Page 36 of Hiding Secrets

It might have started off as a fake laugh, but it had turned real at some point. Elliott was laughing, a full-blown laugh, in Marcus’s face.

“Sorry. Ahem.” She cleared her throat trying to stop the laughter. “You…Marcus Flores, who gives zero shits about me, thinkyouknow what’s best for me? Yeah, no. Give me the files.” Her hand shoots out and damn, demanding Elliott was hot.

He straightens up and pushes the laptop across the island towards her and my eyes widen.

He can’t be serious. He can’t let her see all that shit right now.

I jump forward the second I see Elliott’s advance on the computer, “Woah, wait. Let’s back up a moment there, gorgeous.”

“Kameron, don’t.” Her snappy tone turned to me now.

“Yeah, Kameron. Don’t.” Marcus parroted Elliott, “If the princess here thinks she’s up for it, then let her.”

“She can’t look at that shit right now. Not yet.”

“Says who? You?” Elliott lunges for the laptop and before I can grab it out of her hands Hunter has it above his head.

“Now, now.” He stands and rests it on his side, “Elliott is the only one who knows what’s best for her. She is in control of her life.”

“Weren’t you on my side earlier?” I shot at him, confused.

“I was, but I realized I was wrong.” He lowers the laptop back down to Elliott, making eye contact before continuing, “Everyone has controlled you your entire life. What house you lived in, what you could wear, where you could go. We wouldn’t be any better than anyone else if we tried to control you here. It’syourlife, so it'syourchoice.” He nudged his hand closer to her and she swipes the computer, hugging it to her chest before walking out of the kitchen with it.

I wanted to run after her, follow her and tell her she wasn’t ready to see herself like this. As much as I wanted to protect Elliott from her past, I know Hunter is right. Elliott deserved to have control of her life, make her own decisions. And knowing her past is where it would start.

31

Elliott

“It’s your life, so it’s your choice.”

Hunter’s words kept repeating in my skull as I sat on Kam’s bed, the laptop still closed in front of me.

Just open it.

Open.

It.

I wanted to know everything Everton had. From what the guys said, it seems like they recorded my every breath. But what I wanted was to see how much of my past they truly found, the past I had before the Donovans.

The time before them was a blurry haze, chunks of memories from several foster homes. But my biological parents, I didn’t even remember what they looked like. I used to have a grainy image in my head of a lady with the same colored hair as me butthat was it. I didn’t have anything else, even those images faded out of my mind.

Did Everton know who they were? Where they were? Did they know why I was put into foster care? If I wanted these questions answered all I had to do was open the damn laptop.

I couldn’t bring my hands to reach for it though. Even with all of the control, I couldn’t decide. What if I made the wrong choice and I spiraled again? I shook my head not wanting to think about falling into the hole I was still trying to crawl my way out of. I was close to the light at the end of the tunnel, and I don't want to fall into the depth of the darkness again.

What if this helped me heal? Would it be hard as fuck…yes, but it could be the very thing I needed totrulyheal.

Or it could scar you for life and you fall back down into the hole, never having the ability to climb back out.

Shut. It.

A soft knock echoed through the room.

“Come in.” I didn’t know who it would be on the other side, Hunter? Kam? Marcus?

HA! Marcus coming to check on me willingly? I chuckled to myself at the thought.

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