Page 33 of Deliver Me

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“And even if I hear all those reasons and I still think that you’re wrong, I’m always going to love you.”

“I know and I love you, too.”

He came home the following day red in the face and trembling with anger, but he had several more trash bags stuffed full of Kennedy’s clothes and a new phone for her on their family plan.

Mia hugged him, tucking her head under his chin and giving him a quick squeeze before she headed to the kitchen to make lunch. Kennedy smiled twice as they ate sandwiches with chips, and they all relaxed just a little. Kennedy was going to be upset and hurt because of what happened, but those horrible people wouldn’t be able to destroy her happiness forever.

She’d just finished the dishes, volunteering so that her dad and Kennedy could sit down in the living room and talk privately about what happened when he confronted her parents, when Gabriel called.

She rushed up the stairs to her room, not missing how her dad’s eyes now followed her as she went.

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby, how’s everything? Did you talk to your dad?”

“Yeah, I did.” She sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed. “I ended up telling him about everything, about you and about school. He wasn’t happy about any of it.”

“Shit, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, things kind of took an unexpected turn while we were talking.” She pressed a hand to her forehead, struggling against a rising headache and her own confusion about how anyone’s parents could be so cruel. “My friend is staying with us now because her parents found out she was dating girls.”

There was a silence on the other end of the line, a cold and weighted pause that she didn’t understand.

“They found out she was … and now she’s living with you and your dad? The pastor?”

“Yeah, she’s—”

“And you’re okay with that?” His tone was accusatory, his voice rising in anger. She felt like she was being held responsible for some crime, but she couldn’t figure out what he thought she had done. “She’s your friend, Mia.”

“Yes?” Mia felt her own voice rising, uncertainty making her defensive. “She’s one of my best friends that’s why—”

“What about your dad?”

“What about him? Her parents kicked her out of their house with no phone and nowhere to go so we gave her a place to stay. She was pretty shaken up when she got here but she’s safe and she has her own room.”

He sighed and there was a long pause like he was trying to decide what to say. Just when she began to wonder if he was going to answer at all he said, “I’m glad she has you.”

“I don’t understand—”

“I know you don’t,” he agreed. “I’m sorry, it’s just that not everyone has a safe place to go. Some people I cared about when I was younger weren’t so lucky.”

“Oh,” she mumbled, nibbling on her lip. He’d never told her exactly what had happened to him and she’d been afraid to ask for details. “Do you want to talk about it?”

There was a pause long enough for her to hope then a soft defeated sigh. “Not yet.”

“Okay,” she whispered. Not yet, but hopefully he would be able to share everything with her someday soon.

Chapter Fourteen

Mia’s foot bounced restlessly, and she chewed on her lower lip as she waited, hands tucked deep into the pockets of an oversized gray hoodie that it was already almost too warm outside to wear.The drive hadn’t been long, not much beyond what she made each day for school now that it was back in session for the new spring semester, but today it had taken a lifetime.

Hopes and worries had chased themselves across her mind as she drove. After months of talking to him and losing herself in the increasingly blurred lines that defined their relationship, finally taking this step seemed like unexpectedly reaching the precipice on a long climb. She’d been so focused on each step that she hadn’t realized how far she’d come until she’d looked out and found the ground far below her.Suddenly, she was afraid of heights, her heart hammering away in her chest as she finally recognized how far she had to fall.

What if he didn’t like her? What if, when faced with the reality of her, he decided she didn’t live up to his expectations? Fear and anticipation made nervous nausea roll in her stomach, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth that she couldn’t wash away even once she’d made it inside.

She’d done everything she could to make sure she’d actually make it this far. Checked and rechecked with him countless times to make sure that he had added her to the necessary list. Read and followed all the rules and procedures—no loud music in the car, roll up your windows and lock your doors, no cell phones or electronics allowed in the facility. Adhered faithfully to the dress code—no clothing with profanity, no skirts or shorts more than three inches above the middle of the knee, no leggings, no open-toed shoes, no bare shoulders, back, or midriff. She’d opted for tennis shoes, sweatpants, and the hoodie, just in case. She might not have been as polished as she would have liked to be, but she wasn’t going to give them any excuse to turn her away.

---