Page 28 of Charming But Reckless

I imagined it was different from a parent's end.

Arick had to be going through a series of emotions because he was not only reunited with his son but now he has the future to think of. As a parent, you had to plan and work hard to guide your child so that they could grow up to be a functioning adult in a society that inherently tries to make them fail.

I don't care what people say. Patriarchy systems were not designed with people in mind.

“He's a good kid,” I said to Arick when the silence became too much. “He's talked more tonight than I've heard since we found him.”

Arick's gaze flew to my eyes. “I'll never be able to thank you enough for this, for finding him and keeping him safe. Whatever you want, it's yours, anything at all.”

I held up my hand. “I don't want promises or pledges of allegiance to me, Arick. I just want to know my friend and maybe get to know his kid a little better. He seems pretty cool. There's no debt. I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I saw a child who looked so much like my best friend that Ijust knew who he was. Keeping him safe was as natural to me as breathing.”

I watched as Arick swallowed. He looked like he was holding back tears.

“Still, I don't know how — ”

My hand went to his forearm. He stopped speaking immediately, his stare moving to the touch.

Sparks moved through my body at the connection. I knew I was attracted to him, but there was also the memory of our childhood together and the bond that we shared.

I mean he was literally there when I was taken. He was the last person I saw before my life changed completely. A therapist would probably call it some kind of trauma bonding. For me, it just meant that he was an anchor that I could use to remember when times were really fucking horrible.

“You don't have to think of anything, Arick. You don't need to find words, and you don't have to explain yourself to me. I mean it when I say I just want to be a part of your life. Considering you were a ghost in this world, I am being upfront with this because if you decide to leave, I won't be able to find you and that to me is more frightening than anything else. I can handle bad guys. I don't know that I can handle losing you and him again.”

“You only just met him,” Arick replied, his voice almost accusing.

I lifted my hand and ran my fingers through Sol's short hair. He didn't move at all. His energy must have drained from the excitement of earlier.

“I could have met him five minutes ago, and I would still know that this kid is amazing, Arick. He is so much like you but also so much his own person. He is curious and he is a little quirky, and he loves more than children usually express. He has been through a hard time. A hard time that I understand and know. If you give us a chance, I would like to help him workthrough it. Bring in a licensed therapist and sit with him. Share experiences. Nothing too graphic of course but we — you,” I said correcting myself, “need to know what he has been through so that you can move forward with life.”

His eyes shut tightly, the corners crinkling. “Do you think it was really bad like yours? Do you think they hurt him?”

I shook my head slowly. “Hurt is such a relative term. I believe that the things they did will have lasting effects on him. I think that he will be concerned and nervous and cautious of everyone around him for a very long time. I’m not sure if they assaulted him in the way you're thinking. We won't know until he decides to share that part because it has been too long for any type of physical evidence to show up. Besides, he was found in a shipping container with a bunch of other victims. Survivors really.”

Arick pressed a kiss on his son's head and nodded. It would take a long time for the two of them to be able to separate for long periods of time. I knew he would want to keep his eyes on Sol. There was a need to ensure his safety.

Plus, he already admitted he gave up his entire life to track him down. When you have nothing left, you cling to the things that you hold dearest.

“What was it like after I left?” I asked Arick as I leaned back in the couch, settling down to get comfortable. We really needed to put Sol to bed and figure out our own sleeping arrangements.

Neither of us moved though.

It was like we were afraid to pop the bubble of what was happening. Like if we went to sleep, we might wake up and none of this would be real.

At least that's how I felt.

Arick turned his head to face me. His body mirrored mine as he leaned back in the couch and adjusted his son.

“It was hell," he admitted. “No one believed me about what had happened to you. I woke up disoriented and immediately ran to your place. There was no one there because your mom was still at work. I went home to tell my dad. It earned me a backhand across the face, along with instructions not to bother him anymore. I sat on your front porch for hours until your mom got home that night, and I told her what happened. She obviously freaked out, and we went to the police station. They didn't want to listen.

They said that I was just some kid who fell and hit his head because I obviously had the wounds to prove it. They thought it was an accident. That you had just run away because we lived in a bad neighborhood. No one wanted to believe that you had been snatched off the street in broad daylight in an area that they didn’t consider to be a human trafficking zone. Apparently people canonlybe taken in dark alleyways or in the back of seedy bars."

“But your mom,” he smiled, “she fought them tooth and nail until they agreed to file a missing person’s report. She also went back up there every week to check on it. She hung flyers, and I helped her. We asked around the neighborhood. But nothing happened. Nothing changed. Your mom was kind enough to still take me in when my dad's abuse got really bad.”

My head fell back. I sighed, thankful to her even now for how she took care of him. She obviously never blamed him for what happened. Part of me worried she might.

God, she was an amazing human being. I hate that she died before I got to see her again. She went without the peace of knowing that her son was going to turn out okay.

Arick's hand landed on my side. I turned my head to the side to look at him.

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