“Cora, I think I should go talk to Riley and Genevieve.”
Cora didn’t say anything.
“I can’t just sit around and do nothing.”
“Nicholas, why the sudden change of heart? Was it seeing the two of them in the courtroom today?” she asked.
“No, it was because of what James Caldwell said to me when I was up on the stand.”
“The D.A.?”
“Yes, when I was up there he whispered to me that he knew what happened the night I pulled Elle and Oliver out of the water. I’m not sure what he meant, but I’m afraid of who he might be.”
“Nicholas, there is no way he is working with Xavier. He is just an overzealous D.A. trying to make a name for himself. That’s it. How could he really know what you did?”
“Cora, do you know that for sure? Are you 100-percent positive? Because I’m not. I thought I could just put Riley and Genevieve off, but it seems like it’s going to catch up with me whether I like it or not. No matter how hard I try, I can’t avoid this any longer.”
“If that’s how you feel, then you should go and talk to them. Nicholas, I support whatever decision you make, but remember: once you go down this path, there is no turning back,” Cora warned.
I couldn’t help but think about how she said “no turning back.” It had to be a reminder of her sacrifice and how she gave up the love of her life to protect me after the earthquake.
After the trial, I didn’t get to see Elle. Her dad didn’t want her to come over or for me to go over there. He just wanted her to be with family. More or less, he didn’t want us to be together. He still blamed me for all of this. After the accident, he shook my hand as if to say thanks for saving her, but that gratitude was long gone. I could tell that Elle wanted to be with me, but she couldn’t say it on the phone. She didn’t give the code to come over, but it didn’t matter. I was going to go over there anyway. I had to see her before I talked to Riley and Genevieve.
I waited until 11:30 to leave for her house. When I got there, the window was open, which was a welcome sight. I slid down into her room. She was not there. I sat on her bed waiting for her to come back. I didn’t want to go out into her basement just in case her parents were still up. I longed to see her, to hold her in my arms and become lost in her deep greyish-blue eyes. I felt like I needed to wipe out the images of Genevieve from earlier because she was not the same as Elle.
I heard Elle and her dad coming down the stairs. The voices were getting closer and closer quickly. I was already at the window to make my escape when I heard the door open. I dove to the side of her bed.
“Elle, if he’s not coming over, then why is your window open? Are you trying to sneak him in or something?” Her dad walked over to the window and slammed it shut. His back was to me. If he turned around he would see me for sure.
I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t gotten out when I had the chance. I squeezed under the bed right as he turned around.
“Dad, I wanted some fresh air in here.”
“It’s 90 degrees out there; we have the air conditioner on. What are you trying to do, cool the entire neighborhood?”
“Dad, I can open the window if I want to. Leave me alone.” Elle walked over and opened the window back up. She turned and saw me sticking my arm out just far enough to get her attention. She walked out of her room like she hadn’t seen me. He followed, slamming the door behind him. They continued to argue as they walked back up the stairs.
That was a close call. I think he would have killed me right there on the spot if he had found me. What was I supposed to do? Should I wait or leave? Either one had its faults. If I left, I wouldn’t get to see Elle, but staying might mean I would get caught by her dad, and that would mean not seeing her for a lot longer. There was no question about what to do. I climbed up through the window and walked back to my truck.
Down the road from me a person darted from one car to another. My heart began to pound. Whoever it was, was lying down next to a car several houses away. I slowly crept toward the motionless figure, and then the front light of Elle’s house came on. I scrambled to the side of the truck. As I slowly got in and backed away from her house, the figure went sprinting in the opposite direction. There was no doubt about it—it was Genevieve. Her long hair danced in the night air like it was mocking me for not being able to go after her. Nobody came out of Elle’s, but I still couldn’t take the chance of going after her just in case her dad was looking out the window for me. I would get my chance to set her straight soon enough.