Freeing Destiny (Fate #2) (36 page)

“Hi!” It seemed as if they all said it in unison. A joint effort. Mom and Nina rushed over and tackle-hugged me. What a wonderful welcome home. I loved it.

When the airport became too crowded and public for such a special reunion, Jack ushered me outside to the parking deck. He directed Ryan to grab my luggage and we walked in silence. There was so much to say, but I was overwhelmed. We had time. We’d have all the time in the world to say everything. But most importantly, I didn’t want to rush perfect words.

Regardless of the infinite time we now had, I was certain there were just two things I
needed
to say. Right now. No waiting. Not another millisecond.

“Jack?” We stood outside the car—an Uber or Ryan’s. I had no idea.

“Yes, baby!” With my back flush against the cold metal, Jack cradled my face in his warm hands. “Talk to me, Sunshine.” He smiled and then dipped down to kiss the tip of my nose.

After a calming inhalation, I let it all out. “First of all, I know we’ve said it like eight million times since we last saw each other, but—I love you, Jack. I love you more than anything in this world. You know that, right?” I needed him to
feel
it, not just hear it. The kind of love I carried for him was all encompassing. I’d had countless hours of internal conversation over the last few days as Aubrey’s prisoner. During my darkest times, the one thing that kept me going was my undying love for Jack, and his for me.

“We’re going to wear those three words out and I’m perfectly fine with that. I love you, too, Stella. So fucking much.” Jack’s declaration matched the urgency of mine. He would forever be the flame that kept my fire burning.

He kissed me again, this time deeper and lingering, but I stopped him by pulling away and gazing into his eyes. “I need to tell you one more thing.”

“And then can I kiss you until my lips bleed? Because I need to make up for lost time.”

“It was only two days, Jack.” I laughed, although it wasn’t funny at all.

“They felt like an eternity.”

Oh, yes they certainly did. Any time away from Jack, whether as a hostage or by free will, was
too
much time away. “I’m staying in San Francisco. I can’t be without you. Ever again.”

I expected shock, happiness, confusion . . . anything. But I certainly hadn’t expected the hysterical laughter that erupted from Jack’s stubble-coated mouth.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s going to suck if you stay there.”

“Hey! Really?” Was he saying he didn’t
want
me to stay?

“Yes, really! You can’t stay, Stella. It wouldn’t work. It’s just too much—”

Oh my God. What was he saying? My heart nearly stopped beating at the idea of Jack rejecting me. “Too much? How could you say that?” I looked down at the ground to hide the disappointment on my face.

Jack’s finger was under my chin in an instant, lifting my face so that our eyes could meet yet again. “You didn’t let me finish. What I was saying was, it’s just too much
distance
. You can’t stay in California, Sunshine, because
I’m
moving to New York. And I refuse to live on opposite ends of the country after I just got you back. You’re mine for good now. Are we clear?”

My legs became wobbly sticks of rubber. My heart jumped for joy. My lips quivered and made it impossible to utter a response. I let my tears fall with abandon and pulled Jack to me so I could hold on to the man who’d appeared out of nowhere and turned my world upside down. Who would have thought that
upside down
would wind up being my new favorite state of mind? The view of the world from this vantage point was nothing short of perfect.

When I finally felt sturdy enough to answer him, I inched up on my toes and whispered in his ear. Instead of telling him again just how much I loved him, I told him in other words. “My heart is filled to overflowing.”

His laugh echoed throughout the parking garage and into the cold almost-winter air. “Let’s get you home. Where you belong.”

He wouldn’t hear me object to that. After the journey I’d been on—winding up in
this
exact spot—his bed
and
his arms sounded like the perfect place to establish a forever home.

Jack

For someone who hated being up in the air as much as I did, I’d become a frequent flyer. This time, though, it was for a good cause. Good for me, Stella, and everyone else on the receiving end of Aubrey’s bullshit. For Aubrey—not so much.

After our short reunion in New York, we trekked back to California so that Stella could give a formal statement and Aubrey’s fate could be sealed. I had so much to say, lots of input to weigh in, many opinions to impose, but this wasn’t my gig. It was Stella’s. She’d asked me multiple times over the course of the last few days what she should do. Each time I would hold her and assure her it was her decision. She was the one who’d been kidnapped, held hostage, threatened with a knife, and put through hell. If the person responsible for the worst days of Stella’s life were anyone but my sister, I would want the bitch to fry. But the hardest part of all of this was that she
was
my flesh and blood.

Aubrey was once an innocent little girl who built pillow forts with me in our basement, raced me in the pool during summer vacation, helped me with my math homework when I struggled, and loved me just as I loved her. Unconditionally.

Unfortunately, that unconditional love had been put to a critical test. Sister or no sister, we couldn’t deny the truth. Aubrey had to be held accountable for her crimes.
Crimes
, plural. It was crazy when I thought about it. She really fucked up this time, and there was no way she was getting away with it.

“What are you thinking?” I eyed Stella as my thumb traced reassuring circles on her hand.

“Things you don’t want to hear.”

I could only imagine. Maybe that was worse. My imagination tended to get away from me, and rather than picture Stella as the forgiving angel she was, I imagined there was a totally different side of her that she’d been keeping quiet.

After Aubrey was arrested, she was booked and detained. No one posted bail and it was a holiday weekend so she was forced to spend a few nights in jail. My parents rushed back from France as soon as they could and to no one’s surprise—least of all mine and Emma’s—my father worked some kind of finagling magic to speed up the process of court appearances and arraignment.

Seated in a small courtroom with an audience of Stella’s apprehensive family along with my parents and Emma, we listened as the judge, Aubrey’s lawyers—my father’s closest friends and colleagues—traded legal jargon that made my head spin. I knew enough from certain keywords and I wasn’t exactly stupid—I’d seen an episode or two of
Law and Order
—but I couldn’t focus. I was too worried about Stella. Tension radiated from her delicate body. Her unease was potent and very contagious.

I wrapped my hand around hers and squeezed . I needed her to know I was here. Not just present, but on her side and ready to help her face the outcome of this hearing.

Aubrey stood when the judge addressed her. She asked my sister for her plea and I closed my eyes and prayed that for once in her theatrical life she wouldn’t act a part or put on a show. If she pled not guilty, she would go to trial. Stella would be forced to drag out this whole painful experience, and I feared it would undeniably strain our relationship.

I would back Stella no matter
what
she decided to do, but she would worry about hurting me if she went after my sister. We’d spoken about it at length. I made sure she understood my stance. I was whole-heartedly supportive of my girlfriend. My parents weren’t happy about my betrayal, but then again,
I
wasn’t happy that Aubrey had played with Stella’s life in such a senseless and ruthless way.

It was do or die time and I personally wanted to crawl under my seat and hide until it was all over. Aubrey cleared her throat and the room fell silent.

“Your Honor,” she spoke, her voice sweet and innocent, although everyone in the room knew she was the complete opposite. “Is it okay if I address Miss Edwards and her family?”

The judge nodded and my stomach dropped. What could she possibly have to say? There was no saving her now.

Aubrey swiveled to face us. Normally, she was a petite but wild girl with unruly hair and harsh, red lips. Not today. Before me was a meek, lonely girl who had no one to turn to. She wore her hair in a neat bun, minimal if any make-up, and clothes that made her look more like my mother than my sister.
She was playing the part.
No two ways around it. I ignored the irritation that her phony act triggered and listened.

“I apologize deeply for any hurt I’ve caused. I only ever wanted to be accepted and I allowed your rejections to get the best of me. I hope one day you can forgive me.”

That was it. She said her piece and turned to face the judge as if her three measly sentences could absolve her of all the turmoil she’d caused. Stella remained stoic at my side, her jaw clenched tight, her breathing slow and steady. I wanted to kiss her, hug her, sweep her away from this mess and promise her everything would be okay. But she needed this closure. We all did.

“Your plea, Miss Davis.” The judge narrowed in on Aubrey again.

Aubrey bowed her head for a split second and then held it high. A lawyer stood and joined her to speak in her defense. “Your Honor, the defendant pleads not guilty to the offenses charged on the grounds that she was mentally unstable during the time of her actions.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” I heard it from Stella first but it seemed to be the majority reaction. Stella shot out of her seat and turned to leave. I stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder, and pushed her back into the chair.

“Don’t. Just wait.”

The judge slammed her gavel as the courtroom seemed to erupt in dismay. It was to be expected—as was Aubrey’s insanity plea—but I could only imagine what an injustice this felt like to Stella and her family.

“No!” she cried. “I knew this would happen. She gets away with it
again
and all she had to do was tell the truth. She
is
insane and now she has every right to triumph in her craziness.”

This time I couldn’t hold her back from running off, so instead, I followed her. I didn’t look back to face my parents or Aubrey. I’d be fine if I never saw her again, and as for my parents—it was a good thing I was leaving California. I’d had enough of them aiding and abetting Aubrey’s games.

Once outside, fresh air filled my lungs and cleared my jumbled mind. I caught up to Stella and wrapped my arms around her from behind. “Baby, please. Don’t run away. It’s over.” There was no turning back. Stella could fight and bring Aubrey to trial, but I knew she didn’t have it in her to go up against my manipulative father and his little pet. Stella wanted it done. She wanted to move on. We both did. That’s what we’d spoken about.

“Do you know how unfair this is?” Stella’s face was blotchy with irritation; her eyes swam with disappointment. I needed to make it all go away.

“Of course it’s unfair. But it’s like you said, she always wins. My father is an asshole. He’s blind to what she’s done. All he sees is a helpless little girl that he needs to protect.”

“At what expense? Mine, my mother’s, whoever else she thinks has wronged her?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” I hated seeing her so defeated. I was furious for her. I kept thinking back to how I told her I would support whatever decision she made, but I couldn’t help voicing my honest opinion this time. “What do you want to do, Stella? Do you want to fight? Do you want to drag this out for a justice you may never get? Waste time we could be spending together, starting a new life, being happy? ? Or do you want to walk away from the crazy and let her wallow in it, all alone, for the rest of her life?”

Stella dropped her gaze to the ground. The poor girl had been through so much and now this. If we could get on a plane tonight and never return, I’d jump on that shit without one bit of hesitation.

“Get me the hell out of here. I don’t want to see her face when she comes out of the courtroom. I don’t know all the details, and I certainly don’t understand all the legal implications, but if that bitch is free from jail, her ass better be locked away in some psycho ward for a while. You can mark my words, Jack. I don’t want to be this person. I don’t have a mean bone in my body, but when it comes to her, I lose all sense of what’s right and wrong.”

“I know. And you have every right, but don’t let her snuff out your beautiful brightness. I won’t let her jade you, Stella. Please. She wins if you allow her to take that precious part of you.” It wasn’t meant to mollify her, it was how I truly felt. The worst thing that could come of this was a broken, bitter Stella.

She threw her head back and sighed. Breathing in and out, she closed her eyes and stayed that way for a few beats. When she seemed calm again, her eyes met mine. I inched closer, let my hands rest on her tiny waist, and my nose graze hers. “I love you, Stella. Let’s move on, move out, and move the fuck up. Destiny awaits.”

“You’re right. I want it to be done. I need this to be over.”