Page 58 of Tainted Rose

“I know, and she probably had every right to be. I don’t know what happened between them, but knowing he’s with Christina Warrington in the prom photos … and the fact that he and your mom didn’t end up together?” I shrug my shoulders slowly. “The note isn’t exactly clear about what he did, either.” I scrub my free hand through my hair. “But we do know he hid this. He hid your existence. He ignored you and your mom, let her fend for both of you on her own up until she was gone. I think the only one he told was June. I’m positive my mom has no idea. Yet he gave the academy scholarship money for you.” I shake my head. “I don’t know what to make of it.”

Scarlett flips the photo over to look at it before turning back to the note again.

“What do you think? That’s what’s most important. She’s your mother. You knew her best.”

She nibbles on her lip for a few seconds, deep in thought. “I can’t tell where the anger is stemming from—was she mad that he abandoned her? That he didn’t believe he was the father? Or”—her head swivels to look at me—“it could be worse than that. My mind could take this in so many terrible directions.”

“I’ll admit that after I looked at it for a while, I wondered if he had forced her. Or if he had been messing around with her just for the hell of it and ditched her.” I clear my throat uncomfortably. I wonder if it was anything like the night I kicked Scarlett out—if he used her and then turned his back on her for some reason. From the stiffening of Scarlett’s body, I wonder if she’s drawing some of the same conclusions. “I want to be sure. What if Sebastian isn’t nearly the respectable man I think he is, and my mother and Janie are stuck with him? And I didn’t want to contemplate what it could mean for you once I…”

“Once you what?” Scarlett’s eyelashes are spiky with tears, her cheeks and nose pink with emotion.

“Once I knew I needed you in my life. I don’t want anything to hurt you again. And I’m terrified of the meaning behind her words.”

“You mean like if it was something more like … rape?” She swallows hard, her eyes casting down to her lap.

Fear for her digs into my heart. “It struck me as a possibility.” My throat goes dry when she stares up into my eyes. I don’t know how we’ll deal with the fallout if it is something like that, but I already know I’ll be there for her through it all. There’s no going back for me now.

Slowly, she shakes her head. “Well, how are we ever going to be sure? My mom is dead, Xander. The only one who knows the truth is your stepfather. I hate to say it, but I need to talk to him. I’ll know if I… if I were to look him in the eye and make him talk to me about it.”

I run my hand over my face and let out a frustrated groan. “I wish we could go away somewhere. Somewhere alone, away from all this crazy shit. Where we don’t have to think or worry. We can just be together. No letters, no photos, no secrets, no uncertainty.” I take her head between my palms, kissing her softly.

She brushes my lips with hers, sighing into my mouth. Her body melts against mine as I tentatively slide my tongue between her lips, stroking hers gently, wanting to help her forget for a little while. I draw back, look down at her plump lips, and go back in for another kiss, hungry for her. I angle my head, sweeping my tongue inside this time, bolder, more possessive. She whimpers when I break the kiss. I touch my forehead to hers and whisper, “I’m so glad you trust me to help you. Now we have to figure out how to deal with everything.”

She takes my hands in hers between us. “We’ll figure it out, Xander. And as much as I know you’re worried about your mother and Janie… it would hurt worse if the truth is really bad and you keep them with him. They seem so happy right now, but—I’m scared.”

“Let’s do it. Let’s go talk to him.” I stand up, helping her to her feet.

“Now.”

“Yep. It’s time.”

Down in the kitchen, we find Mom cooking, which is kind of surprising. My brow furrows. “Where’s June?”

Mom whirls around, startled at first, but gives us a bright smile. “Oh, hi, you two. She went home sick. Said her stomach was upset.”

I bet her stomach is upset. She went home because she couldn’t bear to deal with this situation… Scarlett’s hand squeezes in mine. “How about Sebastian?”

“He had to take off again. He said he’d be back tomorrow night.”

Fucking seriously?I glance at Scarlett in my peripheral vision. I hate the way her face falls. For the last twenty-four hours, I’ve been questioning whether I should show her the photo her mother had left for Sebastian. I’m still not sure I made the right decision but at least everything is out in the open between the two of us. The problem is that it looks like her own father isn’t ready to stop disappointing her yet. Coward.

So now, we wait.

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