Page 101 of Other Side Of Never
Jake who stood tall and lanky before me, his size twelves balanced on the cusp of manhood.
And he would be a good man.I could see it, I could see it all unfolding right in front of me.And I had hope for the first time in years that I’d be a witness to watching it all play out.
My eyes filled as I smiled through my tears.
At Jake.
Who despite my failures and his parents’ abuse, was still, just maybe, a little bit mine.
His smile widened for a fraction of a second before fading altogether.“I knew what they were doing wasn’t right.”
I stared back at him, my own smile faltering.My failures, and there were many where he was concerned, had cast the past in deep shadow.
That same shadow darkened his eyes.
“I fought them every step of the way.”He shrugged one shoulder.“Until I figured out I couldn’t possibly win.”
Hopelessness.
Despair.
Helplessness.
He battled it all alone.
We both did.
“I tried to talk to them, Jake.I had your pediatrician explain to both of them how damaging their actions were, but it only made everything worse.In the end, it seemed the best thing to do was to go along with them.At least that way I got to remain in your life.”
His eyes narrowed.
I braced myself, opening my heart to receive whatever he needed to give me.
He shook his head.“How could you stand it?How could you stay with him for so long?”
I replied quietly.“I got to see you.”
“You shouldn’t have,” he snapped, anger coloring his words.
“It was worth it.”
He cocked his head to the side, challenging me.“Then why did you leave?”
Why did you stay?
How could you leave?
“He kicked me out.By the time he wanted me to come back, I realized just how much of myself I’d lost.”
“He told me you didn’t want to see me…”
My grief gave way to a fury so deep and wide it threatened to burn me alive.
I shook my head sharply and gave him the truth.“He said if I continued trying to contact you, he’d send you away to school.”
Mouth dropping open, his cheeks went ruddy as tears filled his eyes.“Fucking bastard.”
Oh my God, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.Because while I was safe and cozy in Sage Ridge, he had to live with them still.
