Read Chapter 1 of It Was Me
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CHAPTER ONE
Sarah
Not long after returning home from the press conference, where Starr made her first public appearance since she went missing, Sarah and Thomas sat in the kitchen listening to the sounds of the mob outside on her lawn.
Despite the fact that Starr had announced that there would be no other statements, everyone wanted another piece of her and to know the truth about what happened to her while she was in captivity.
Sarah had vowed to do right by her this time and agreed to help her get her message out to the world in her own time. But now, the most important thing was that she and Thomas get some rest.
Thomas got up to peek out the window, hearing a loud commotion. ���This is ridiculous. I���m so sorry you have to put up with this. We should have just gone to my place.���
���No, you did right. This is a much better environment for the police to keep it under control.���
���If they���d do their job, I wouldn���t be worried. I don���t even know those rookies, but they could at least keep them off the lawn.��� Thomas went to the door, where cameras began flashing.
���Officer Asher,��� Sarah heard one say. ���Do you have a minute?���
���Yeah, back off,��� he said. He turned his attention to the officer who had been appointed to stand watch over the house. ���Can���t you get them to stay back? They have to stay across the street.���
���I���m sorry, man,��� said one of the other officers. ���I looked away for five seconds, and they got around me.���
���Yeah, well, you need to take care of it, or I will.���
Sarah could tell by his body language, the rise of his shoulders and the swell of his chest, that he wasn���t playing around. But she knew it was time to step in and calm him down. ���We���d thank you if you would make sure it doesn���t happen again,��� she said, taking Thomas by the arm. ���Come on. Leave this to them.��� She shut the door and locked it. ���You really need to get some sleep.���
���I don���t know if I can. Not with everything that���s gone on. I���m still riding that adrenaline rush.���
���Does your arm hurt? Do you need any pain medicine?���
���No, the paramedic got me fixed up. I���ll take the stitches out myself in about a week.���
She wasn���t even going to argue with him about it. It was no use. ���You need to be on your game when you have to meet up with the police later.���
���You mean Bowden? Yeah, I���m ready for him. That ass better not get in my face about any of it.���
���Well, it���s not just him. I have a feeling there will be others who want to talk to you as well.���
Thomas waved his hand dismissively. ���I���m not worried about it. All I did was show that I had to act on my own to get results, and I did it for my sister. No one is going to blame me for that. I even took a bullet, so everything I did on the other side of this was to save my own ass. It was self-defense.���
���Let���s hope they all see it that way. But I���d feel better if you got some sleep. At least lie down for a bit. You���ve been through a lot. Please?��� She gave him a pleading look.
Thomas walked over to the couch. ���Fine. I���ll lay down.��� He sat down and reached for the throw pillow on the end.
Sarah looked at the clock. Alice, who had come back and gone straight to bed, would be getting up to do her shift at the coffee shop before too long, and she had to go into the office, despite the events from the night before. She had already missed too much work and didn���t want to rock the boat. Besides, it wasn���t like she could do anything else.
She let out a deep sigh and contemplated her next words carefully. ���Actually, I thought you���d do better upstairs. It can���t be comfortable on that sofa with your arm in that condition.���
Thomas���s eyes lit with surprise. ���Do you mean you want me to go upstairs to your room?���
���Well, I won���t be there. I have to get to work, and it���s a lot more comfortable than the couch. Besides, maybe it���s not as loud.���
���I don���t know,��� he said. ���That could be habit forming.���
Sarah smiled, stepping closer to him. ���I���m okay with that.���
���Yeah?��� he asked, wagging his brows. ���Are you sure you���re ready for that?���
���Like you said, Thomas. We���ve wasted enough time.��� She had never wanted him or loved him more than she did at that moment.
���I know, but a lot has happened.��� He looked down at the floor and sighed.
She moved closer to offer him a hand. ���Yeah, a lot that I don���t particularly want to relive or let get in our way. The past is the past. If it had to happen for us to get back here, so be it. We can���t change it, and well, I can���t believe I���m saying this, but I���m not mad at you. Don���t remind me why I should be.���
���I figured you���d want to at least take it slow.��� He reached for her hand to hold it but didn���t get up.
���Life is short,��� she said with a shrug. ���Unless you���re not sure?���
Thomas got up and moved in closer to put his hands on her waist. ���I���m positive that I want us back. I just don���t want anything to screw it up again.���
���Nothing will. We���re not letting anything come between us. Not this time, right?���
���Do you mean that?��� he asked, searching her eyes.
���Yes, I do. I love you. And I trust you. I want to go back and forget that we ever had problems. We deserve a good life. Don���t we?���
Thomas nodded slowly and pulled her closer for a hug. Sarah rested against him and breathed him in. She wanted him to take over every part of her being and fill her up to make her feel whole again. She hadn���t felt that way in some time. But now, all she wanted to do was look ahead to what they could have together.
���You definitely do,��� he said, giving her a pondering glance. ���And I love you too, by the way. I never stopped.���
She wasn���t going to let him give all the praise. ���You deserve it too. You���re a good man, and I should have trusted you.��� She was still upset that she hadn���t. It was going to be hard to forgive herself completely. She had ruined everything before, and it still pained her to know all the time she had wasted.
���None of that,��� he said. ���You���re the one who said we can���t look back. And I think it���s for the best. We���re both to blame anyway.���
Sarah had to agree. ���So, what now?���
���Well, I���m going to have to find something to do with myself, but I���ve got some money saved up, so I���m not worried.���
She checked her watch. ���I wish I could stay with you all day and talk about it, but I should get going soon. I don���t need Doris on my case.���
���Are you going to be okay?��� he asked as if he meant something far removed from the subject of work.
Sarah gave him a sideward look. ���Why wouldn���t I be?���
���Because of your father. And what happened to him.���
���Ethan told you?���
���Yeah. I have to say, I was little hurt you didn���t, but then he explained why. You thought I���d flip out.���
���I just want the person responsible to pay, you know. I mean, I really want them to get what they have coming. And I don���t want you to get in trouble. It���s not worth it.���
���It is worth it.���
���Thomas. Don���t make me worry.���
���You don���t have to worry,��� he said in a fairly convincing tone.
���I mean it when I say I don���t want anything to come between us again. Nothing and no one.��� She hoped he was ready to settle down. Did he really want to give himself to only one woman?
���I know.��� He looked away as if thinking of all they had been through and not liking what he had seen.
���Ethan will get them, whoever is doing all of these murders. He thinks the killer was hired by Detective Delaney if he���s not actually Delaney.���
���It just seems a little strange to think about, doesn���t it? I wonder if Kevin knows anything?��� He narrowed his eyes.
���Please, Thomas. I know he���s an acquaintance of ours, but don���t get involved.���
���I���m not. Besides, it���s not like I���m on the case.���
���Speaking of work, I should go change and get out of here.���
���Can I use your shower too?���
���I���d be upset if you didn���t,��� she said. He had washed up on the plane and again with the paramedics, but it wasn���t enough to crawl into her bed for the rest of the day.
���You could join me,��� he said, moving closer. ���It���s been too long since we���ve showered together.���
���I showered last night before bed, and I don���t really have the time. Besides, you should get some rest with that arm.���
���Fine. I���ll walk you out.��� He took her hand.
But Sarah wasn���t going to let him go out into the lion���s den. ���No. You won���t. They don���t care about me. Besides, I know half of them. They know me well enough to know that I���m not sharing anything. But if you go out there, they���re going to ask you a hundred questions.���
���Who knew your reporting job would ever come in handy for us?��� He made a face. She was glad she hadn���t stayed with that occupation. If she had, would he have ever gotten back with her?
She didn���t let herself dwell on it too long. She had to put it behind her and move on. That was the only way this was ever going to work. ���Yeah, well, I���ll be able to help Starr. That���s what is important.���
���You���ll be able to help her tell her story. In her own way.���
���Yeah. That���s going to be good for her. It will be empowering.��� Starr needed that in her life. She had been a victim far too long.
He smiled. ���I love that you care about her too.���
���I love her. She���s like my sister too.���
���Yeah.��� He let go of a deep breath. ���Are you sure you don���t have time to go upstairs?��� He held her hand tighter and tugged her closer.
���You���re very tempting. But we have our whole lives together now. There���s no rush, right?���
���Right? But I do have to say that you are contradicting, telling me how short life is.���
Sarah giggled. ���Don���t you go using my words against me now. I���m already having a hard time resisting your charms.��� She moved in and kissed him.
As the kiss deepened, footsteps sounded across the room. ���Oh God. Is this what I have to witness every morning? I mean, I���m glad you���re back together but gross. Some of us haven���t even had breakfast yet, and you���re already spoiling my appetite.���
���Don���t be so dramatic, Alice,��� said Sarah, pulling away from Thomas. ���And yes. That���s what you get to see every morning.���
Thomas laughed. ���I should get up to that shower.���
���Make it a cold one,��� said Alice, rolling her eyes. She went to the kitchen, where Sarah followed her.
���Didn���t think you���d be so quick to hate on our happiness,��� she said.
���Eh, that���s what little sisters are for.��� She gave a sly grin and shrugged. ���I���m going to work my shift. If I can get past the sea of douchebags on the lawn.���
���I have to go out too. We can go together. The cops are still out there. They���ll help us to our cars.���
���This still seems like I���m in a dream. I can���t believe that Starr is home.���
���Yeah, and I���m afraid that the worst is not over yet. They���re going to hound her. I know how they play.���
���You���ll be able to help her, though, right?��� asked Alice.
���Yeah. That���s the plan.���
���Speaking of plans. What are you and Thomas going to do?���
���Well, I guess we���ll have to figure it out.��� Sarah wasn���t going to rush things. She was content to let them happen naturally, as if it were the first time all over again.
���Does this mean you two are engaged again?��� Alice crossed her fingers.
���I don���t know about that,��� she said, wishing it were that easy. ���I mean, I want it to be that way, but I have to make sure he���s on the same page.���
���I think he is,��� she said.
���Well, don���t you go asking him about it. I want him to do everything in his own time. He���s not ever going to admit it, but I can tell he���s been through a whole lot with all of this, and it���s bound to have changed him a little. Maybe he needs time before he���s ready for that deep of a commitment.���
���Whatever.���
���Well, we both agreed that life is too short not to be together. I think the whole marriage thing is separate, is all.���
���You just want him to propose to you again,��� she said, grabbing her apron and name tag from the kitchen table.
���So, what if I do?��� There were some stories she wanted new versions of. There was nothing wrong with that. She didn���t think he was just going to take the ring out of a drawer, dust it off, and put it on her finger. If he even still had it.
���Well, I say that you go ahead and clean out Mom and Dad���s room like we talked about and make it into your shared room.���
���Are you sure you���d want that?��� She didn���t know how Alice would feel seeing them move into the master room together.
���Why not? Besides, I don���t want you two heavy breathing on the other side of my wall. If he moves in, trust me, I���d prefer it.���
���Fine, I���ll talk to him about it.��� Cleaning out the room would give her a chance to go through her father���s things, and hopefully, she���d find something that would answer the question that was burning a hole in her heart. Why would Detective Delaney want her father dead? She was going to find out.
