“When I found you two trespassing, I discovered she didn’t keep her promise to me,” Officer Martino added. “I had already radioed in the call when I realized who you two were. By that time, it was too late — they’d already called Dale.”

My head was spinning. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I tried to make sense of everything. “I still don’t understand tonight. How did you know he would… that Dale would…” I couldn’t even finish my sentence.

“We didn’t,” Rhodes said, rubbing my hand still clasped in his. “Right after I ended the call with you, Lana showed up at my door.” He paused, his face as white as if he were still seeing Lana as a ghost. “She was trying to tell me this same story, about Dale, about why she left, about finally being able to be back now that she had a case. She wanted me to come away with her to finish what she’d started. She was ready. She was talking so fast but I didn’t really grasp anything because all I knew was that you were late. You should have been at my place by then. I don’t know…” his voice trailed off. “I can’t explain it. I just felt it. I knew something was wrong. Then I tried calling you and your phone went straight to voicemail.”

It was then that I realized I had left my phone upstairs after my shower.

“We took my bike, got here as fast as we could and I heard you screaming from the driveway.” His jaw ticked and he clenched the fist not holding mine. “I didn’t know what to expect when I broke through that door.”

My mom cried, and I just stared at the still broken door he was referring to. It was all too much. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the information dump we’d just experienced.

All the pain Rhodes had experienced in the past three and a half years was because of my step-dad. The same step-dad who I’d grown up loving, trusting, idolizing. I wanted to be like him. The thought now made me sick and I lurched forward off my barstool, reaching the sink just in time to lose what little food and coffee I had left in my system. Rhodes rushed to my side, pulling my hair back and rubbing my back.

“I know this is a lot,” Officer Martino said softly. “I think we all need a night to just process everything. Mrs. Poxton, you should get some rest.”

“I’m not feeling very well, either,” Lana said, leaning her weight on his shoulder.

“Come on, let me take you home.”

“Wait.” Rhodes made sure I was okay as I turned to face the room again. He offered me a cup of water and I took it gratefully as he crossed the room to his sister. For a moment, they stared at one another, and the rest of us stared at how similar they looked. Rhodes pulled her into him, crushing her with a hug so fierce, so strong, built from more than three years of loss and given with a sigh of relief. She squeezed her eyes tight, tears sliding through the creases of her skin as she buried her face into his shoulder.

“I love you, William. I’m so sorry I left you. I’m so sorry about everything.”

“Don’t,” he stopped her. “You’re alive. You’re here. That’s all I care about.”

They held each other a while longer before Rhodes finally pulled back, letting Officer Martino escort Lana outside. We promised to all meet up for a late lunch the next day to talk more. There was a lot to do now that Dale was in jail and witnesses were gathered, and we all knew they wouldn’t hold him long. He would likely post bail in the morning. We wouldn’t be truly free of him until after the trial.

Rhodes and I packed up bags for my mom and myself, grabbing everything we thought we’d need. We had no way of knowing if or when Dale would return, but we did know it wouldn’t be safe for any of us to stay in the house. Mom was a complete mess. She had stopped talking, and Rhodes had to carry her out to the Rover. We drove in silence to his house, Rhodes following behind us on his bike.

When we got to Rhodes’ apartment, he waited in the kitchen as I laid Mom down in his bed. She was shaking slightly, so I pulled the covers up to her chin.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” she whispered, fresh tears brimming her eyes before falling to the sheets. “I didn’t know. I thought our issues were between us — a cheating husband, a faithful wife. I never knew… I never would have imagined…”

“I know, Mom. It’s not your fault.”

She squeezed her eyes tight, fighting back a sob. “But it is. I brought you up in the same household as a monster. I put you in danger. He almost… he could have… Oh God, baby, I’m so sorry!” She reached out for me and I hugged her fiercely, shaking my head against her.

“You didn’t know, Mom. It’s not your fault. I’m okay. We’re okay.”

She cried, and I held her, trying to be the support she needed while still battling with the night on my own. After a while, her cries softened and she closed her eyes, resting back against Rhodes’ pillows. I brought her a glass of water and set it on the bedside table before quietly shutting the bedroom door behind me and rejoining Rhodes in the kitchen.

We looked at each other for what felt like the first time that night.

“Can we go somewhere?”

Rhodes didn’t answer, only grabbed the keys to his bike.

I called Christina, telling her what I could about what happened and asking her to go to Rhodes’ place to keep an eye on mom. I hoped she would sleep, but just in case, I didn’t want her to be alone.

The sun was on the horizon as we drove toward the beach. Rhodes parked his bike in one of Dale’s reserved spots and held my hand as we made our way to the water. I fell down into the sand right at the water’s edge and Rhodes slowly maneuvered himself down to sit next to me.

“I would give every last penny in my savings account to know what you’re thinking right now,” he whispered over the waves. His eyes were on me, mine were on the soft yellows and blues of the sunrise over the ocean.

“My step-dad is the reason you’ve spent the last three years of your life in absolute hell,” I said. “I’m tied to the biggest pain in your life. I can’t believe I never saw him for what he was. I can’t believe I trusted him. I loved him. I thought he loved me.” My voice broke a little, but I cleared my throat. I refused to shed any more tears over Dale Poxton.

“Bug, he was the reason for what happened to Lana. To me. Not you.”