Excerpt from The Sweetwood Series, Book 2
Back at the hotel, Jacob headed straight for the shower knowing it was the only way to ensure his mother would leave him alone. Minutes later though, she was knocking at the door.
“Darlin’? Jacob, honey, it’s your mother.”
He rolled his eyes. Who else would it be?
“Jacob, I’m going to head down to the hotel bar,” she said from the other side of the bathroom door. “I’m all dressed up and well, I just can’t stay cooped up in here all night. Are you going to be ok?”
“Yes!” he answered, probably too quickly and forcefully. He cleared his throat. “I mean, I’ll be just fine, mother. I’m going to turn in early.”
There was a pause and then, “Are you certain? I don’t want you in here just stalking that hussy’s social media.”
Jacob stood beneath the stream of steaming water and opened his mouth to defend himself, but no words came. He realized that was precisely what he would have ended up doing, still might. “Yes, mother,” he called. “Go and have fun. I promise I won’t spend the whole night obsessing over Ava-Rose.”
She yelled something about fast women and never trusting anybody who wasn’t blood, and then, she was gone. Jacob turned off the shower and breathed a sigh of relief. He needed some time to gather his thoughts and to process what had happened at the gala. More precisely, he had to process what had not happened. And really, he needed to decide whether to stay in Wellington at all. Was any of this worthwhile? Ava-Rose kept slipping through his fingers.
Towelling himself off, Jacob put on the hotel-provided white cotton robe and went to lay down on the bed. His body still ached from the skirmish earlier. The whole thing had been so emasculating. Had she seen him get hit and fall to the ground in an undignified heap? Did he look weak to her—even more than he had before? He rubbed his face in shame. How much more could he lose?
He heard a buzzing coming from the bedside table and realized it was his phone ringing. The number started with +64—New Zealand’s country code. Maybe one of the private investigators he had called was finally getting back to him.
“Jacob Sweetwood,” he said cautiously, deciding against a simple hello.
The caller cleared his throat. “Mr. Sweetwood, hello. How are you?”
Jacob narrowed his brow and spoke quickly, not wanting to make small talk. “Who is this?”
The man took a deep breath. “This is Ed Billings, Mr. Sweetwood. I’m Ava-Rose’s father.”
Jacob had to stifle a sharp intake of breath. Her father? She had told him her parents had died when she was a toddler. Of course, it wouldn’t really be a shock to discover she had lied about that too. But this person calling was a stranger. Who could he really trust? “I don’t understand,” he replied finally.
“Yes, I’m sure you’re confused,” said the man, his voice kind and reassuring. “But I assure you I am indeed her father. She was born in Auckland on November 24th, 1990. Her favourite song is ‘Fix You’ by Coldplay, her favourite food is tuna sashimi, and her favourite movie is Clueless.”
Jacob rolled his eyes. “You could find all of that with a quick Google search.”
The man laughed. “You’re absolutely right,” he replied. “The world these days. No privacy at all.” He sighed and was quiet for a moment. “How about this? She sleepwalks. And one time, as a young girl, she sleepwalked all the way to the ravine behind our family home and nearly drowned.”
Ava-Rose had indeed told him this story. And come to think of it, it was one of the few times he noticed her being vulnerable. She showed real fear and emotion, something she usually preferred to hide. For some reason, Jacob was beginning to believe this man could be who he said he was.
“Okay,” said Jacob slowly. “You have my attention, Mr. Billings.”
“Call me Ed, please, son,” he said. “I’d like to meet with you. I—I know that my daughter has done some awful things and I want to help you. It’s my responsibility as her father to help make this right.”
Jacob hesitated. “Sir, I—“
“Please,” interrupted the man. “Just at least hear me out. Meet me tomorrow at noon at Lambton Quay Station. There’s a red cable car that runs up the hill. It’s a huge tourist attraction. There will be lots of people and the ride is a mere five minutes long. Five minutes of your time, Jacob—that’s all I ask.”
Jacob heaved a sigh. It would have been an easy yes if he had received this call when he’d first arrived in Wellington. He’d been more green and eager then. Now, he found himself weary and disillusioned. He was no longer driven purely by revenge, and if he was honest with himself, he never had been. The truth was, he wanted to see her again. He couldn’t explain it, but it wasn’t ever going to be enough to simply get back the money and the ring. No, he wanted to see Ava-Rose and to ask her, “Why?”
Now, Mr. Billings could answer that question, but two things made Jacob question the wisdom in meeting with him. One, he could be straight-up lying, and this was all a rouse. And two, he wanted to hear the truth from Ava-Rose herself.
Still, it was probably worth the risk. Meeting in a public place meant Jacob was relatively safe from harm. (He realized he had just been attacked earlier that day but decided to write it off as an isolated incident.) And some information was better than no information. This was a better lead than stalking her whereabouts on Instagram. And perhaps Mr. Billings would tell him where his daughter was. It was worth a shot.
“Okay, Mr. Billings,” he said finally. “You win. I’ll meet you tomorrow.”
copyright 2022, Danielle Hines
