Page 48 of My Destiny

“Just be patient with her. She’ll come around.”

“Did she say something to you?”

“She opened up a little. She’s dealing with a lot of demons right now.”

“I know,” I say, but it still ticks me off to know I’m guilty by association. Just because we have the same career path, doesn’t mean I’m anything like her father or her ex. I can only hope she gives me the chance to prove that. “I’m going to go up and see her.”

Jill nods. “I’ll have dinner prepared for you both before I leave.”

Sticking my head inside my bedroom, I find she’s not there. To be honest, I kind of expected it, but it still stings.

Knocking on the spare bedroom door, I wait for an invitation to enter.

“Come in,” I hear her say.

Opening the door, I find her sitting in the middle of the bed with her legs crossed. There’s a photo album in front of her.

“I just thought I’d come up and say hi.”

“Hi,” she says, smiling.

“Can we talk?”

“Sure.” She taps the bed beside her.

Walking over, I sit on the edge of the mattress. What I really want to do is pull her into my arms and kiss her—that’s all I’ve thought about today—but Jill’s words are swimming around in my head. If I have any chance of making this work, I need to be patient. Good things come to those who wait, so they say.

“Are they photos of you?”

“There’s some of me, but they’re mainly of my mum.” She lifts the album, bringing it closer so I can see the image on the page.

“Is that your mother?”

“Yes.”

“Wow, you’re the spitting image of her,” I say. The likeness is uncanny.

“I know. The older I get the more I see it.”

She closes the album and places it down beside her. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

There’s so much I want to say, starting with asking her why she didn’t acknowledge my text, but that’s not why I’m here. “I heard from the detectives today.”

“Oh.”

“They got a positive ID on the prints. Our suspicions were correct.”

“Jake?”

“Yes.”

She sighs before averting her gaze. Although in her heart she already knew it was him, I can see by the look on her face the confirmation has upset her. “Have they caught him?”

“No.” Reaching out, I wrap my hand around hers. I’m grateful when she doesn’t pull away. “They’re looking for him. His parents reported him as a missing person over a month ago. He hasn’t been seen since.”

Jake already has a warrant out for his arrest because he failed to appear in court on yet another drug charge, and the police are going to apply for an Apprehended Violence Order. Once it’s put in place, he’ll be prohibited from coming anywhere near her—on paper, at least—but I doubt that will stop him.

“I had a meeting with an old friend today. He’s a private investigator and ex-detective. My company has used him many times in the past. He’s one of the best in the business. He’s on the case now too, and if anyone can find Jake, he can.”