Page 114 of All I Ask
“I can’t.” I stop and look up at Derek. I’m weak and stupid, but more than that, I’m scared. I don’t want to face him. My parents don’t know anything about the tape and I will never recover from seeing the shame they’ll show.
He shakes his head and cups my face. “You are stronger than any person I’ve ever known. He’s the one who should be afraid.”
“They don’t know, Derek.”
“Who?”
“My parents. They don’t know anything about the details of the custody agreement. They think I forced Keith to give up rights because I wanted her to myself. My mother has constantly reminded me how different my life could’ve been if I weren’t so headstrong. They have no idea of the real reason.”
Derek rests his forehead against mine. “I keep trying to forgive myself for letting you do this alone and then I find out something else. This is another example of how strong you are, Tea. You can do this and we’ll make sure we shield them from that coming out as much as we can, okay?”
God, I hope so. “Okay.”
He opens the door, and we walk through.
So many times I’ve envisioned what would happen when I saw Keith again. Would I slap him? Cry? Knee him in the balls? In all my visions, I never thought I would simply stand here, unable to speak as he sat on the couch in my parents’ house. The same couch that we used to fool around on.
“Teagan.” Keith gets to his feet and walks over. “I…hi.” He looks over to Derek and laughs through his nose. “Hartz.”
“Keith,” Derek says through gritted teeth.
These are the times when I wish karma came around to kick people in the face. I’ve seen Keith on television after a game, but not in a few years. We’ve avoided football Sunday in our house, opting for DIY Network or something less—Keith. Time has been kind to him. He’s tall, broad shoulders, and he isn’t even balding.
Why are the fates so unkind? Couldn’t he at least have a crooked nose or something?
He grins at me as though he can read my mind. “I didn’t know you two were still close, but I’m not surprised, you and Teagan always had a special bond,” he says, as though it’s a compliment, but it’s not. Keith hated Derek. He was always finding some way to cut him down to me and anyone else. As much as Meghan hated me, I assume Keith felt the same toward Derek.
“Yes, we did.” He wraps his arm around me, holding my hip. “It’s good to see you, Keith. What brings you around here?”
My father sits in the room, watching this transpire, and I see the distrust in his eyes. My father is a stoic man, but when it comes to Chastity, he’s not able to hold back. He is the one person in this town who despises Keith. To Daddy, he’s the worst kind of man. To leave me and Chastity is abhorrent to him, not just because he’s my father, but also because he is a father.
“Yes, Keith, what brings you here after all this time?” Daddy asks from the chair.
Mom comes in the room and freezes. The room is cold with all the testosterone and hatred flowing in the air. She looks to me and I’m still, trying to keep a hold on my emotions. I still have yet to find my voice. What is it about this man that makes me like this?
She clears her throat. “Yes, Keith, you haven’t been here in so long, I’m curious what made you come now?”
My mother’s eyes soften when they meet mine and I could hug her.
Keith faces my father. “My father passed away two days ago in Florida. I had to come to the house ahead of my mother, and I thought if I was back in town it would be best to see Teagan.”
I step out of Derek’s hold and find the courage I know I have to say something. “I’m sorry to hear about your father, but there’s no need to see me. I’m just fine.”
He turns back toward me. “It’s been a long time.”
“Yes, I’m aware of exactly how long.” I turn to my dad, wanting to get him and my mother out of the room. “Daddy…”
Now that I’ve spoken, I feel like the words won’t be an issue. I’m not the same girl I once was and Keith doesn’t belong here.
Dad gets to his feet and walks over to my mother. “Meredith, let’s give them some time to talk.”
I nod once to my mother, hoping she knows I’m okay.
Once they’re out of the room I stand with my arms over my chest. “Why are you here?”
“I told you.”
“Yeah, that’s fine, but according to you, I was to consider you dead. You look alive and in my parents’ living room, so what do you want?”
