Page 54 of Saint
– Ophelia’s Secret Thoughts.
Chapter 16
Ophelia
After the accident, I winced when I realized it was five days before Christmas, and I hadn’t gotten the rest of my wrapping done.
I groaned at the thought as I waited for Soraya to walk out of school.
The moment I saw her, I frowned.
Something was wrong.
Soraya’s eyes were downcast when she climbed into the car.
I frowned, then, knowing I couldn’t ask her until we got out of the line, I drove on, all the while glancing at my girl in the back seat.
She now had her head resting against the window, her eyes unseeing the scenery as we passed it by.
The moment we got in the driveway, I shut the car off, climbed out, and then moved to help Soraya get out.
And there, I bent at the knees and asked, “What’s wrong, pumpkin head?”
She sighed, bit her lower lip, then moved her unicorn backpack around, opened it, reached in, and grabbed something. Then she sighed again.
What on earth?
It wasn’t until I had the paper in my hand and read it that I understood what was wrong.
That rat bastard.
That. Fucking. Rat. Bastard.
I was cursing him seven ways to Sunday when the front door opened, and Saint came walking down the steps. Well, stomping them is more like it.
A frown marred his handsome face, then anger clouded his eyes.
If I didn’t trust this man, I would have grabbed my daughter and ran.
However, I trusted him.
And he proved that I could when he slowed his steps the moment he made it to us, wiped that expression from his face, and then he squatted beside us.
Carefully, he took the paper from my hand and read it.
Then he looked at Soraya and said, “You want to go to this?”
She nodded, then she shook her head.
He chuckled, “Well, which is it?”
Soraya looked at me, then looked at Saint. She was silent for a beat, then said in so low a voice, I had to strain to hear, “I want to go. But...”
In a soft voice, he asked, “But your father isn’t here?”
She shook her head.
That was when Saint looked at me.
