Chapter 25 #3
“I can’t answer that, minha luz.” I cup her tear-stained cheeks, mesmerized by the beauty of her glassy, dichromatic eyes.
“But we both know he wouldn’t have made this decision lightly.
I’m not condoning what he did, just sympathizing with a man who lost the love of his life.
Grief can alter a person so drastically that there’s barely a trace of who they once were.
Personally, I think Seth was clinging to threadbare tethers of his old life, but they kept snapping, taking a little more of his sanity each time. Loss like that is unfixable sometimes.”
I’m not speaking from experience. I have no great love that’s been lost to the afterlife.
But standing here, Andi’s hopeful face imploring me to give her any answer but the obvious truth, I can vividly imagine how painful it would be to lose someone so special.
I’ve been drawn to this woman since the day our paths crossed.
I wish our introduction to one another had been under better circumstances, but even having known her for the short time that I have, I can confidently say my life wouldn’t be the same without her.
Andilyn Adams is everything I never knew I needed, and it terrifies me to think of how useless I am to her.
At the end of the day, I’m not sure I bring enough to the table to compete with the other three men who’ve done nothing to conceal their interest. I’ve given up my home, incurred a plethora of credit card debt, and yet it still doesn’t feel adequate.
She deserves the absolute world, and that part of me that’s always felt like I’m never enough, no matter what I do or how much I manage to accomplish, is rearing its head, insisting this would be no different, that I’ll fall short and disappoint her.
“What happens now?” Colsen interrupts, his posture relaxing now that Briggs has complied with his wishes.
“O’Connor is going to conduct an interview with Andi.
” I give my attention to the woman our conversation is centered around.
This one. Past ones. Future ones. Somehow, she’s brought the four of us together, our common goal of ensuring her safety and happiness forcing us to set aside our differences.
It takes an incredibly special person to wield that kind of power over someone, much less several someones.
“His questioning shouldn’t be too invasive; just be honest about what you know, and we’ll have this wrapped up within the hour.
” She nods, her fingers twisting together anxiously.
We sit in silence for a while, none of us knowing what to say that would even come close to filling the void.
The next few days are going to be brutal.
Seth nor his late wife has any living relatives, or at least not ones they were close with.
His chain of command will likely be responsible for planning his funeral arrangements, so my concern at the moment lies with Hudson.
I know what protocol states should happen in a case like this, but the thought of him being placed in a foster home makes my heart twinge painfully.
His recovery has been slow-going as it is.
Being displaced and left with strangers is sure to worsen his abandonment issues.
My phone chimes with a warning text just before the door opens, O’Connor sauntering in a second later, lips pressed in a grim line as he takes the empty chair across from us.
“Miss Adams.” He nods respectfully. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I won’t drag this out for the sake of niceties. I’m sure you’d like to be on your way. To start with, when was the last time you spoke with Seth Taylor?”
“Last night,” Andi responds. “I asked him about the hearing today, but he said that Hudson had a therapy session around the same time, so I assumed he wouldn’t be able to attend. I tried to touch base this morning, but my messages went unanswered.”
“Has Mr. Taylor ever given you any reason to believe his choices today were premeditated?” The others might not pick up on it, but I note the slight tightening of O’Connor’s shoulders, his unease seeping past the hardened exterior he presents to the public.
“I’m not sure I follow,” Andi whispers, her face scrunched in confusion.
“He’s wondering if you’re complicit in Tobias’ murder,” Briggs snaps, the pill he took doing nothing to ease his renewed agitation. Andi flinches, his blunt accusation causing a physical reaction.
“I have nothing to hide,” she insists, slipping her hand inside Briggs’ pants pocket to retrieve her phone, completely ignoring his grunt of surprise.
“Here’s our text thread. You can check the timestamps of every conversation we’ve ever had.
The only person I considered Seth a threat to is himself, and even then, I never thought he would do something that would result in leaving his son to fend for himself.
” Her voice grows more steady with every word, that hard-earned backbone a thing of wonder.
“I have no doubts about your integrity, Miss Adams,” O’Connor backtracks, eyeing Briggs like the guard dog he is.
“But it has to be on record that your involvement, or lack thereof, was thoroughly looked into, which I’m certain will result in you being cleared of any wrongdoing.
It might not seem like it at the moment, but enduring this now will protect you going forward.
Ada Stillwater is determined to prove that you somehow played even the most minuscule part in her son’s death, but with her mental state being what it is, her accusations are being taken with a grain of salt.
” Andi and Briggs share a pointed look, each of us picking up on their discomfort.
“What is it?” Dayton demands, staring at the two of them intently, as if his probing gaze can pry the information out.