Hi, I'm back from my holidays in Paris which were amazing, even tough I had food poisining for 2 days. I met 2 of my internet friends that I've known for years and I went shopping, now I'm broke. But it's normal after buying clothes from Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Newman and Esprit lol

Chapter 29

"Veronica, what brings you here?" Jake asked her, after having opened the door and seen who was standing on the other side.

"Hey, Duncan promised to help me with an algebra problem after school, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, but Duncan isn't here, he said something about having to grab something he forgot at school but come on in if you want."

"I don't know..."

"Come on Veronica, I'm not the big bad wolf waiting for you in your grandmother's house."

"I know, I also read that tale as a child and my teacher in primary school always told me I looked like a wolf, I guess I now know from where I got it!" she said joking, she walked further in the house and dropped her bag on the floor. She sat on the couch and watched Jake pour himself a scotch, sudddenly she asked him a question that has been bothring her ever since she started to come over to talk and maybe bond with Jake. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, you usually never ask before asking a question, why has it changed?"

"Because I don't think you'll like it."

"Veronica no need to worry over such a thing, just ask your question."

"Why did you lie to the police about Lilly's death?" she asked quickly. She raised her head and looked at him, he had put down his drink to look at her.

"We already talked about it..."

"Yeah and we both know Lilly was still alive around six which means she didn't die at four like the forensic said, I want to know why."

"Because at four, the person who found her was Duncan and he had no alibi for the time of her death. I just wanted to protect him, I'm sure you understand me. I know Duncan didn't do it, but we both know what the police and the DA would have done with that piece of information and if you add his epilepsy in the mix, you've got a winner."

"So you found the perfect suspect and then killer."

"Not this time, he did it on his own, I got a call from him after the trial, he wanted to hurt me, knowing he had killed my daughter, all of that because I hadn't given him money."

"So you realize the guy is innocent."

"Of course I do, but he's the one who got himself into this, no one forced him. I won't lie and say I'm not happy they sent someone in prison and it got my son off the hook."

"It was all about protecting Duncan."

"You could say that, Duncan loved Lilly and he would have never done that."

"What about what he did to me then?" Veronica said.

"An accident, he realized what he was doing and immediatly stopped."

"Are you forgetting the part where you had to get him off me?"

"I'm not."

"What about Lilly? Don't you want to see her killer behind the bars?"

"Of course I do, but I just dont want it to be my son." he replied looking at her in the eyes, he sat down on the couch, next to her. "I haven't always been a good father to my children but I'm trying to make up for all the missing birthdays, school functions and mostly for being an absent father to Duncan and Lilly. Now she is gone so I have only Duncan left, well there's you, but it's a different story, isn't it?"

"You're right, it's another story. I should probably go, tell Duncan I will see him at school tomorrow."

"I will." he said, he watched her gather her things and she was about to leave when he call her back. "Veronica, I hope our conversation won't change anything to our relation. I love having you here and talking to you, I just hope you understand why I'm doing that."

"I do and don't worry it won't change anything to our relation, you aren't the only one who likes it. It's good to get to know you as a father and not as Duncan's or Lilly's father, you're also mine even if sometimes I don't aknowledge it."

"It's normal, I understand Veronica, you don't have to apologize for that, you already have a father. Keith is the one who raised and watched you say your first words, take your first steps, take you to school and so on. I'm your biological father, not the one who was there for you from the start, in your heart there is only one father and it's Keith."

"You're wrong, there is another father in my heart." she said softly before leaving the house. Jake smiled, Veronica was finally allowing him in her life, she was seeing him as her father, it had taken months but in the end it was all worth it.