Uncovering You 9: Liberation Read Online Free PDF

praise,” I say, despite feeling a smug satisfaction on hearing his words. “You deserve all the credit for sharing that with me. I didn’t do anything.”
    “You are the missing piece,” Jeremy says. He looks at me intently, studying me, almost as if he’s seeing me in a new light. “You are the person who makes all of this possible. These are memories I never would have revisited were it not for you.”
    “Well, at least I’m glad that I’m good for something,” I say, only half-joking.
    Jeremy smiles. “You’re good for much more than that. But back to the story. The day I stumbled upon my mother on the floor of my father’s study, I became her one true confidante. Though we never spoke of what happened between her and Hugh—not even as I grew older—we shared a sort of implicit understanding of what to do in the aftermath. I would come to her. She would read to me. More than just a distraction, it became her way to deal with the pain.
    “It also brought us closer together. We developed a special bond. While my brothers were clearly my father’s favorites, I was hers. I would not have had it any other way.
    “Of course, maybe part of the affection she had for me came from having lost her other sons. For having been forced to give away my twin. My father was the one responsible for that, though for what reason, I still do not know.
    “There you go, Lilly. That is who she was. That is why she was important to me. These things…” Jeremy closes his eyes. “…I would not have thought I would ever speak of to another person. It was all so long ago. Reminiscing this way brings up memories, both good and bad. I am so far changed from who I was as a boy that it almost feels like I’m telling you the beginnings of another man’s life. I’ve distanced myself from all of that. And yet, it all circles back to you. So it’s you, Lilly. You are the only one who has the right to learn these things. You compel me to share such things. You deserve it, in a sense. But that is not why I am giving it to you. I am giving it to you because I want to. Tonight, seeing my mother’s portrait, going back into her room for the first time since she died…tonight is a night for reflection.”
    Suddenly Jeremy stands up. He moves so fast that I gasp, startled.
    “Tomorrow, we’ll go back to California,” he says. “I don’t need to spend any more time here. It was selfish, maybe, but this retreat was as much for me as it was for you. I just didn’t realize that until now.
    “Goodnight, Lilly. I won’t be coming to bed. There are a few more things I need to take care of. Things I need to see and do. Alone,” he stresses.
    “I understand,” I say. I kiss his cheek. “Thank you, for sharing all that with me. I know it did not come easy.”
    I turn away.
    “Lilly,” Jeremy grabs my hand. “Wait.”
    I look back.
    “It was easy,” he tells me, “because I did it for you.”

Chapter Four
     
    The flight back home reawakens my mind to all the questions still left unanswered.
    First—and most importantly—is my health. How far do I trust Jeremy’s story of events? I do not know. Since he won’t elaborate, the most I can do at this point is to be aware that something might be wrong, and be on the lookout for further manifestations of symptoms.
    Next is Rose. Since I’ll be seeing her again for the first time in a long time, I want to try to understand the depth of influence Jeremy has over her…and where it came from.
    Then there’s work. With the IPO over, what is my position in Stonehart Industries? My signature is still very much on the contract Jeremy gave me. I don’t want to earn a salary as mere charity. I want to do something useful.
    But those things feel more like housekeeping chores than anything with real urgency.
    Formulating my plan for the future is a pressing issue. With Fey and Robin securely out of the way, there is no chance of their meddling and screwing things up for me. Nobody else