Page 368 of Vicious Saint
“I never should’ve walked into that damn bar. Never. This is all my fault. I fell for a monster and now my kid is suffering for it.”
“You didn’t know he was a monster, June. You were a kid yourself.”
“I knew he had issues! And was the head of a mafia family! That should’ve been enough.” She scoffs. “But no…I had to get blinded by his charm, his beautiful eyes, sweet nothings. Luca hid it so well, Poppy, and by the time I saw the monster behind the mask, it was already too late. I’d fallen.”
My knuckles tighten around the steering wheel as I listen to June go on about Hendrix’s dad and how they met, the story sounding eerily familiar to another one I know but refuse to try and compare.
I can’t…not if I want to stand a chance at keepingmyshit together.
“And can you imagine if Luca found out Hendrix didn’t really die?”
Well, that’s a pretty important bean my dad must’ve forgotten to spill from his can.
In between swerving lanes I side eye him, and he does the same back, but a lot less lethal and a lot more guilty.
“We don’t need to imagine…because Dante made sure he didn’t,” Poppy continues to reassure her sister.
“And I made sure to screw everything up…”
“You were doing what you thought was best to protect her.”
“Or what I thought was best not to lose her.”
“We couldn’t have Hendrix growing up associated with that family and you know it. Hell, even Dante knew it. It’s why he agreed to keep your secret about Hendrix from his brother.” The sister pauses, then mumbles, “Besides the fact he was secretly in love with you.”
My dad shifts uncomfortably in his seat, and if I had to guess, it’s because this bean was never spilled from hiswife’scan.
Not that his wife is in any shape to realize her mistake.
“You’re not going to lose her, June,” Poppy insists when she realizes her initial point was shit.
“I’m afraid I already did.”
There’s a hopelessness in June’s voice, not far from the one in my head I’ve been trying to ignore since Hendrix locked herself in the bathroom.
If I’m going to feel bad for this woman about anything…it’s that.
Because although I hate what June did to protect Hendrix—now that I know what it feels like to love, and potentially lose her—a fucked up part of me gets it.
And an even more fucked up part of me would do worse.
“Every single one of us did wrong by Hendrix.” I glance at her red puffy eyes through the rear view mirror. “Not just you.”
I could tell by how June blinks, my show of support comes as a surprise, but not enough to sway the guilt in what she says next.
“Hendrix ismydaughter.”
“And she’s the love ofmyfucking life,” I shoot back. “She’s your sister’s blood, and my father’s stepdaughter. Therefore we all should’ve done the right thing and trusted her with the truth. Regardless of our fear for how she would react.”
“Boy’s got a point, sis,” Poppy adds. “Our intentions may have been pure, but none of us did right by Hendrix. She’s a smart kid and had the right to prove she’s matured enough to understand the reasoning behind what you did. Whatwedid.”
“Shehasbeen making better decisions lately...” June agrees with a blow of her nose into a tissue.
Doubt she sees me as one of them.
“Exactly…” My father turns to rub her knee. “And I bet she’ll continue to make better decisions when we all sit down to talk.”
It’s at this moment I swerve into the Riverside parking lot, half expecting that motherfucker Dante to be here waiting.
