Garrett and two other deputies searched Hayden’s house and what they found told the story of his obsession. He had a box of old photos and newspaper clippings, mostly from my adolescence in Pinecrest. They’d largely been defaced, most with the words you don’t see me, or, I hate you written over my name or image.
He’d printed more recent photos of me and hung them on a bulletin board in his bedroom. Some were grainy, like they’d been taken from a distance and blown up. Others were disturbingly clear. He had hundreds more on his phone, plus photos of my house, both before and after he’d vandalized it. It seemed as if he’d taken some kind of sick pleasure in the planning and documentation of his crimes.
They also found the fake suicide note he’d written, intending to pass it off as mine. The journal he’d told me about was still on his laptop, also written as if it were me. He’d really believed he could frame my murder as a suicide; really thought he’d get away with it.
Thankfully, no one doubted the truth of our story. From the moment the emergency crew had found us on the hiking trail and brought us to the hospital, we’d told everyone the truth, and they’d believed us. The evidence they found at Hayden’s house merely backed up what we’d already told them.
It was a reminder that you never know what a person is truly going through. We all carry burdens that others can’t see. Unfortunately, Hayden let his poison him from the inside.
I had sympathy for him—for the kid who’d had a crappy childhood through no fault of his own. But I wasn’t going to make excuses for him, either. He could have chosen a different path. He chose the darkness that ultimately ended his life. I couldn’t take responsibility for that.
“Come on, Max. Let’s go inside.”
My toe was indeed broken, but I was only limping a little bit. And although Max didn’t understand sleeping in, he did seem to adapt to the slower pace of life the last few days. He’d been content with games of fetch in the front yard in lieu of our normal longer walks or hikes. But I was healing fast, so we’d be back out there, tromping around in the woods, in no time. Especially now that I didn’t have to worry about being followed or what I’d find when I got home.
Josiah was in the kitchen when we went in, getting the coffee started. He was shirtless and I could see a dark bruise on his back where he’d hit the ground. His arms had scratches but the worst injury was the knife wound in his leg. Although it was deep, it hadn’t done any damage that wouldn’t heal with time. I could tell he was favoring it by the way he stood and walked, but for the most part, the injuries he’d taken saving me weren’t slowing him down.
“Morning.” I slipped my arms around his waist and leaned my cheek against his back.
His sleepy voice was rough and gravelly. “Morning.”
“How does your leg feel?”
“Sore. But it’s okay.”
A wave of emotion swept through me and I held him tighter. He’d risked his life for me. I loved him so much.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. I just have a lot of big feelings right now.”
He gently loosened my grip and turned around to face me, then gathered me into his arms. I relaxed into him while he let me feel my feelings. A burst of sadness for Hayden, the boy who could have been my brother, followed by relief that our ordeal was over. And above all, gratitude and love for the man holding me.
“I love you so much,” I whispered.
He kissed my head. “I love you, too.”
I took a deep breath and pulled away. The sting of tears subsided. “Sorry. I’m okay now.”
He smiled and kissed my forehead.
Max had been waiting, tail wagging like crazy, for his breakfast, so I fed him while Josiah made coffee. We sat down together on the couch, both wincing a little as we took our seats. Fighting for your life on the edge of a cliff was no joke.
I’d talked to my mom shortly after our rescue and again since we’d been home. To her credit, she’d been a lot more concerned about us than the fact that my dad’s affair had become public knowledge. I knew it would be hard for her to face her friends in the coming weeks, but she’d assured me she would be fine. And I tended to believe her. She’d seemed lighter, somehow, like she’d freed herself from the prison of lies she’d lived in for so long.
I hoped it meant a better future for our relationship. I still didn’t agree with how she’d kept the truth from me. But I’d decided to forgive her for it. It didn’t excuse what she’d done, but if I’d learned anything from Hayden, it was not to hold onto anger and resentment. It would just fester and wind up poisoning me.
My phone buzzed over on the kitchen counter. As much as I didn’t want to move from my spot snuggled next to Josiah, it might have been my mom. She’d been checking up on me frequently over the last few days.
I would have been doing the same in her shoes.
“I wonder who’s texting you this early,” Josiah said as I got up off the couch.
“Probably Mom.”
I put my mug down and grabbed my phone. But it wasn’t my mom.
“It’s Lou,” I said. “He wants to know if I can meet with him this morning.”
“About time.”
“I’m going to say yes. He’s probably just going to tell me he’s closing the paper.”
“Maybe. Although he wouldn’t have to do that in person.”
“True.” I typed a reply to Lou. “Who knows, maybe I’ll still have a job.”
“Make him work for it.”
I smiled. “You know what, I actually will. After everything we’ve been through, I’m not going to settle.”
He twisted so he was looking at me. “Before you go, ask yourself a question.”
“What?”
“Do you still want the job?”
I nodded slowly. He was right, that was something I needed to consider. Was a small-town newspaper the right place for me? Surprisingly, the answer came easily.
“Yes. I actually do still want the job. Not if he’s going to act like a jerk and pretend that he didn’t do anything wrong. But if he’s going to keep the paper open, and we can get past what happened, then yes, I do want to work there. I actually like it a lot.”
Josiah nodded. I understood. He’d support me, whatever I decided to do.
I was so lucky to have him.
The empty newspaper office looked so sad. My desk was the way I’d left it, with a pencil cup, a stack of random paperwork and mail, and a framed photo of Max. Sandra’s was empty. Apparently she’d cleaned out all her things, as if she really didn’t ever intend to come back. Ledger’s desk looked like it always did when he wasn’t there—messy. But his absence was felt all the same.
Lou appeared in the doorway to his office as soon as I walked in. “Hi, Audrey. Come on back.”
I went into his office but this time, I wasn’t nervous. He was either going to apologize or he wasn’t. From there, it would be up to me to decide what was best. I didn’t relish the idea of being out of a job again, but there were some things I couldn’t control. All I could control was me.
“Thanks for coming,” he began and I didn’t miss the uncharacteristic softness in his tone. He paused to clear his throat. “Obviously I owe you an apology. I won’t make excuses. I should have trusted you. I’m sorry. I was wrong and I hope you can forgive me.”
The simplicity of his apology betrayed its sincerity. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“And I’m sorry for everything that happened to you. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I am. It’s been a lot, but I’ll be all right.”
“Good,” he said, nodding. “How do you feel about coming back to work?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Are you going to bring back Sandra and Ledger?”
“If they’re willing. Sandra hasn’t replied to my messages yet. And I figure Ledger will probably wander back in at some point.”
“He probably will. And I bet Sandra will come back if I do.”
“Hope so. I never meant to drive everyone away.” He met my eyes. “Like I said, I won’t make excuses. This mess is my fault.”
“Well, you’re doing what’s right to clean it up.”
“So will you come back?”
I smiled. “Yes, I’ll come back.”
“Good. I have plans for the paper and they won’t work without you.”