Page 81 of Thicker Than Water
I look at the officers, shifting on their feet, aiming their eyes at the floor, before grabbing Lou’s arm. “He’s—he’s taking me seriously! He’s going to make a call.”
Brows squeezed together, Lou watches Beck round a corner.
“You have to press him on this,” I urge, “as soon as he gets back. This could be exactly what we need.”
Lou pivots toward me, nodding. “I’ll talk to him.”
I let out a breath, my shoulders relaxing.
“Sienna, let’s go,” Julia says. She’s beside the nurse, who’s waiting for me, and her voice is flat, unmoved by my enthusiasm.
Still, when I look at her hand, dangling at her side, I see that it’s shaking.
“Remember,” the nurse says, “fifteen minutes to start, and try not to agitate him. If you need us for anything, we’re just down the hall. Use his call button.”
She opens the door, then gestures for us to enter before closing it behind us, keeping the officers out. I check over my shoulder, making sure she hasn’t followed us in, and when I turn back, I’m stopped by the sight of Jason.
His eyes are tired but open. His bed is tilted up. His mouth holds a weary smile.
“Hi,” he says.
I rush to him, and I’m surprised when Julia gets to his bed just as quickly. Relief dances on her face as she takes him in—alive, awake—and a smile of her own buds at the corner of her lips. Then, as Jason focuses on her, his gaze gentle with love, Julia’s expression morphs into something harder, darker. A steel mask of dread.
I ignore it, sitting on the edge of Jason’s mattress, taking his hand. For the first time in all our visits, his fingers respond to my grip—not squeezing so much as pulsing, but still: warm. Moving on their own.
Opposite me, Julia remains standing, keeping a distance that confuses Jason, his forehead rumpling like slept-in clothes, but I can’t even care right now. Laughter froths up in me.
“You look like shit,” I tell him. “But you’re, like, the prettiest shit I’ve ever seen. I’m so happy I could smack you.”
Jason attempts another smile. “Please don’t.” His voice is rough, grainy, like rocks scraping together. “I don’t—” He winces as he shifts. “I don’t know what happened. The doctors didn’t tell me much.”
“You had an accident,” I explain. “And listen, the cops are here. They found a bunch of evidence in your car.”
“Sienna,” Julia hisses.
Jason tries to sit up straighter. “Evidence?” He blinks fast like he’s coming out of a dream.
“They found—” I try to elaborate, but Julia cuts me off with a warning.
“The nurse said not to agitate him.”
“She also said we only have fifteen minutes,” I snap. “And I get that this isn’t urgent for you, because you’re sure the case is closed, but Beck is right outside with his fucking warrant, so we need Jason’s side of the story, and then we need to fight for him. Or—I do, at least. You can do whatever the hell you want.”
Julia stumbles back, as if I’ve pushed her.
“What—” Jason glances back and forth between us. “What’s going on?”
I glower at Julia, daring her to stop me again, and it strikes me suddenly: Jason is literally between us, his bed a dividing line. All week, Julia and I have sat together on Jason’s left, but now, she’s poised on his right. Deliberately separate from me.
I clamp tighter onto Jason’s hand. “The police found things they think link you to Gavin Reed’s murder. His blood on your pocketknife. His phone in your car. And they think you had opportunity because you were near—”
I don’t want to say it, don’t want to have this conversation with my brother, and despite my happiness at finally hearing him speak again, I feel a flicker of frustration.
“We know you were at Maeve’s after the conference. We know you slept with her.”
Julia tips her head back, glaring at the ceiling.
“What? No,” Jason protests. “Why-why would you—”
