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Authors: Elizabeth Dunk
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dad wouldn’t have to see it. Then they’d been sitting at the table, trying to work out what to do, when the cops came.
It had been instinct to have her stand up and say the goods were hers when they were found. Instinct to keep her father out of jail and at home, caring for eight-year-old Sienna.
He was still needed at home. She still needed to protect him.
“Not true,” she said. “I did it. I was convicted, remember?”
“It was me. It was me!” Frank screamed.
“Well, this was certainly you,” Col said. “Frank Collins, you’re under arrest for arson.” He pulled out the cuffs and slipped them on.
“What’s the bond?” Sia said.
“I’ll call you tomorrow with the details,” Col said as he pulled Frank away.
Sirens announced the imminent arrival of the fire brigade. Everyone moved away, across the street, to wait and watch and hope the building could be saved.
A hand took her elbow and drew Sia to the back of the crowd. She found herself facing Todd.
“It’s true, isn’t it? It wasn’t you. It was your father. You’ve been covering for him all these years. Like you were about him hitting Sienna. Like you tried to just then.”
The weight seemed so huge that Sia felt like she was being crushed by it. She looked up at the man most affected by her lies and said, “Yes. It was my father, not me.”
The weight fell away and she felt like she was flying, soaring with relief that finally, someone knew her secret.
“But no one can know,” she said. “Not even Sienna.”
“I think Sienna knows.”
“I’ll convince her otherwise. For the family’s sake.”
Todd gently touched her cheek and shivers ran over her body. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “All this time I’ve hated you, blamed you and you weren’t involved at all.”
“I’m sorry that it caused you so much pain.”
Todd cupped her jaw tenderly. “You are a remarkable woman, Sia Collins.”
It seemed he moved forward and she thought — hoped — he would kiss her, but he pulled away. “You’d better get Sienna to bed, and get some sleep yourself.”
Sia turned and saw Sienna standing at the edge of the crowd, staring at them. From the determination on her sister’s face, she guessed it was going to be a hard road to convince her of their father’s innocence.
Funny, how life can change in just an instant.
Chapter 6
The first thing Todd did when he got home was go to his father’s office. He sat down at the desk — it still felt wrong, to be sitting here. He looked around the room and his brain tried to settle everything it now knew.
It hadn’t been Sia who’d climbed in here and taken some of his father’s precious belongings. It had been Frank, and she’d done the same thing then she was doing now — protecting him for the sake of her family.
She’d taken on the reputation of a criminal, and she’d had to fight to gain the respect and admiration he’d seen tonight when it shouldn’t have even been in question.
And he’d chased her from school — fuck knew if she’d managed to finish her education. He’d spent the best part of the last two weeks plotting ways to destroy her life when she’d never, ever done anything wrong. Had always been the funny, sweet, hot girl that had featured in several fabulous teenage dreams of his.
Then he’d become a cop to catch people like Sia. People who destroyed other people’s lives and seemed to get away with it. Except — it turned out Sia wasn’t one of those people at all.
How had the police at the time not realised Sia’s confession was false? Had they been too overworked to properly investigate, deciding they’d make do with Sia’s confession?
“Todd?” His mother’s voice was surprisingly strong even though it came from down the hall.
Maria was lying against her pillows, her eyes wide and alert. She was pale, but otherwise seemed well.
“Why are you still up?” Todd sat by her hip and kissed her cheek.
“Not still up. Slept, now
It had been instinct to have her stand up and say the goods were hers when they were found. Instinct to keep her father out of jail and at home, caring for eight-year-old Sienna.
He was still needed at home. She still needed to protect him.
“Not true,” she said. “I did it. I was convicted, remember?”
“It was me. It was me!” Frank screamed.
“Well, this was certainly you,” Col said. “Frank Collins, you’re under arrest for arson.” He pulled out the cuffs and slipped them on.
“What’s the bond?” Sia said.
“I’ll call you tomorrow with the details,” Col said as he pulled Frank away.
Sirens announced the imminent arrival of the fire brigade. Everyone moved away, across the street, to wait and watch and hope the building could be saved.
A hand took her elbow and drew Sia to the back of the crowd. She found herself facing Todd.
“It’s true, isn’t it? It wasn’t you. It was your father. You’ve been covering for him all these years. Like you were about him hitting Sienna. Like you tried to just then.”
The weight seemed so huge that Sia felt like she was being crushed by it. She looked up at the man most affected by her lies and said, “Yes. It was my father, not me.”
The weight fell away and she felt like she was flying, soaring with relief that finally, someone knew her secret.
“But no one can know,” she said. “Not even Sienna.”
“I think Sienna knows.”
“I’ll convince her otherwise. For the family’s sake.”
Todd gently touched her cheek and shivers ran over her body. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “All this time I’ve hated you, blamed you and you weren’t involved at all.”
“I’m sorry that it caused you so much pain.”
Todd cupped her jaw tenderly. “You are a remarkable woman, Sia Collins.”
It seemed he moved forward and she thought — hoped — he would kiss her, but he pulled away. “You’d better get Sienna to bed, and get some sleep yourself.”
Sia turned and saw Sienna standing at the edge of the crowd, staring at them. From the determination on her sister’s face, she guessed it was going to be a hard road to convince her of their father’s innocence.
Funny, how life can change in just an instant.
Chapter 6
The first thing Todd did when he got home was go to his father’s office. He sat down at the desk — it still felt wrong, to be sitting here. He looked around the room and his brain tried to settle everything it now knew.
It hadn’t been Sia who’d climbed in here and taken some of his father’s precious belongings. It had been Frank, and she’d done the same thing then she was doing now — protecting him for the sake of her family.
She’d taken on the reputation of a criminal, and she’d had to fight to gain the respect and admiration he’d seen tonight when it shouldn’t have even been in question.
And he’d chased her from school — fuck knew if she’d managed to finish her education. He’d spent the best part of the last two weeks plotting ways to destroy her life when she’d never, ever done anything wrong. Had always been the funny, sweet, hot girl that had featured in several fabulous teenage dreams of his.
Then he’d become a cop to catch people like Sia. People who destroyed other people’s lives and seemed to get away with it. Except — it turned out Sia wasn’t one of those people at all.
How had the police at the time not realised Sia’s confession was false? Had they been too overworked to properly investigate, deciding they’d make do with Sia’s confession?
“Todd?” His mother’s voice was surprisingly strong even though it came from down the hall.
Maria was lying against her pillows, her eyes wide and alert. She was pale, but otherwise seemed well.
“Why are you still up?” Todd sat by her hip and kissed her cheek.
“Not still up. Slept, now
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