Page 24 of Love Lies Bleeding

“Sure, why not?”

Hunter shook his head and smirked. “You’re alright, Jake.”

The lesson I learned that day was that you may never know where the lifeline would come from, or if it would, but for me, it had been the friendship he offered.

“Jake, are you even listening to me?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Bullshit, but whatever.”

That was the other thing about Hunter, he let me have my space and never pushed me to open up about my past. Calling Hank the night I’d been arrested had been a stupid move. At that time, I’d only been his son’s punk friend, but even then he’d been kind and shown me respect.

To this day, I don’t know why he was my first call from jail, but it had saved my life. Hank had driven down to the station and had his best attorney represent me. The prosecution wanted to make an example of me, and the kid I’d been with that night had money and power on his side.

I’d taken all the blame for what we did, making the attorney’s job harder, but Hank hadn’t given up. He’d stood by me, offering me a home, a family, and given me back my self-worth and all he’d wanted in return was a promise that I’d work hard to become that man he knew I could be.

I’d made that promise and he kept fighting until I was released into his and Vivian’s care. He’d believed in me when nobody else did, including myself, and I’d spent every waking hour since showing him he’d been right to believe.

“Do you think your dad meant what he said about working for Lungo Tech?”

Hunter propped his legs onto the coffee table and rubbed his abs as he winced in pain. Hunter had broken his femur skiing a black diamond slope. “You know Dad, he never says shit he doesn’t mean.”

I nod, knowing there and then I was going to pursue corporate law and legislation as my specialty. I would be the best damn attorney he’d ever seen and make good on the promise I’d made him.

“You good, Jake? I know you’ve had some shit to handle with me away. This damn leg is a gonna need another operation by the looks of it, so I might be doing online from here for a bit longer.”

“Yeah, it’s all good. You know I hate this time of year.”

“You visit them yet?”

I nodded. “Yeah, went before I came here.” Every year on Thanksgiving I’d visit my mom’s and my baby sister’s graves and lay flowers down. I couldn’t go more often, the crushing weight of losing them was always so fresh after I visited that I had to limit it or I’d lose myself.

“It wasn’t your fault, Jake.”

“Wasn’t it? It was my fault Tiffany got a hold of the matches.”

“You were twelve years old, and you got her out. You saved your entire block from burning down.”

“It doesn’t matter though does it. She still died from the smoke she inhaled. I should have been watching her better. My mom trusted me and I let her down. I killed them both.”

“Again, you were twelve years old and your little sister wasn’t your responsibility. She was your mom’s.”

“Mom had to work.”

“Come on, Jake, you know she wasn’t working. She was out with her boyfriend getting wasted.”

I shake my head, hating that he’s right and hating the resentment I felt towards my mom for what happened. She’d never forgiven me, and was gone six months later from a drug overdose.

“It doesn’t matter, Hunter. They’re gone and it’s done. I just have to make sure I don’t let your family down.”

“You won’t, Jake.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you’re my best friend and I know you.”

“Yeah, I guess you do. I’m gonna be the best damn lawyer your dad ever had.”

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