life,” Nicole said with a sigh. “Forever and ever. Or until Shannon and I snap and kill them both.”
◆◆◆
RASON
“It feels so odd to drive a car again. It seems like it’s been forever, but my brain just remembers what to do. I hope I keep that same vibe at work.”
“You will,” Hannah, Eliza’s mom, assured me.
I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Eliza smiling as she talked on the phone. She was just as happy as I was, and that reassured me. I’d never felt as down as I had these last few weeks, but she’d stayed strong and encouraged me every single day. I really don’t think I could have made it through all this without her.
“When are your parents coming home?”
“They should be here in a week. Dad said they’d get