Page 45 of Cause of Doubt
“That night we had dinner at my mom’s house. You seemed really nervous. Why?”
“Families aren’t my jam. I know you can understand that.” She lifted her head and looked at me. “I told you about mychildhood. Hearthstone always called us a family. Families are a promise I no longer trust.”
“Why?” My brows furrowed.
“Because promises are what people use to trap you. They say you’re safe. They say you belong. And then they make you pay for it.”
“Is that the reason you act like you don’t need anyone?” I asked.
“That’s why I don’t need anyone. Needs get you killed if you’re not careful. Hearthstone made me exactly what they needed. They made me so I wouldn’t flinch when someone screamed. So I wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. So I wouldn’t cry when I lost something. So I would never be weak again. They took away everything that made me feel warm.”
“I don’t believe that because I know somewhere inside, is you, before the accident and Hearthstone. The warm part of you.”
“I’m really tired,” she said.
“Goodnight, Paige.” I kissed the top of her head.
“Goodnight, Parker.”
My eyes flewopen at the sound of my alarm. Reaching over, I shut it down. Rolling over, the other side of the bed was empty. Climbing out, I slid on my underwear and went downstairs, thinking I’d find her in the kitchen making coffee. She wasn’t there, and a sick feeling rose in my stomach. Running up the stairs, I pushed open the door to the guest room. All her things were gone, and the room was cleaned as if she’d never been here.
Walking back to my room, I sat on the edge of the bed, grabbed my phone, and sent her a text.
Where are you?
I stared at the screen, waiting for those three little dots to appear. Nothing. Throwing my phone down, I climbed into the shower and let the hot water stream down my body. My biggest fear had come true. She’d left. But the worst part was that she couldn’t even say goodbye.
I heard a knock at the door. It was her. I knew it was. Racing down the stairs, I opened the door to find Julian standing there.
“Morning, bro.” He pushed past me. “My car won’t start, and Laurel took the day off to go on a field trip with the girls. So, I need to ride with you.”
“What about Roman?” I sighed, running my hand through my hair.
Instantly, his brows furrowed.
“Roman already left. He had an early meeting with a client. What’s your problem? You don’t want your brother riding with you to the office? We have court at ten o’clock.”
“It’s fine.” I walked into the kitchen.
“What’s wrong? Where’s Paige? I didn’t see her car in the driveway.”
“She’s gone.”
“What do you mean she’s gone?” Julian asked.
“She packed up and left in the middle of the night,” I spoke with irritation.
“Oh. Shit.”
“Yeah. Not even a goodbye.” I grabbed my keys off the island. “Let’s go.”
“Objection,your honor! He’s badgering the witness.”
“Objection sustained. Mr. Hamilton, I’m warning you.”
“I’ll rephrase the question. Miss Maddox, did you see my client pull the trigger?”
“Yes, I did.”
