Free Risking It All by JM Stewart Page B

“That’s not what you were thinking. Talk to me.”
    He braced both elbows on the table and folded his hands, waiting with a patience that was all Kyle. After a few moments of silence, he arched a brow.
    She always hated being on the receiving end of that intense, probing stare. Kyle was good at his job. His partner, Marsha, had told her once he was good at getting a suspect to crack. When Kyle wanted something, he usually got it. Now that determination only served to make her tremble. Not for the first time in the last twelve hours, she couldn’t help wondering . . . could he see right through her?
    She straightened, firmly reminding herself of why she’d come over in the first place. She was determined to convince him to help her. Or to get a straight answer out of him. “I’m going to find out what happened to my parents one way or another.”
    She hoped this time he’d cave or that, at the very least, he’d talk to her.
    Kyle froze, so still his surprise hung in the air. Finally, he released a heavy sigh, shook his head, and stood, pushing his chair back with his knees.
    “I’m sorry, but we’ve had this conversation a thousand times, and the answer is the same. I can’t help you with this.” His lips etched into a thin line as he picked up both of their plates and turned, crossing to the sink, effectively shutting her out. He scraped the plates into the sink and then flipped a switch, filling the air with the crunching of the garbage disposal.
    The same stony wall and the same cryptic answer as always. This time that stony wall was one too many. Anger and hurt warred for supremacy in her chest, and tears welled in her eyes. Why wouldn’t anyone tell her the truth? That’s all she wanted. The truth. Gran had done the same thing, patted her head and explained it away, and she couldn’t shake the feeling what she’d really done was put her off so she wouldn’t
have
to answer. Just like Kyle had.
    Well, she was tired of being put off. She needed answers. Didn’t anyone understand? She was sure out of everybody, Kyle would. His father had left their family, walked out. He knew what it was like to wonder where your parents were, but at least he knew
why
his father left. It might not stop the hurt, but at least he knew.
    “Dammit.” She slapped a palm on the table and rose to her feet, rounding the table toward him. “We’ve known each other for twenty years. You know how important this is to me. It’s not like I’m asking you to do something illegal. I’m asking you to support me in this.”
    “Don’t ask me to do this, Cecelia.” As abruptly as he’d turned his back on her, he spun to face her again. In his left hand, he still held the worn blue sponge, either oblivious or not caring that water dripped on the floor.
    That he called her by her full name wasn’t lost on her. Kyle had called her Ceci since he was in third grade. He called her Cecelia only when she upset him, usually when they fought. Like now. But his eyes won the struggle for her attention. A war raged in their depths, uncertainty and indecision, regret and sorrow, all fighting for supremacy.
    The power of the look stunned her into momentary silence. She doubted she’d ever seen so much emotion in his eyes before. He always hid them, usually behind his wry sense of humor. If things got too tense, she could always count on Kyle to make light of the situation.
    Not now. In fact, he hadn’t done that with her in so long she couldn’t remember the last time he had. Things had been too serious between them for too long.
    “Please don’t do this again.” His voice lowered to a bare whisper, his searching eyes pleading with her. Dejection hung on him.
    “I could probably ask Marsha. Or Chase for that matter. Either one of them would no doubt do it for me in a heartbeat, but not you.” She dared a step forward to bridge the chasm growing between them. Something was definitely wrong, and she wanted it to end. “I