Shit, what does she want? Didn’t she know he was not to have any contact with her? Now she was at his house, in the middle of the night. Of course, she was looking right back at him, and he couldn’t just ignore her. Could this day get any worse?
Seth unlocked the door and held it open for her to come in. Once she was safely inside, he closed the door, locking it again. He saw her make note of what he was doing. He had his reasons.
“You know you’re not supposed to be here,” he said.
“I feel horrible about this.”
He raked his hands through his hair. “Why? Tell me why you think it’s me.”
“I didn’t know what to think. Imagine how it feels for someone to want you to go away and you don’t even know who it is. The only person who has ever been vocal about me leaving is you.”
“But I told you I was wrong and that I was sorry.”
“I know. But then I thought you were doing all that just so I wouldn’t suspect you,” Ava confessed.
“Shit, Ava, let me guess. You also think I kissed you so you wouldn’t think it was me?”
She nodded. Wow, this was just unreal.
“It’s not me. I would’ve found out who it was if I was still on the case. You being here now could cost me my job.”
“I don’t want that,” she said quietly. Then her eyes met his, and she continued. “I know it was wrong, and I wasn’t thinking right the other day. Your department stands behind you. They believe you’re innocent, even though they have honored my request. What do I do now? Tell them I was wrong? Would it do any good?”
“You could always try. It’s up to you. If you believe even a small bit it was me, then don’t talk to them. Leave me off the case.”
“It’s late. I guess I should let you do whatever you were doing.” She turned toward the door, but Seth reached out and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her to face him.
“Why are you out this late?” he asked.
“I’ve been working around the clock, waiting on whoever the creep is to show their face.”
“You’ve been alone in your store late at night when there is someone out there who wants to run you out of town. Are you crazy?” His voice rose, filled with anger.
The look on her face told him he’d just made a mistake. That feisty Italian was kicking in as her hands landed on her hips, and she tossed her long, dark locks behind her shoulders. “I can take care of myself. Can you please enlighten me as to why you get so upset about me being alone at night? I do live alone. Does that bother you?”
Now that she mentioned it, maybe he just needed to sweep this woman up and move her in with him to keep her safe all the time. It then hit him like a ton of bricks. He couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. He couldn’t make up for what had happened to Kimberly with Ava. These were different situations and different women.
“Have a seat. I’d like to explain something to you,” he said.
Once they were seated on the couch, he took a deep breath and began to speak. “I was home from college, and Kimberly was still in high school. Being home, I decided to hook up with an old girlfriend. Things got carried away, and I forgot to go pick Kimberly up, so she decided to walk home.” He paused, composing himself before he continued. He stared down at his hands and finished. “She was raped that night. And to this day, I blame myself. If I hadn’t put my own selfish needs before hers, then it never would’ve happened. My sister never would’ve experienced something so horrible. So that’s why I am the way I am. I want to keep everyone safe in Brookfield. This is my town, and I don’t want bad things happening.”
Ava reached out, taking his hand. He could tell she didn’t know what to say. It sent chills through him finally sharing with her what had happened all those years ago. Most people didn’t expect that had happened to Kimberly, who was a sweet and well-adjusted girl. Ava gazed into his eyes before she softly said, “I’m
Seth unlocked the door and held it open for her to come in. Once she was safely inside, he closed the door, locking it again. He saw her make note of what he was doing. He had his reasons.
“You know you’re not supposed to be here,” he said.
“I feel horrible about this.”
He raked his hands through his hair. “Why? Tell me why you think it’s me.”
“I didn’t know what to think. Imagine how it feels for someone to want you to go away and you don’t even know who it is. The only person who has ever been vocal about me leaving is you.”
“But I told you I was wrong and that I was sorry.”
“I know. But then I thought you were doing all that just so I wouldn’t suspect you,” Ava confessed.
“Shit, Ava, let me guess. You also think I kissed you so you wouldn’t think it was me?”
She nodded. Wow, this was just unreal.
“It’s not me. I would’ve found out who it was if I was still on the case. You being here now could cost me my job.”
“I don’t want that,” she said quietly. Then her eyes met his, and she continued. “I know it was wrong, and I wasn’t thinking right the other day. Your department stands behind you. They believe you’re innocent, even though they have honored my request. What do I do now? Tell them I was wrong? Would it do any good?”
“You could always try. It’s up to you. If you believe even a small bit it was me, then don’t talk to them. Leave me off the case.”
“It’s late. I guess I should let you do whatever you were doing.” She turned toward the door, but Seth reached out and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her to face him.
“Why are you out this late?” he asked.
“I’ve been working around the clock, waiting on whoever the creep is to show their face.”
“You’ve been alone in your store late at night when there is someone out there who wants to run you out of town. Are you crazy?” His voice rose, filled with anger.
The look on her face told him he’d just made a mistake. That feisty Italian was kicking in as her hands landed on her hips, and she tossed her long, dark locks behind her shoulders. “I can take care of myself. Can you please enlighten me as to why you get so upset about me being alone at night? I do live alone. Does that bother you?”
Now that she mentioned it, maybe he just needed to sweep this woman up and move her in with him to keep her safe all the time. It then hit him like a ton of bricks. He couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. He couldn’t make up for what had happened to Kimberly with Ava. These were different situations and different women.
“Have a seat. I’d like to explain something to you,” he said.
Once they were seated on the couch, he took a deep breath and began to speak. “I was home from college, and Kimberly was still in high school. Being home, I decided to hook up with an old girlfriend. Things got carried away, and I forgot to go pick Kimberly up, so she decided to walk home.” He paused, composing himself before he continued. He stared down at his hands and finished. “She was raped that night. And to this day, I blame myself. If I hadn’t put my own selfish needs before hers, then it never would’ve happened. My sister never would’ve experienced something so horrible. So that’s why I am the way I am. I want to keep everyone safe in Brookfield. This is my town, and I don’t want bad things happening.”
Ava reached out, taking his hand. He could tell she didn’t know what to say. It sent chills through him finally sharing with her what had happened all those years ago. Most people didn’t expect that had happened to Kimberly, who was a sweet and well-adjusted girl. Ava gazed into his eyes before she softly said, “I’m
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