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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

“Yes, but not tonight,” Jake says. “I’ll call you if I need anything further. Thank you for your time.”

On the way out, Jess grabs my hand. I resist shaking her off. “Get some rest, okay? It’s all going to be fine.”

When she leaves, I bite back the millionth scream of the evening. “Should we go?”

“Hey, come here.” He wraps his arms around me, and I cling to him: his smell, the familiarity and strangeness of him, and the slim hope that he understands I’m telling the truth. He opens his mouth, probably to say something generic, like, “It’s all going to be okay,” but I stop him.

“Don’t,” I say.

“Don’t what?” he asks.

“Don’t give me some bullshit line about everything working out. It won’t be okay until I have Jackson back.”

“I know,” Jake says. “That’s not what I was going to say.”

“Then what were you going to say?” I peer up at him, wishing this was all a bad dream.

“I was going to say—” His phone cuts through the charged moment and he extricates himself from me. “Donovan.” His clipped tone turns right back to business. “Copy that. On our way.”

“Toby?”

“Yep. He talked to the chief.” He sighs. “Because Toby’s already had three run-ins with you, he’s on high alert. Just a warning.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means they’re prepared not to believe you. It’s your job to prove otherwise. With statements like Jess’s … if your other friends say the same thing, it will be detrimental to your case. We need someone to corroborate your story. It’s the only way we’ll get traction. Want me to grab the baby?”

I nod, suddenly too tired to walk back upstairs even one more time. I gather the diaper bag—Jackson’s diaper bag—and loop it over my shoulder. A few minutes later, Jake hands me the baby.

“Ready?”

I nod, too afraid to speak. I’m not ready. But I have to be. I have to be strong. I have to believe what Jake said. I have to trust my friends to help me out and not sabotage me.

I have to trust myself.

18

BEC

The station is quieter than before, and I feel better having Jake by my side. He won’t let anything bad happen. He won’t let them confuse me or make me admit to something I didn’t do.

The baby burrows against my chest, and I place a protective hand on his back while Jake meets with Toby.