❝Your secret is a painting?❞ I took a few cautious steps; the hairs on my arms stood on end.
❝Not just any painting.❞ Dorian approached the easel, shadows on his face as he touched the cloth protecting it. ❝It's a dark object, the manifestation of m...
When I finally emerged from the police station, my family was waiting for me outside, at the bottom of the steps.
"How'd it go?" Jeff looked more worried than anyone.
"Well, I'm officially not a suspect--" Everyone sighed in relief. "But they think I know who did it."
Mom was alarmed. "Do you?"
I sighed, remembering something Dark Dorian had admitted while I was trapped in the painting...
I have made terrible mistakes, Amelia. You'll never forgive me...
"Yeah." I nodded. "I didn't tell the police because they already know."
My family was crestfallen.
"What sort of crowd have you fallen into, Amelia?" Mom shook her head in disbelief. "You have to be better than this!"
"And she is," said Jeff. "But she can't prove it if we don't let her, Denise." He rummaged in his jacket pocket, removing something and placing it in my hand. "Found these."
I looked down at my keys, sniffing back tears. He had even added the key to the family manor back to the ring. I gave a shaky exhale. Even after the pain I had caused, and all the stupid, reckless things I had done, he still trust me.
"Jeffrey Jason Foley!" Mom was livid enough to stamp her Louboutin heel on the pavement. "She just got back! You want her taking off again? What are you thinking?"
"That she's not a bird in a cage. She's our daughter." He reached out, wiping the tears from my face. "Everyday you were gone I told myself if I ever got the chance to see you again that I would do things differently. So I am."
How wrong I had been, and so utterly selfish. Jeff had cared about me all along. I was just too stubborn to let myself see it. I walked into his hug, melting as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Amelia."
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I pulled up to the beach house, tires screeching, then shut down the engine in haste, leaving the keys swinging in the ignition. I didn't even bother to close the door as I ran across the lawn, up the porch steps to the front door, praying I wasn't too late.
"Dorian? Dorian!" I rang the bell over and over, banging my fist on the door. "It's me! Are you there?" When that didn't work, I hurried to the window, trying to peer through the blinds inside, but it was no use. He was gone. Hands on top of my head, I stared forlornly up at the lonely, empty house, wondering how long he'd be gone. Or if Detective Begay had already got to him...
"Amelia?"
I turned. Dorian stood at the bottom of the steps, two paper bags of groceries in his hands. He dropped the bags as soon and I ran, right down the steps straight into his arms.
