Page 150 of Capturing You

Forbes pressed the Pause button.

This was it. Proof! Charles Ballentine had been a confidential informant collecting information on The Network for…somebody.

Brooklynn looked at Forbes, expecting to see the same excitement on his face that she felt inside.

But he’d leaned over the desk, hands gripping the edge. His face was pale, his eyes red.

Realization hit her.

She stood and slid her hand around his arm. “Sit down.” She soothed the words, tugging him onto the chair that’d held her foot a moment before.

He didn’t even look at her, though his arm, where she touched it, tightened.

“Come on, love. Sit with me.” She tugged, and he seemed to come back to himself.

He didn’t sit. He didn’t speak. He pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. Though he nearly enveloped her, she felt like she was the one holding him up.

She didn’t know what to say, so she just held him while the grief or whatever he was experiencing washed over him.

It was a few minutes before he looked up at the ceiling.

As if she would judge him for his tears.

“Please. Sit down.” She tugged on his arm, and he complied, folding over his knees.

She scooted her chair closer and rubbed his back, waiting for him to get his bearings again.

Thinking about how it would feel to hear the voices of loved ones long dead. The room felt heavy with memories, as if his family hovered nearby. They weren’t here, but evil had resided in this house a long time, hiding as if waiting to be unleashed.

Lord, fill this place with Yourself, and drive out anything that doesn’t glorify You.

Her God was bigger than any dark spirit. Her God was big enough to handle all of this.

And give me words and wisdom to comfort Forbes.

She’d felt extreme emotional highs and lows since she’d run from those men on Monday, and for Forbes, it was all so much more personal. His ride had begun when he was eight years old.

He swiped at his eyes, shook his head as if he could shake off grief and sadness, and looked at her. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for being authentic. I love that about you. Are you okay?”

“I-I thought maybe he’d recorded something, but thinking it and hearing his voice. And Mom’s. It was…”

She gave him time to finish his sentence, but he only looked away.

“Indescribable,” she suggested.

“Yeah.”

“Do you want me to keep listening? You can do something else.”

“No.” He sat up straight. “I can do it. Let’s do it.” He stood to resume the recording, but she stopped him.

“Forbes, did you hear what he said? This recording was intended for somebody else. I think your father was a confidential informant.”

* * *

Brooklynn triedto give Forbes his space.