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Back Until I Find You Save as PDF
Chapters (60)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  57. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
  58. Also by Rea Frey
  59. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  60. Newsletter Sign-up

He scratches his jaw. “You’re right. I don’t know that. But I do know I’m not leaving you again. I shouldn’t have left all those years ago. And I’m certainly not going to leave now.”

“Jake, Rebecca.” Toby approaches, his steps quick. “Crystal wants to confess something.”

“I don’t want to talk to her.”

“Bec, we really need to make this official. If she’s got something else to say, it could help,” Jake offers.

“I don’t want to see her.” I say it again, more adamantly.

“Look, we can’t book her unless you decide to press charges or she confesses. The choice is yours,” Toby offers.

The choice is yours.

That common phrase bounces around my head. I take a few steps away, turn back, waver. I’m not sure I want her booked, but I sure as hell don’t want to go back in and listen to one more second of what she has to say. In the span of a few days, I’ve gotten my son back, but I’ve lost three people. A best friend, a child I adore like my own, and Oliver. “Do I really have a choice?” I ask.

Jake sighs. “Not really.”

I nod. Toby holds the automatic door open long enough for all three of us to pass through. I walk back through the station, for what feels like the millionth time in a few days. Jake opens the door for me, and I sink back into the hard, metal chair across from my ex-friend, both hands resting protectively over my sleeping son.

“What is it you have to confess?”

But it’s not Crystal’s voice I hear: it’s Savi’s.

“Hi, Ms. Rebecca.”

I lean back in surprise and close my eyes. No, no, no. I don’t want to hear this.

“Go ahead, sweetheart.” Crystal urges Savi in a stern but kind voice, but I don’t need her to talk. I already know some version of what she’s going to say.

“I just wanted my mom to be happy again.” Her voice is tiny, and I can tell she’s twisting something in her hands. “Oliver was always crying, and Mom never wanted to be at home. And Jackson is such a good baby. He never cries. So, I thought…” Her voice fades and I can hear her swallow. I resist the urge to bang on the glass behind me and request some water. “I just wanted to fix the problem.”

The simplicity of a child’s mind slams into focus: everything is black and white, cause and effect. The air bolts from my lungs. I realize what Crystal has been doing this whole time. It’s not lying to everyone—it’s protecting her daughter.