Chapter 39
ARI
I’m sitting at my desk, archiving Nathan’s case files, feeling more contented than I’ve ever been.
Moving in with Nathan has been incredible and now permanent doesn’t look so scary to me. It’s been over a month since I moved in and with each passing day I fall more and more in love with him.
I’ve never said the words, I love you.
Neither has he to me, but I think he does.
Even his mom said that yesterday when she called to ask us to dinner tomorrow night, informing me that she’d never seen him like this before.
She actually said he had hearts in his eyes that looked a lot like love which made him playfully end the call, but then he phoned her straight back and lied telling her his reception dropped out.
Chuckling to myself at the memory, I hum along to The Beach Boys, “God Only Knows,” the song that’s been swirling around my head all morning.
Just like Nathan, the beat is addictive.
A ding from my phone alerts me to new emails arriving in my inbox and I sit up straighter, a knot in my throat building instantly when I see Julie’s name flashing across the screen of my cell.
It’s been months since I last spoke to her, because after I decided I was all in with Nathan, combined with Max’s recount about how Julie screwed him over, and adding the fact Julie never sent me anything, I figured she was lying that she had anything concrete in the first place.
My mind was made up and my decision was final; Daniel wasn’t involved.
And while I have been trying to dig for more information on Kevin Taylor, I have yet again come up short.
I think hiring a private investigator will be my best shot, but I have yet to narrow down my shortlist.
My fingers move fast across the screen, and I tap open her email and then the attachment.
I stare at my screen and reread the words.
Then again.
And again, making sure I understand, and I’m unable to believe what I’m seeing.
I hit print, then run to the printer before anyone sees it.
As I head back to my desk, the paper shakes in my trembling hands and I read it again.
Crash Report Summary
Case Number: 10CR07354
Weather Conditions: Clear night, no adverse weather conditions.
Road Conditions: Dry, no visible hazards or obstructions.
Incident Type: Two-vehicle collision with fatalities.
Summary of Findings: At approximately 11p.m., a collision occurred between Vehicle 1, Toyota Corolla, and Vehicle 2, Ford F150, on Cabrillo Highway. Weather conditions were clear and road conditions were dry, with no visible oil spills, debris, or hazards present on the roadway.
Upon initial investigation, it was determined that Vehicle 2 driven by Mr. Kevin Taylor, traveling at a high rate of speed and in an erratic manner, crossed into the lane of Vehicle 1, causing a head-on collision.
The force of the impact resulted in three fatalities in Vehicle 1: Mr. Robert Donovan, Mrs. Emily Donovan, and Ms. Riley Donovan were pronounced dead at the scene.
Another passenger of Vehicle 1 sustained injuries but survived the crash.
Vehicle 2’s driver was uninjured but appeared to show signs of impairment, and preliminary findings suggest that a combination of alcohol and excessive speeding may have contributed to the cause. Further analysis is recommended to confirm the exact cause of the driver’s behavior.
There are no witness statements but the evidence of tire marks and vehicle positions suggest that Vehicle 2’s actions were directly responsible for the crash. No contributing external factors were found to be involved.
Conclusion: The crash resulted in the deaths of three individuals and the serious injury of the surviving passenger due to the reckless or negligent actions of the driver of Vehicle 2.
The evidence points to a clear responsibility on the part of the driver of Vehicle 2, whose actions—likely influenced by speed and/or impairment—directly led to the fatal crash.
Further investigation into the driver’s alcohol/drug use is ongoing, and charges may be filed accordingly.
Is this real?
This is not the same crash report in my family’s case file.
I throw my hand to my mouth to cover my dismay and slowly shake my head.
My lungs tighten as my breathing takes on a life of its own.
“I don’t feel so good,” I say to no one in particular. “I have to go.”
Joseph jumps out of his seat and is by my side in a flash. “Do you want me to call Nathan?”
“No,” I snap, not meaning to cause Joseph to jerk back in surprise.
“I’m sorry, just, will you tell him I felt unwell, and I’ll see him tomorrow or maybe the day after?
” I need space and time to gather my thoughts.
“I think I’m coming down with the flu and I should stay away from Nathan.
He’s in court for the next week and in the middle of a huge case.
The last thing he needs is coming down with whatever I have,” I lie.
“Do you want me to call you a cab then?” His voice is instantly full of worry at my sudden mysterious illness.
Which isn’t a mystery. I just need to get the hell out of here.
“No, thank you,” I say, lifting my purse off the floor in a daze. “I’ll see you in a couple of days. I need to go to bed.” I pull a tight smile and stuff the crash report into my purse.
I knew my life was going too well. I knew the ball would drop eventually.
I’ve spent a month of bliss in Nathan’s arms, and now, if I decide to act on this information, that’s all I might be getting.
The dates he organized, more days at the ranch, lazy evenings on the sofa; he even watched Harry Potter with me. I adore his family. I adore him.
More than that, I love him.
I know it now for sure, but what do I do with this information?
Who covered this up?
Was his father involved after all?
If so, where does this leave us?
The inevitable… I knew it… falling in love with a man linked to my family was stupid of me, and now I think I might finally have to face this head on.
My complicated life just got even more complex.
Rushing toward the elevator, I keep my head down to avoid seeing or speaking to anyone and say a swift goodbye to Joseph as I press the call button, then wait for it to arrive.
“C’mon, c’mon,” I mutter under my breath and press it again impatiently.
The office feels like the full weight of its structure is sitting on my chest and trying to suffocate me.
Eventually it arrives and when I step inside, I break down just as the doors slide shut, and I press the ground-floor button to get the hell out of here.
My stomach in knots, I swipe away at a never-ending stream of tears running down my cheeks.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen. It just can’t be real.” I yank the report out of my purse and stare at the blurry words.
Weather conditions were clear.
Road conditions were dry.
No visible oil spills.
No debris.
No hazards present on the roadway.
Alcohol.
Excessive speeding.
The words all blur into one big alphabetical jumble.
Is this the real report?
Was the other a fake?
Where did Julie get this?
She’s unreliable. A fraud. That’s what Max, Nathan, all of them told me.
Showed me, even. The fabricated articles she published to damage Hart Law’s reputation. I read them all, and everything I’ve seen with my own eyes and know about Hart Law is lawful and goes against everything I thought I knew before I started working here.
Nathan and his brothers are kosher; his father, though, I’ve never met so how can I be so sure he is too? Maybe I wrote him off too quickly.
I’m now struggling to know what and who to believe, and how to separate fact from fiction.
I lay my hand on my stomach feeling like I am about to vomit my lunch back up and intake a deep breath to stop the squeamish feeling.
The weight of the decision squeezes my lungs, and I struggle to breathe.
My mission was always clear cut—loyalty to my family above all else.
But now there’s him.
My Nathan.
The man I love.
The man I think meant he wanted to marry me when he said make us permanent.
It’s what I want.
I still do.
I want to marry the man who let me cry in his arms on the night of my sister’s birthday and made me believe in a love that went beyond my obligation to my family, but now, somehow, that doesn’t feel right.
If I ignore this new information, I’ll be turning my back on my family and if I expose this crash report, he will never forgive me and I’ll lose him, and yet again, I’ll end up alone.
There’s no simple path.
I love them all and want the best for everyone, but whatever choice I make I betray someone.
What do I do?
I run out of the elevator and through the foyer, patting my face with the back of my hand to wipe away any evidence that I’ve been crying, in case I bump into anyone.
“I just need a few days,” I whisper to myself and inhale a deep breath as I step outside of the building.
Fear wraps around me like a tight coat as I try breathing fresh air into my lungs, but all it does is make me feel as if I’m suffocating.
I need somewhere to think, to hear my own thoughts away from the noise so I can find my answer.
What if there isn’t one?