Page 125 of Give Me Redemption

I’m still hurting.

But for right now, I’ve got to be grateful. Harrison groans after she takes a bite.

“Good, huh?” I say, grinning.

“For sure,” she replies.

____________

Harrison has fallen asleep on the couch, and I’m sitting out on the balcony enjoying a smoke when Pops and Monnie walk out.

They take a seat, neither saying much of anything as we all look out over the city. My brother’s castle in the sky is nice. Too much for me, but it’s good to sit out here and think.

“What’s on your mind?” Pops asks me as he lights a cigar.

I shake my head and shrug. “Nothing.”

“Have you talked to the girl?” Monnie asks. I look over at him for a moment before looking away, and then I nod.

“You love her?” Pops asks me, puffing on his smoke.

I nod again and hit my cigarette, sitting up and resting my forearms on my knees as my smoke hangs between my fingertips. I thump the end and ashes fall, getting swooped up by the breeze.

“She lied to you,” Pops says. “She got your brother locked up. And you took her in the place.”

I look over at him, wondering why the fuck he’s telling me what I already know.

“And you’re blaming yourself for all of it, aren’t you?” he asks me.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because none of it is. You can’t control what other people do, son. Bryce knew the risks he was taking every day he ran that place. Your girl had a job to do and you fell in love.

“None of that could have been helped. So stop it.”

“Okay, so I stop blaming myself, it doesn’t change the fact that I can’t be with her.”

“Why can’t you be with her?” Monnie asks.

“She screwed over my family. My blood. How can I forgive that? How can Bryce forgive that?” I ask. It’ll always be the elephant in the room. The issue.

Monnie sits back in his chair. “I say do what makes you happy, kid. Life’s too short.”

“What do you say, Pops?” I ask.

“I’m with my brother. Life’s too short. Bryce will come around. I’m not saying shove it in his face, but if she’s what you want, then don’t let this mess it up.

“Bryce is coming home. Everything worked out okay for everyone else. Why can’t it for you, too?”

I look down, taking a drag of my cigarette.

____________

I glance down at my new phone. Dalton’s name mocks me. If I do this, if I choose to go after her, then I will have to hide it from Bryce.

He won’t understand. He’ll only see it from his point of view.She’s the reason he doesn’t have his business anymore.Like Pops says, I’ll have to ease him into the idea, and that’s going to take time. I hate lying to him, especially since I flipped out so much when he lied to me about Mary, but that’s just the way it’s got to be.

It’s been hours since Harrison left to go get Bryce. I’m not sure what’s taking so long. I rub my face and stand up from the couch. “Going somewhere?” Aunt Lou asks. Pops, Mary, and Monnie look at me.

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