Scare me? I’m on edge, pumped full of adrenaline. I’m terrified.
The man locks stares with me through the glass. He doesn’t blink. “Did you tell her? Does she know what you are?”
Chapter Sixteen
Theo
Fuckmylife.
I knew Cooper’s dad would catch up with me eventually. I might have run from my life like a dog with my tail between my legs after Cooper passed, but it’s not as if I hid from the man who had treated me as a son for years before I took away his baby girl’s life.
I think I always wanted him to find me. I deserve his hate and his retribution. The few months I spent behind bars—my sentence whittled down to almost nothing because of my bigshot lawyer father and his team—was never going to be enough.
He pulls a gun from somewhere and shoves the barrel against my ribs. I don’t flinch, because I was never worthy of this second chance I was given when it’s my fault Cooper is gone. But Indy doesn’t deserve to be caught up in this. If she gets hurt because of me…
“Does she know you’re a murderer?” His breath is heavy and hot against my cheek while he stares at her over my shoulder. He’s mostly calm, his voice wavering a little with the emotion he’s trying to keep reserved.
He’s probably dreamed about this day. Obsessed over it. Considered every scenario. Nelson Mitchell is a kind man, a loving father. If those things have been buried, it’s in an avalanche of my making. “Nelson, please. You’re scaring her.”
“Are you his girlfriend?” he glances at her and then back to me. “Is this Cooper’s replacement?”
“No.” Indy will never be mine. She will be Gray’s until the day she dies. She loves him. She’ll marry him in a few short weeks. When she takes her last breath, he’ll be the man by her side. All we can be is friends, even if being around her brings me a peace that I hate. “She’s just some girl. She doesn’t need to be a part of this.”
“He killed my daughter.” His composure is cracking. There are tears in his blue eyes. “He hurt my baby girl. She died…”
I can’t hear or see how Indy responds to him. I can’t tell how scared she is or whether the warmth that was in her eyes earlier has been replaced with fear. There’s no way she’ll ever look at me again without seeing the truth. I’m not a good man. I’m not even a decent one.
“Every day I wake up and I remember the choices I made that led up to the accident.” The back of my throat goes wet. If I had slept longer before we took that trip…if I hadn’t had too much to drink. If I’d insisted we wait until a little later in the day or told my dad to go to hell. There are so many things I could have done differently. The guilt eats me up inside. The pain of it has become an addiction to my soul. “The way I felt about your daughter…how I destroyed the best thing in my life. I live with what I did. It never goes away.”
“Don’t call it an accident.” He jams the gun into my ribs hard enough to bruise. “What you did wasn’t an accident. It was a decision. You chose to kill my baby. My wife has since left me. I have nothing because of you. I welcomed you into my home and you took everything.”
“I’m so sorry.” My shoulders shake. My vision is blurry. Seeing him after so long… it makes everything fresh again. The guilt. The pain. “I would do anything to take it back.”
“I’m going to kill you.” He sobs, gulping air as he wipes at his eyes, the gun in his shaking hand. “I promised myself that when I saw you again, I would put a bullet between your worthless fucking eyes.”
“You don’t want to do that.”
“Shut up.” He snarls and spittle hits me in the face.
My lungs seize. I’m chilled to the bone. And the whole while my heart is booming like a big drum. I’m staring at the gun waiting for a bullet I won’t see coming. Shot by a man who I used to consider a father figure. “It won’t bring her back. It won’t make it hurt less. And you’re a good man, Nelson. If you shoot me… you won’t get what you want.”
“Yes, I will.” He straightens his arm.
“No, I will.” I point at my chest. “You’ll take the guilt away. I won’t feel it anymore. And I don’t think that’s what you really want.”
“You’re in pain? But I saw you with your friend inside…” He glances at her. “She makes you happy.”
“She’s no one.” I swallow. Please don’t let him focus on her. Don’t let me be the reason Indy gets hurt. I’ll never forgive myself for dragging her into my mess.
“No.” The muzzle of the gun inches away from the center of my chest. “You were laughing. Smiling.”
“I like her.” As fucking crazy as it is for me to feel an emotional connection to anyone. “I like her a lot, but it doesn’t matter. She’s in love with someone else. She’s engaged to him. And even if that wasn’t the case…she’s dying.”
“You’re dying?” He looks to her for confirmation.
Sirens sound in the distance.
“I have a few months.” She clears her throat as she cracks the window. “Inoperable brain tumor.”
