Page 110 of Broken Silence
“Yeah?”
“She’s going to go visit.”
“Okay,” he said, wondering where this was going. “You don’t want her to?”
“No, I do. The more she finds here again, the better my chances are.”
He nodded once, worry in his eyes. “Ah, of getting her to move back. Has she mentioned anything about that?”
“She goes out of her way to not mention it.”
“You don’t know where her head’s at?”
“I’m not sure she does. Staying was never an option for her, they were always going back. Right?”
“That’s what Sarah said.”
“So, I have to convince her or…”
“Or what?” He cleared his throat, reaching over to put his beer on the coffee table. “I see. You would move there.”
“Yeah, I would. I’m not making the same mistakes we both made four years ago. I can’t do it again, Dad.”
“I understand, but your job and your house… Cole, you’ve only just started to live again.”
“Was I? Shit was lining up better, finishing uni, my job, savings, the house. But not once have I ever felt alive. Not until now. I know… I know it’s fucking stupid to put your life and your happiness in the hands of another person, but how the hell do you stop that?”
He rubbed his forehead, torn. “I wish I knew what to tell you. Moving to another country, Cole…”
“I’d rather stay, obviously, but I need to be where she is.”
“Will you ask her to move back? She loves your house. You’d both have a lot of support here. Your whole family.” He sounded desperate but he tried to cover it.
“I’m going to ask her to stay. Don’t be pissed at her if she can’t.”
He shook his head. “No, I could never. We didn’t see it… we owe her a lot. But your mum and I couldn’t come—not without Mia and Leona. Chris wouldn’t let her leave the country.”
“I know,” I said. “Your life is here.”
“So is yours. Make her see that hers is, too.”
“I will.”
“You have four days.”
“What?”
“Sarah messaged your mum. Frank’s sentencing is in four days.”
“Fuck.”
“Language. But, yes, fuck.” He patted my shoulder. “She doesn’t want to leave you, either. All you have to do is show her she can be happy here again.”
She hadn’t mentioned anything about her house—the place that was across the road from mine. In fact, she hadn’t reacted to it at all.
That had to be a good sign.
Chapter 22
