Page 339 of Faking the Goal

"You focus on getting better, sweetheart."

"I will."

Miho steps forward next, offering me another warm smile.

"It was really nice finally meeting you."

"You too."

She gives my hand a gentle squeeze before turning toward her brother.

"Oni-chan..."

Kentaro looks at her.

She smiles softly.

"We'll be back tomorrow."

He nods.

"I'll see you then."

Harumi reaches up and gently cups his cheek for a brief moment before he bends down to kiss her forehead, then ruffles Miho's hair just enough to earn an exaggerated sigh from his little sister.

"Call me if either of you needs anything. Food, clothes, anything at all." Harumi tells her son.

"I will."

"And do not forget to eat."

"I ate."

"When?"

Kentaro pauses.

Harumi's brows rise knowingly.

"I'll make sure he eats," I say.

His mother looks relieved, which is absurd considering I am the one currently confined to a hospital bed. "Thank you, Taylor."

Kentaro mutters something under his breath in Japanese while Miho grins, and then the two women finally step into the hallway. Harumi gives us one last lingering look before the door closes behind them.

Silence settles over the room.

Detective Matthews clears his throat, drawing my attention back to him. "I'm not sure how much Mr. Azuma has had the opportunity to tell you about the progress we've made since yesterday."

My eyes flick toward Kentaro.

"Nothing yet," I say.

And that's on me. Last night, I'd been so busy pushing him away before he'd gotten the chance to tell me anything.

Matthews nods. "That's all right. I wanted to speak with you directly anyway and make sure you heard the information from me. We've confirmed Charlie Maddox's identity and located one of his surviving relatives. We still have not found Charlie, but we know considerably more about his history and what happened after he left juvenile custody."

A cold unease creeps through my stomach at the sound of Charlie's name.