Chapter 293: The Memory He Stole
Easter~
I sat there, staring at Jacob with tears drying stickily on my cheeks, his words echoing in my head like a haunting lullaby.
"Okay," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I’ll... I’ll give you a chance to explain yourself."
A wave of relief washed over his face, softening his sharp features. His shoulders relaxed a little, though his eyes still swam with shadows.
"But," I added firmly, leaning back in my chair, "since you don’t want to tell me anything here... I’ll go back home with you."
His eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his handsome face.
"There’s no point staying at the hotel anymore," I continued, folding my arms tightly against my chest as if to hold myself together. "You found a way to track me down, so clearly, it’s not as safe as I thought it would be."
"Easter, I—"
"But," I cut him off sharply, holding his gaze. "Don’t think for a second that I trust you. I have 112 on speed dial and the police will be on your ass before you even realize what’s happening."
For a moment, there was silence between us. Then... he chuckled softly, shaking his head, a small smile curling his lips. "I would never hurt you," he said, his voice so gentle it made something deep inside me ache. "You can be rest assured of that."
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. His words wrapped around me like warm honey, tempting me to believe him... but I couldn’t afford to. Not now. Not when he was showing signs of being a stalker or worse, a murderer.
"Good," I whispered, gripping my handbag strap tightly. "I... I’ll meet you back at your house. Two hours from now. I need to pick Rose up from school... and check out of the hotel."