Losing Him (Mitchell Family #8)(34)

I played with my hands and continued to cry. “I thought you would change your mind.”

“Heather, I get it, okay. I f*cked with your heart, but you went bat-shit crazy. You put lives in danger.” Ty acted like he’d done nothing wrong.

I felt it was necessary to defend my actions. “I put myself in danger to help Amy. I tried to redeem myself and to make your family see that I wasn’t the devil.”

He growled and walked around the old room. I watched him scrunch up his face, like it pained him to speak to me. “I can’t forgive you for what you did to Miranda. She didn’t deserve that. No matter how much you wanted me for yourself, she’s my wife. She was carrying my boys.”

I stood up and brushed myself off. “I need to leave! This was a mistake!” Ty tried to grab me, but I started running. The dress was heavy in my hands, but I held it tight so I wouldn’t trip! “I kept your secret, Ty. She’ll always be your daughter. I did that because I loved you. I did it for you!” I screamed it as I climbed into my car. Ty tried to grab the door handle, but I pulled away quickly, spinning around in the field and speeding down the dirt driveway.

I was crying so badly that I didn’t realize the driveway had ended. I didn’t see the headlights until it was too late.

I remember the horn blaring and a bright light shining. I could hear voices, but I didn’t know what people were saying. Sounds of sirens surrounded me, but everything remained blurry.

I just wanted to close my eyes.

I wanted it all to go away.

Chapter 18


Jessie


Once we got settled in our room, Jacob insisted on calling his mother. After nearly ten attempts, she refused to answer the phone. I could see the worried look on his face, but knowing his mother, she’d probably left the phone in her purse and fallen asleep. I felt bad that she most likely cried herself to sleep. There was no other reason why she hadn’t answered.

It was hard falling asleep, thinking about Heather being so upset and lost. She literally had nothing with me and Jacob. It was such a sad reality of someone that genuinely wanted to be a good person. In the years that I’d known her, she’d gone out of her way to help people at her job and the church she sometimes attended. Still, she kept to herself and never reached out to make any friends.

Of course, my friends always sided with me, leaving her with nobody our age to turn to for support. I thinks she was afraid to make friends, because that meant she could ultimately lose someone she cared about.

Jacob asked about his mother for a bout a half hour before he conked out. After he fell asleep I tried to call three more times, getting no answer again.

Finally, I was exhausted enough to fall asleep.

Jacob woke up as the sun was rising. I knew it wasn’t possible for him to let me sleep a couple more hours, so I got up and showered, then waited for him to do the same. By nine we were back on the road, only stopping at a drive-thru for something to hold us over until we got back to Heather’s moms.

I was a little nervous about seeing her, considering that I’d left under bad terms. Still, knowing Heather, she’d welcome me back with open arms and never question my change of heart. I think she got so excited about the idea of having someone that she never let the small things linger. She didn’t hold grudges like other people. Heather only wanted to move forward with everything in her life. Looking back was too painful for her.

We arrived a few hours later at Heather’s mother’s house. The first thing I noticed was that the car was gone. The house was locked and all of the lights were turned out. It was as if she packed up and left.

I looked down at Jacob. “I think that Mommy might have gone home to find us. She’s not here, Buddy.”

“You should call her.”

Since I didn’t know what time she’d left, there was no way of telling if she was on the road or actually home. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I grabbed my phone and started calling. Once again, I got no answer., except this time, I left a message. At least she would know that we were heading home and looking for her.

As much as I didn’t want to do it, we climbed back in the car and started on our long ride home. Jacob was not happy about it and I was tired of driving, too.

After going back and forth, we didn’t arrive home until dinner time. My house was empty, but it wasn’t like I expected Heather to be there waiting for us. I tried calling her again, but it went straight to voicemail, like her phone had been turned off. It was possible that she’d let it die. It was also possible that she went into work to keep her mind off of me taking Jacob. I just wasn’t sure she would have done that.

Heather was off of work for bereavement. She was getting paid and there wouldn’t have been any reason for her to return to work. Then I started wondering if she’d just been out at the store or doing something when we’d arrived there. Maybe she was back at her mother’s house and everything was fine.

Before I started to get worried, I tried her mother’s house number. Once again, there was no answer.

It was about that time when I was officially freaked out. Heather was going through Hell, but she’d never avoided me like she was. I had this bad feeling in my gut, but no idea of what to do or where to look first.

Not knowing where else to turn, I remembered that I had given Conner my number. Then I remembered the name of Amy’s shop. She’d be done working, but possibly still answering phone calls. It was a stretch, but I just needed someone to go over and see if Heather was home and if she was okay.