Page 122 of Broken Silence
“If you’d just let me get you a couple shots, you’d stop obsessing,” Jasper said.
“Jasper, I’m not going to sit here and drink while Cole’s being questioned.”
“I’m not saying we get smashed… just take the edge off.”
Miles stood up. “Jasper, help me put the kettle on.”
He could stick around if he was going to get Jasper out of the room every time he made inappropriate comments.
Of course, I’d never see my brother again, but still.
“He’s great, Mum,” I said when they were out of the room.
Ali nodded. “I really like him. He’s good for you… and he seems to love England so far.”
I knew what Ali was thinking: marry him and move here. It was no secret that she wanted us to be close by again.
It could work out perfectly, but there were a lot of other factors. Could I stay without Mum and Jasper if they wanted to go home? They had horrible memories here, too.
Was England the best place for me?
My father and Frank were locked up, but one day they’d be out.
How would I feel about living here when and if they were both out?
What if I had children…?
“Miles and I are taking things slowly,” Mum said.
“Really? He flew hallway across the world to be there for you. That’s not slow,” I said.
The look she cut me told me I’d crossed a line, but I didn’t really care for her lines anymore. She never put herself first.
“I’m serious, Mum. Don’t let anything come between you. You’ll regret it.”
She sat down, her eyes worried, and it had nothing to do with her situation. “You regret moving?”
“Not moving. I…weneeded it. But I do regret pushing Cole away. I was so focused on what I thought was best for him.”
Mia nodded. “You wish you’d let him decide?”
“Yeah. Maybe then neither of us would’ve been so broken the last four years.”
“It’s a long time.”
“And it felt a lot longer.”
God, it felt like a lifetime.
The investigation dragged with new evidence coming to light and applications for more time from the prosecution and defence.
But we were here now.
“Don’t let him go, Mum, please.”
She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. She was about to say something when the front door opened.
“Oakley?” Cole called out.
