The Certainty of Violet & Luke (The Coincidence #5)(49)
Author: Jessica Sorensen

‘We could always just pretend we’re out,’ I joke, turning my head so I can kiss him.

‘Yeah, but it’s their last day here,’ he says, breathless from the kiss. ‘I’d feel bad for bailing.’

‘Me too,’ I say truthfully, but press my body to tease him, which causes him to groan in frustration. I smile my wicked smile. ‘But after they leave, I say we pick this right back up.’

Nodding, he kisses me passionately. ‘It’s a deal.’

Grinning like two love-struck idiots we get out of bed and get dressed. I don’t care though, that I keep grinning like a moron. I’m happy. Completely and utterly terrified but absolutely and positively happy, a place I haven’t been in in years.

About five minutes after we’re fully clothes, Trevor and James show up with a pizza. We laugh and chat well into the night and everything seems perfect. Then my phone starts ringing. It’s late so I know that there are only a few people it could be – Seth, Greyson or Detective Stephner.

I wander to the hallway as I answer it, not wanting my reaction to whatever he has to say to be on display for everyone. ‘Hello?’ I answer tentatively.

‘Oh, good, you’re awake,’ he says, sounding relieved. ‘I thought about calling you tomorrow, but wanted to let you know so that maybe you could sleep in just a little bit later.’

My heart leaps inside my chest. ‘You caught him.’

I can hear the smile in his voice when he says, ‘Yeah, we caught him.’

‘And you can keep him in jail, right?’

‘Yeah, we have him for a lot of things.’ He’s vague, but he usually is with this kind of stuff.

‘Has he said anything about why he did it?’ I wonder, resting my head against the wall.

‘He did.’ There’s caution in his tone.’ Violet, I have to be honest with you. I’ve had my suspicions about Danny Huntersonly,’ he refers to Preston by his real name, ‘and his motives for what he’s been doing to you.’

‘Oh my God, he’s the killer, isn’t he?’ My heart slams against my chest and I almost buckle to the ground.’

‘Not quite.’

‘Not quite. How can he be a not-quite-killer?’ I must be talking loud, because Luke rounds the corner with worry on his face. And the worry only magnifies when he see the shocked and horrified look on my face.

‘What’s wrong?’ he whispers, but I hold up a finger, indicating him to be quiet, so instead he holds my hand and I clutch onto it for dear life.

The Detective sighs. ‘I’ve had a suspicion after digging into things that Danny might have been related to the killer. And after we arrested him today and questioned him, my suspicions are right. Danny Huntersonly is the son of Benny Huntersonly, the man who killed your mother and father, something Danny confessed.’

My grip tightens on Luke’s hand, my palms starting to sweat. ‘And where is this Benny Huntersonly now?’

‘He’s dead,’ he replies solemnly and it’s like a blow to his gut. ‘He took his own life not too long after he killed your parents’. Danny said he was doing drugs and not taking his medication when he broke into your parent’s house with Mira Price to rob them. Not sure how much of that is true, but I’m working on it.’

‘And what about me?’ I ask. ‘Why did Preston … I mean, Danny, do all this shit to me?’

‘Revenge. Obsession. He’s out of his mind. Honestly I don’t know.’

I don’t want to ask it, don’t want to think of my mother this way, but I need to know. ‘The robbery … it didn’t have to do with my mom doing drugs, didn’t it?’

He pauses. ‘I’m not sure yet. Like I said, there’s still a lot I don’t know, nor can I share with you yet because it could ruin the case. I just wanted to call you because you deserve to know – deserve to be able to relax. I know you haven’t done it in a while.’

‘In years,’ I whisper.

I can hear him rustling through papers and a phone ringing in the background, probably still at the station. ‘Then right now you should just relax and get some sleep. It’s probably been hard for the last couple of months.’

I start to smile and cry at the same time as waves of emotions ripple over me. Some of relief. Some of heartache. Some I don’t even recognize. ‘Okay, I will.’

Luke’s freaking out – I can see it in his brown eyes, so I give his hand a reassuring squeeze. It’s okay. I’m going to be okay.

Either the detective can hear my thoughts or my hear tears because he says, ‘Violet, it’s going to be okay.’

It takes me a moment to answer, to process everything that he just told me. I’m not sure how I feel about Preston being the son of the man who took my parent’s life. I feel sick to my stomach. Disgusted. Disappointed. Confused. There’s a lot of history with Preston and I, a lot of things that I did, and all that stuff slams me in the chest at once. I almost fall.

Almost, but not quite.

I grasp tighter onto Luke’s hand. I don’t want to live in the past, let my guilt control me like that, let Preston control me like that.

It’s still a lot to take in and I know there’s something that can briefly take it all away, but that’s the thing. It’ll only be temporary and if I survive whatever crazy, erratic thing I do, everything will still be the same afterward and I’ll still have to face it.

‘I know it is,’ I whisper through my tears and it feels like the truth. For once, it feels like everything’s going to be okay. Yes, not everything turned out perfect. In fact, if I really analyze it, I can see all the ugliness and darkness that has come out of this. I could sink back into that dark hole and let it eat me up, like I did for years. But I’ve only just climbed out of that fucking hole and I don’t want to go back. I want to be strong. I want to let myself be happy.

And let myself be in love.

Two things I never, ever thought were going to be possible, but then I had a taste of them and it was wonderful – I’m not ready to let the wonderful go. I know nothing will ever be perfect; things won’t always turn out the way that I want. That’s not how life works and perfect doesn’t exist. But for the most part, everything will be okay if I just let it be. And I’m going to try my damn hardest; I’m going to go on living life, trying to get better instead of worse. And I have Luke by my side.