Page 129 of Fought and Freed

For the next four days, Maddy did the same thing, returning to the hospital during visiting hours to talk to Grant.

When she returned home in the late afternoon on the fourth day, she found a letter waiting for her. She recognized Grant’s handwriting and took the letter up to her room.

Sitting on her bed, she stared at the envelope, unsure if she could open it up.

Did Grant suspect something was going to happen to him?

A knock sounded on her door, and Maddy called out, “Come in.”

“Hey, baby girl, I didn’t hear you come in.” Jace stepped into her room. “Did something happen at the hospital?”

“Nothing at the hospital, but I got a letter in the mail. It’s in Grant’s handwriting.” She showed him the envelope.

His brow furrowed. “That’s strange. Do you want some company while you read it?”

She shook her head.

“Okay, I’ll check on you later.” He backed out of the door and closed it.

Maddy fingered the envelope before flipping it over and opening it to unfold the pages inside.

Maddy,

If you got this, then something bad happened to me. I asked the nurse at Pathways to mail you this letter if I didn’t show up for more than two days.

What I’m going to say will piss you off, but I beg you to read this whole letter so you can understand why I did what I did.

Since the day we met, I’ve been lying to you. Not about everything, but a lot. I was kicked out of my family for being gay, and my dad was a pastor. That part was true. But I never sold my body on the streets. I had a secret talent; I was good at grifting. That’s how I made money. I was hooked on drugs but had never been through rehab until I was forced to go.

I got my drugs from the Pavlenko gang, and yes, I know you’re the lost Moretti twin. I actually saw you once at Wings of Refuge. I was buying drugs off Mike, and you came out of the bathroom. I had my back to you, so you didn’t see my face. He was pissed that you saw him give me drugs.

I got myself into a bad way and owed Mike a shit ton of money. I had planned on running and never coming back. I’m not sure how he found that out.

This is the part where I hope you continue reading.

Mike killed my parents and took my sister. He’s had her since before we checked into rehab. Yes, I have a sister named Kelly, who is twelve years old. It makes me sick to think about what Mike has been doing to her. It was bad enough leaving her with our father. Now, she’s with someone worse.

He used her to get me to go to rehab and befriend you. But I got to know you in rehab, and we became real friends. I thought I had friends before, but after I met you, I realized how wrong I was. You’d turn the world upside down for a friend, and no one would ever have done that for me.

When I refused to do the stuff Mike told me to do to you, he beat me up, and it kept getting worse. The night I begged you to pick me up, I was to be gang raped.

I saw Kelly a few times, and I told her about you, but Mike moved her after that, and I have no idea where she is now.

I’m sitting here at Pathways, writing this letter, and Claire, the nurse, just told me you stopped by looking for me. She doesn’t like that I’m hiding from you and keeps telling me not to go do something stupid. She just thinks I’m going to go get drugs. She doesn’t know about Kelly.

I never met someone like you before. Your heart is so big, and you care about everyone. Don’t let that ever change. Please thank Cody for giving me the job. If I wasn’t such a screw-up, I’d have liked to keep working for him.

Mike never told me his plans, but he wants to make you suffer.

He’s crazy, Maddy. You need to watch out for him.

I realize I have no right to ask anything of you after everything, but you have resources. Please find Kelly and take care of her for me. She has no one else to care about her.

I’m so sorry, Maddy, for my part in this. You truly were a great friend to me. I wish things could be different.

- Grant

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