Page 22 of Broken Doll

“We will,” I say, exhaling the smoke from my cigarette. Jackson lets out a small laugh when I tell him, “You need to find yourself a girl.” Someone needs to let out some tension otherwise he won’t be able to focus on anything.

I’m a lot better than last night. I got a little information from the sick asshole. He told me that there’s a network, but he doesn’t know the name. If they have a website, all he said was that a person needs money to join.

So, today I spent my workday looking up this network but got nothing. I haven't even told Jackson about what I found out last night. He has enough on his plate right now, but I will tell him when this court mess is handled.

He says, “I’ll find one. Am I not invited to dinner?”

I've invited my parents over for dinner tonight. I asked them both to come over to the office at lunchtime as I wanted to talk to them about something and that's when I explained about Hope.

My dad didn't have anything to say to me, he will though once he sees Hope. My mom, on the other hand, she had a few things to say.

She’s not your responsibility.

Maybe she’s hiding for a reason.

What if those she’s hiding from, come to get her?

I asked my mom the same questions; when they found me I wasn't their responsibility, but they still took me in. I was twelve, and I was hiding for a reason, but they still took me, and they weren't scared of who I was hiding from. I told my mom that, and she started crying. I still remember the day they found me. I took one look in her eyes and I could see that she was hurting just looking at me.

I escaped my hell, six years I lived with him, six years I lived with the devil.

Jackson was there for about two years, and when I found a way to run, I took him with me. I told him to hide in this old warehouse and not to leave until I came to get him. Two days he waited there for me; two days with no food or water, all because I told him that I'd be back.

They might not be my blood, but every day I’m thankful that they are my parents. They took Jackson in too and since that day we’ve had each other’s back to the very end.

“Yeah, if Mom finds out I told you to fuck off, she’ll have my head.” We both start laughing.

“That’s because she likes me more.”

I look over at him, he has a stupid smirk on his face. Now, we both know that's a lie.

The car pulls up, and I tell John that I'll see him in the morning. I left Hope at the dining table after she had some cereal, no words or eye contact from her at all.

As soon as I open the door, I'm hit with the smell of food. I have no idea what Hope has made, but it smells amazing.

“Am I drooling? It feels like I am.” I turn to Jackson with a smile. “My mouth’s watering just from the smell. But the moment I see it—”

"Someone's hungry," I tell him, as I put my bag on the floor by the door and we make our way to the kitchen. I look around for Hope, but I can't see her anywhere.

Jackson taps my arm, and I look over as he shows me a piece of paper.I'm sorry that I left the house today. I was cleaning, but the bleach was really hurting my hands, so I went to get some gloves. While I was out, I saw some things for the dining table for tonight, and I also got a rail to put your suits on once I have ironed them.

I have put the receipt in the envelope of money that you left me.

Looking over at the table, I see that she got things to put on it to make it look more like a dinner party. As I walk around the island in the kitchen, I see the rail with a few of my suits there.

For the first time she has been in this house, I smile. She walks out of the laundry room with her head up. She doesn’t know I’m back home.

She stops just as she gets to the rail, puts her head down and takes a step to the side. I look over at Jackson making a lot of noise.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“I know I should wait, but my stomach needs to know what smells so good.” He opens the oven door and peeks inside. “Hope, this looks amazing.”

I turn to face her as she slowly puts my suit on the rail, then stands against the wall.

“My parents will be here in about an hour. Why don’t you go have a shower and get dressed?” I tell her and with the smallest nod she walks out of the kitchen.

“And you think she will show Mom her hands? Good luck with that,” Jackson says as he looks at the other things that Hope has made. “Oh my God Leo, she’s made cheesecake.” He takes it out of the fridge to show me.

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