Page 98 of Bending Under Pressure

“Why? So you could be in a hospital bed too?”

I shake my head. “Maybe not. I would have hit the deer head on.”

Her eyes do a little roll. Walter comes through the curtains, holding a pair of pajamas in his hands, plus a coat.

“I grabbed a tank top because I figured it might be easier for you. Then we’ll drape the coat over you to keep you warm. Where’s your mom?”

“She went to let Dad know what happened.”

He nods and focuses on me. “We’ll take care of her from here. Your family is probably tired and ready to go home.”

“Your family?” Haley questions.

“Yeah, Mom was with me when I went looking for you and we found you. Dad and Cam came afterward. I guess I better go.” I didn’t want to leave her. The last time I left her, she went and hurt herself. There doesn’t seem to be another option though. I kiss her cheek, hand her phone to Walter, and give her one last smile before I leave.

“I was thinking about going to see Haley today,” I tell Mom at breakfast.

“I was thinking you could finally tell me what happened with Natalie. She called yesterday and said you’ve been ignoring her again.”

I scoff. “How? You just gave me my phone back yesterday. I told her not to call anymore anyway.”

“Why?”

“What did my birth father do to land in prison?” I blurt out. I’ve actually been wondering about this, but only because Natalie is so adamant about me meeting him and Dad said they wouldn’t be comfortable with it when I first brought it up to him.

Mom stares at me. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Natalie keeps pushing me to visit him, and I keep telling her no. We disagreed about it and I told her I’d rather not have a relationship with her, but if I did, I would be the one to call her. I gave her as much of a chance as I could, but I really don’t want her in my life. That’s what happened. So what did he do? What did she do?”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

Well, maybe not. Mom seems reluctant, so maybe I should retract my question. I think. “Just tell me.” How bad can it be?

“He was convicted of murder and she as an accessory after the fact as well as drug charges.”

This time, I’m staring at her. What? A thousand more questions rise among my disbelief. My heart is beating as hard as it was last night when I saw Haley’s mangled car. My birth father is a murderer and my birth mother helped him? No wonder Dad didn’t want me to go visit him. How could Natalie let Kiera visit him?

My mouth is sealed closed. I set my spoon down in my bowl of cereal and stand. “I think I’ll shower and go see Haley.”

“Keelan,” Mom calls; I don’t turn to face her, but I do stop.

“Just leave me alone for a while.”

“Okay.”

With that, I continue on my way upstairs. The last thing I want to think about for the rest of my entire life is what she just told me. I should’ve never asked. The moment I think about how racing down Dead Man’s Curve would be the perfect distraction, I immediately eject it. Haley had the same thought and look what happened to her.

She will be my distraction. I groan when I see Jess’s car at her house when I arrive an hour later. Why does she have to be here? I want Haley and no one else. Not going to happen just yet apparently.

Jess opens the door with a smile. “Keelan, what are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?” I ask, pushing my way past her.

“My best friend was in a car accident; I came to see her.”

“Best friend? You’ve been a crappy friend to her, Jess. You’ve been a crappy girlfriend to my brother too, while we’re at it.” I don’t see Haley or her parents, so they all must be in their rooms.

Jess folds her arms over her chest and glares at me. “Don’t start. You can’t judge me when they’ve forgiven me.”

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