That turned dark quickly. Instead of the usual banter, they'd barely said a word since they'd seen the video. Maybe his own words were too much to say. Maybe she was just too mad at him. Maybe they were both too mad. "Well, he still won't get arrested, anyway." There was something in her tone that made him look at her. Her hands were in her pockets, staring at the floor. _So much for having your back to him. Well, he'll get his apology. That's for sure._ "What?" She glanced up at him. "Nothing." That told him enough. He had no idea what to do. But he knew what not to do. "I'm sorry. What'd you say?" "I said nothing. I like your sister. She's just saying that he won't get arrested because you're too big for the crime scene. She's wrong, though." Adam made himself smile. "And you don't feel that I have my own justice to make for Mom?" Sarah's face looked a little guilty for a moment. _What is this girl, now?_ "Of course you do. What's the crime, though? And will they really let her go back to work?" Adam shook his head. "I don't know." She sighed. "We need to focus on something more positive here. Anything else you want to tell me?" It was funny how that worked. He had all the answers when they began. Now he was running out of time and all the little pieces of himself that had been scattered across the house, the world, were in danger of returning. He found himself looking at Sarah, really seeing her. When he was with her, all of the other people in the world vanished. _Why?_ "Nothing. I love you," he whispered. ## CHAPTER 24 ### _Macy_ Macy watched as two local detectives spoke with Sam and Adam for a little while. She'd seen more of them than she wanted to, since this was the first time she'd ever been at a police station and she was only staying with Adam to be with her brother. It was a lot to deal with. She stood there, listening to them talk and smile and listen, and then she watched as the pair walked back to where Sam stood with a little boy who looked a bit like Sam. The boy had his arms around Sam's neck. Macy noticed the boy looked younger than Adam. She didn't know if he was their child or not, but even if he was, she didn't like that Sam was that old already. He'd only been gone for a year. _Don't you know he's supposed to be the father, Dad?_ She'd been thinking more about the little boy than she should have been. It was just easier to think about Sam instead of the little boy. She did love Adam, but she needed to think about him. _But what if he is the boy's father?_ _He doesn't have a steady job or a car. And he's really, really young. He wouldn't be able to take care of a little boy like that_. But that wasn't Adam. It was just like Sam to start the relationship with a boy. It was so like Sam to give up on things the second he decided to. It was so like Sam to throw away their chances at happiness for the sake of a younger boy. Macy stood there, watching as Adam put his hand out to Sam and Sam grabbed it and they embraced. Tears started to slide down Macy's face as she looked at the hug. _Adam, you are such an idiot._ Sam was such an asshole. He wasn't supposed to be seeing _anyone_. He wasn't supposed to be seeing Adam. He couldn't keep doing this to Adam. Macy needed to do something. But she'd been trapped at the station for three hours and she'd done nothing. _Do something._ "Macy," Adam called. He had his hand on the car window. Macy turned to look at him. She didn't want him to see her. She didn't want to come back to life. "Come with me." His voice, all its familiar tones and sounds, made her stomach hurt. She knew what he wanted. She loved that Adam didn't lie. He really wanted her to come with him. She opened the passenger-side door. "Macy, why don't you stay here with your brother. I just have to talk to them for a few minutes. Okay?" She stared at him. _If he wants her to stay, he's not interested in me. He wants his girlfriend._ She didn't want to be with Adam, that wasn't what she'd been thinking when she had thought about him this morning. All she'd wanted was to help Sam. He didn't have anyone else. Macy took a step back from the open door. "Macy, come with me." She stepped to the passenger-side door and opened it. She saw the light of a station cruiser in the distance. "I'll just be a few minutes," she said. Adam was a little scared. He'd never seen Macy like this. Her eyes were wide and angry. Her fists were clenched so tight he knew she wanted to hit something. Adam watched as she walked to the back of the police car and pulled the door open. She wasn't trying to hide it. He thought she might not even look at him. "Macy, please come inside," he whispered. She looked at him for a moment. His heart stopped beating when she told him she was going to stay. When she turned, he called out to her, but she didn't hear him. The police car pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the street. The cruiser was moving away. _She's going with the cops._ _She's going with Sam._ Adam ran as fast as he could to catch up to her. She was already out of the car and halfway up the steps to the station before he could get there. She looked back over her shoulder at him, a single tear running down her face. _She's not coming back. She's never coming back. Sam is taking her away. He's never coming back to be with her._ Adam called her name, but she didn't listen. He ran up the steps and knocked on the back door of the station. There was no answer. He tried again, knocking harder. He could see her in the distance, walking faster. _They're going to take her away._ His shoulders slumped as he walked back down the steps and headed to the car. He didn't know what to do. He'd lost her. He couldn't even blame her. He'd just lost his heart. He had to tell her. He had to tell her before she found out through the grapevine, before someone else told her. Adam turned the car in the direction of her house, hoping she'd come back. He started the car and pulled out onto the street, trying to go as fast as he could. He missed her when he stopped at the gas station to grab some coffee for the drive. She was gone. He knew she wasn't coming back. _This was so stupid._ Macy didn't trust the police. She didn't trust Adam. Sam wouldn't let her go with him, though. She wouldn't leave Adam behind. He would know to come and get her. She had to hope that Sam wouldn't sell her or anything. He'd be so mad if he did. She looked at her watch. It was a little past ten o'clock. She looked at the door to her house, longing for Sam to come to the door and tell her everything was okay. She turned the car again and pulled back onto the road. She'd just put the cell phone she'd gotten from Sam in her purse when she saw a police cruiser pull into the driveway of the house next door. She was curious. The owners were on vacation, so she'd never actually spoken to her neighbor. As she drove by her neighbor's house, she saw the door open and a woman step out onto the front porch. It looked like Sam's girlfriend. Macy couldn't tell if she was wearing pajamas or a nightgown. She was very tall and thin and her hair was loose. She didn't seem to notice Macy as she walked down the driveway. Macy pulled up to the house where Sam lived. She knew his friend had made up a story about her and Sam. She figured she might as well get it over with now. She called the house number and pressed the doorbell, but she didn't hear anyone inside. She let herself into the house. She saw Sam's truck in the driveway. She'd almost figured it out. He'd said he'd be home for dinner. Well, they'd eaten earlier. She found a note on the kitchen counter. She ran to the stairs and started up the stairs to the bedroom. _This is it. He's going to tell her._ She raced through the apartment and headed for the bedroom.