Page 4 of Redeeming Heart

"I did but no one bothered." They minded their own god-damn business and didn't care if I got rapped or not. All they cared about is when I started to throw punches and make sure I didn't kill him which I probably would have.

"Have you come here with the mindset that I am guilty without even hearing my side of the story?” This was the part that was killing me. I know I’ve messed up in the last three years but this was something completely different from my other arrests.

"I am done with your outbursts and bailing you out. You are an adult for goodness sake.”

"Would you have helped Camille if that was her inside there right now?" I saw something flicker in his eyes at the mention of her name.

"That's a different story." He mumbled.

"No, there is a woman in there who needs help because she was physically abused by her boyfriend," I argued.

"Then she should have left him when he first started." His lame excuses angered me.

"Mom would be so disappointed." I watched his shoulders stiffen. She would fight him and find ways to make him feel guilty to a point where he finally gives in and offers to help. She always believed that he can make a difference and change the way people see the law.

"No, she would be disappointed in you for throwing your life away." He walked away and got in his car driving away.

I stood there on the side of the road unbothered with him leaving me behind. Our relationship has hit the ground and there was nothing left that can help fix us.

I couldn't wrap my mind around how fast he moved on after mom passed away. I could barely get out of bed. Lost the battle on the hockey field and got banned for striking another player.

Life didn't have any meaning without her and my father wasn't even there to catch me when I fell.

CHAPTER THREE

I stood next to the sidewalk where my father left me, wondering if it was worth it to go back home and have to deal with all of this in the morning. Gazing over my shoulder at the precinct and considering going back in then, I remembered that no one would hear me out because of my record. I’ve made things pretty unbearable for them during these past three years so I don’t blame them for hating me.

Swallowing my pride, I decided to take the dark road home on my feet as I had no money, and to call a cab was worthless as our home was just around the corner from here.

My father was still awake when I arrived home. He was waiting for me outside on the stairs leading up to the front door.

I evaluated my next move and was planning on just keeping my mouth shut, and going upstairs to my room but my father had other ways of ruining the night.

“Do you have any idea how difficult this is?” He questioned looking up at me wearing a tired and hopeless expression.

I stayed quiet letting him talk and express how difficult life has become for him while he is planning on getting remarried to a woman who wasn’t my mother.

“I’ve tried to be patient with you and tried to empathize with your mood swings but tonight you’ve only proven to me that you are irresponsible.”

“Irresponsible?” Was this a joke?

“You left me at the precinct and let me walk at this hour when you were the one who always told me to never walk this late.” I reminded him.

“It’s not like you ever listened to me.” He remarked.

He was being unfair and delusional or maybe even blind to see what I am going through. He didn’t understand what he was doing to me by moving on after my mother passed away and bringing another woman into our home, and his bedroom.

He didn’t take time off from work or from life to cry about my mother’s passing. A woman who was his first love, wife, and a mother.

“That’s why starting from tomorrow you are dropping Jonah off at school, picking him up, and taking him to practice. Once you are done you will be expected to show up at Maggie's pub for your first shift."

“No, way in hell, are you going to force me to have a relationship with the woman you are sleeping with, child.” I protested.

“This is not a discussion, Sasha.” He said standing up.

“Well, you can’t force me either.” I insisted.

“If you want to continue to live here you will do as I say or you can take your things and go.” He would throw me out of our own home.

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