Page 114 of Fall For Me
“Yeah. Just tired,” she says, closing her eyes. “Think I’m gonna rest for a while.”
“I’m tired, too. Today has been physically and mentally draining.”
“You’ll get in the swing of things . . . and it’ll get better . . .” She trails off, loosening her grip on my hand.
“I'm gonna tell Aspen first thing in the morning . . . You know, Granny? I really missed hanging out with you these past couple ofdays. Hey, maybe tomorrow when I get off work, I can come over and we can celebrate with a little poker. You can show me how you pocketed those cards without me realizing it. And before you try to lie, you should know that I know you cheat. So, there’s no point in trying to deny it.”
When she doesn’t answer, I look over at her, but she’s already asleep. Music plays low throughout my car, and I hum along to the lyrics, turning up the heat to warm up Granny’s cold hands. The way Jade’s neck is bent catches my attention through the rearview as I take the exit off the highway. That girl is gonna wake up with a crick in her neck.
“Granny. Time to wake up,” I whisper, turning onto Aiden’s road, but she doesn’t stir. “Hey. Open those eyes. We’re almost home. I can carry Jade, but I sure the hell can’t carry you.”
Pulling into his drive, I look over. “Granny?”
She doesn’t respond.
“Granny?” My voice cracks as panic claws up my throat and my vision blurs.
Through unshed tears, my eyes dart to her chest, waiting for it to rise.
A gasp escapes my lips.
“Oh, God. No.”
Thirty-Three
Hannah
Red and blue lights bounce in rhythm with my heartbeat across Jade’s ceiling as I lie next to her in her canopy bed. I don’t know how I managed to stay in that car with Granny until the police arrived without Jade waking up . . . or the questioning from the officers that came after while I kept my eye on Jade in the back seat until they allowed me to take her inside. I stare down at the sweet little girl, and my heart cracks wide open knowing tomorrow, when she wakes up, her entire world is gonna change.
Another tear falls across the bridge of my nose and trickles down into my hair as the mattress dips. I turn my head, and my stomach twists when the lights from the police cruiser illuminate Sean’s face. Tears glisten as they stream down his cheeks. I start to reach up . . . to wipe them away, but before I can, he grabs my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine. We just sit there in the cold silence of the dark room, grieving our loss until he finally stands and pulls me up with him, leading me into the living room.
“I didn’t want us to wake up Jade,” he says, wrapping his arms around me.
“God, Sean. The dispatcher told me to wait in the car until the police arrived. Said I couldn’t leave the vehicle until the police were done questioning me . . . something about if I did, they could charge me for tampering with an investigation. What if . . . what if she would’ve woken up?” I whisper against his chest.
His body stiffens around me. “Come on. Let’s sit.”
He plops down on the sofa, taking me with him.
“She was telling me goodbye the whole way home, and I didn’t even realize it.” He brushes my hair from my face as I choke on a sob. “Poor Jade . . . she’s gonna be so heartbroken.”
He pulls me closer, kissing my hair as he cradles my head buried in his neck. “Granny was one of a kind. She lived a long fulfilling life, mi amor. A good one. The best thing we can do for Jade is to keep talking about her and make sure she knows how many people’s lives her Granny touched.”
“Hey, Han,” Aiden's voice cracks as he chokes out my name. Pinching the bridge of his nose, his body shudders as a sob rips through his chest. His red-rimmed eyes flick up to meet ours, and he takes a deep breath. “They . . . they need to talk to you.”
The officer, standing behind him, takes a few steps toward us. I know they deal with this kind of thing on a daily basis, but discomfort still glazes his eyes.
“I’m sorry for your loss. It’s um . . . protocol to take the vehicle until we complete the rest of our investigation.”
“Fuck you and your fucking protocols.” Sean shifts, trying to lift me from his lap, but I don’t budge. “I’m filing a formal complaint first thing tomorrow morning. I can’t believe you would make her stay in the car with a five-year-old little girl.”
I squeeze Sean's hand, trying to get him to shut up.
“Sir, I’m sorry, but she wasn’t forced to stay in the car.”
“The dispatcher said I had to,” I argue.
“Ma’am, if that’s the case, you were given false information. I’m . . . I’m sorry. They should’ve told you not to leave the scene.”
