AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Hope feels like a scarce commodity these days," Fiona admitted, squeezing his hand in gratitude. Silence enveloped them again, but it was a comforting sort, filled with unspoken understanding and shared fears.
Their bodies relaxed against each other as the weight of the day pressed down upon them. Fiona watched Jake, his profile etched against the city lights that bled through the blinds. The muscles in his jaw worked silently, a sign she had come to recognize as his contemplation—or struggle. She took a breath, feeling the weight of her question like a stone in her chest.
"Jake," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "I was wondering… are you still thinking about your mother? On the case, I mean.”
He stiffened, then relaxed into an exhalation, as if releasing a burden he’d been holding. Turning to face her, his brown eyes held a flicker of pain that he rarely let show.
"Yeah, Red. It does remind me of her." His admission hung between them, stark and honest. "I was the one who found her, you know? Just walked into the kitchen and there she was..." He trailed off, swallowing hard. "Same way Lena and Jamie were left."
Her heart clenched, knowing how much it cost him to revisit that memory. "You told me before. You never went on that camping trip with your dad and brother, right?”
"Right." Jake shook his head, the shadows seeming to crowd closer around him. "I stayed back, thinking I'd have time to hang out with my friends while it was just my mom and me at home. Turned out, being in town made no difference. I still came home to a nightmare." His voice was a low rumble of grief and regret. "If only I'd been at home with her…"
The silence returned, but now it wrapped around them like a shroud, heavy with unspoken sorrow. Fiona reached out, tentative, her fingers brushing against his. In the dim light, she could see the faint line of his scar—a physical reminder of emotional wounds far deeper.
"God, Jake, I'm so sorry," she said, her own voice cracking. She wanted to offer comfort, solace, anything to ease the burden he carried. But words seemed trivial in the face of such a loss. "Did they ever have any suspects for your mom's case?" she asked, breaking the stillness. Her voice sounded too loud in the quiet room.
Jake shook his head, staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased the city lights. "No," he said curtly. "The guy was never caught. It's been fifteen years."
"Could this be the same man?" Fiona's question hung in the air, her mind racing with the possibilities. “The one who killed Jamie and Lena… could it be…?”
"Unlikely," Jake murmured, his gaze not leaving the window. "I don't remember any spiders being at the house."
Fiona bit her lip, the analytical part of her brain piecing together patterns and timelines. "Should we check the old case files, just in case?"
Jake turned from the window, his eyes meeting hers. They were filled with a vulnerability she rarely saw in him. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "Part of me wants to dig into every possibility, but..." He paused, running a hand through his hair.
"But what?" Fiona prompted gently.
"I'm afraid to get my hopes up." His voice was barely above a whisper. "After my mom... I spent so much time trying to solve it from afar. It's why I joined the FBI. But the trail went cold long before I became an agent. I'm scared to hope again."
Fiona hesitated before voicing the question that had been nibbling at her thoughts. "Was your mother... was she strong, like Jamie or Lena?" She watched Jake closely, gauging his reaction to the comparison.
He shifted uncomfortably on the couch, his eyes darkening with the memory. "She was a firefighter," he said softly, as if each word cost him something. "Like everyone else in my family." A shadow of a smile flickered across his face. "But she wasn't a gym buff. She believed in staying fit for the job, but she wasn’t a gym-goer like this victims.”
Fiona's heart ached at the sight of Jake's pain, so palpable it seemed to fill the room. She could see it—how the case was dragging him back through his darkest day. She took a deep breath and leaned closer, letting her presence be felt rather than her words. It wasn't the right time to push; she knew better than to prod open old wounds carelessly. Yet, the niggling thought remained at the back of her mind—a connection between his past and their present—if only Jake were ready to consider it.
The conversation faded into comfortable silence. Fiona reached out, her fingers brushing against Jake's hand, seeking to soothe the tension that had crept into his shoulders. He turned toward her, and in that instant, the world outside the apartment walls seemed to vanish.
Their lips met, a soft collision that spoke volumes more than words ever could. In the safety of the embrace, Fiona felt the weight of the case, the worry for her sister, and the dread of unsolved mysteries all slip away, leaving only the warmth of Jake's arms around her.
The kiss deepened, a silent promise of support and shared strength. For a fleeting moment, they found solace in each other, a sanctuary from the storm that raged just beyond their door.
Their lips parted, but they remained close, leaning against each other for comfort. Her glasses, fogged up from the heat of their shared breath, slid down her nose. Jake gently pushed them up with a soft chuckle.
"You're always misplacing these," he murmured, his eyes sparkling with affection. She felt warmth radiating from him, wrapping around her like a much-needed blanket against the chill of the world outside.
Fiona responded with a gentle swat at his shoulder. "I wouldn't misplace them if you stopped fogging them up." Despite the teasing, her words were soft, the smile that spread across her face genuine. Jake's laughter faded, his expression growing serious again.
"Red," he began, his thumb idly tracing her knuckles. "We're going to find whoever did this. Whoever killed Lena and Jamie. We’ve faced worse than this before, right?”
The promise hung heavy in the air, a solid affirmation amongst a world of uncertainties. Fiona nodded, her mind still filled with the images of the victims and her sister, but there was a strengthened resolve now. An understanding that they weren't in this alone.
They sat there for a while longer, their bodies close together in quiet solidarity against the cruelties of the world outside their window. The city lights flickered and danced in the darkness, casting long shadows that danced over their faces.
The silence was comfortable, each lost in their thoughts but taking solace in each other's presence.
But reality shattered the tranquility as Jake's cell phone erupted with its shrill tone. Reluctantly, he pulled away to answer, his brow furrowing instantly. Fiona held her breath, watching his face turn grim.
