Page 49 of Finding Redemption

“I’m going to tell you one more time, Jannel,” Sariah said through gritted teeth.“Stay away from my family.If you come near Brooke or Bella again, I will destroy you.”

“Sure, darling.”Jannel snickered, not taking the threat seriously.She grinned down at me.“It was great chatting with you, but I have a flight to catch.See you at parent pickup, girls.”

Her diamond rings caught the light as she gave me a finger wave before walking away, still lightly laughing to herself.I watched her go, reeling over everything I’d just learned.

A large mug was placed on the table in front of me.Our waitress asked Sariah if she was joining us as she filled the cup.I grabbed it as soon as she stopped pouring and took a gulp, needing the hot liquid to get my brain cells to snap to life again.

“No,” Sariah said, watching me cautiously as she spoke.“I’m not hungry.I’ll just be sitting with them.”

Emotions blinded me, and I became caught in my own head, pain shooting behind my eyes like my brain was being sliced with a laser.And then I blinked Sariah into focus.She’d taken the seat to my right, but it was Bella’s quietness that drew me back to reality.

Her sad eyes, once again pleading for me not to leave her.

“How did you meet Jannel?”Sariah asked me, her voice hesitant.

I couldn’t look away from Bella as I answered, sounding like a robot.“She approached me.At school, while I was picking up Bella this week.Twice.”

Bella hadn’t said a word about Jannel then.If anything, she’d changed the subject.Avoidance.Ah, precious girl.

“If you see her in the future, tell me.I’ll handle it.”

Ignoring her, I reached across the table, taking Bella’s hands in mine.“How long have you known?”She shrugged, but I instinctively knew I couldn’t let her hide.“Bella.”

“Three nannies ago,” she said with another shrug.“Christy would take me for ice cream after school every day.Jannel was always there.She told me…stuff.”

ChapterThirty

Brooke

Sariah choked on air,and I finally glanced at her.Her skin had an unnatural pallor to it, her eyes holding that deer caught in the headlights look.

She hadn’t known that Bella knew.

Releasing Bella’s right hand, I took one of Sariah’s as well, offering her comfort.For what exactly, I wasn’t sure, but I could sense she needed my touch to ground her.

“Christy left, and the next one, Kim, started doing the same thing not long after.Then Kayla.”

“Wh-what did she tell you?”Sariah gulped.

Bella kept her head turned so that she was only looking at me.“She told me Riah is my mom, but she didn’t want to be.I already knew that.Not who my mom was exactly.Daddy never said.And he got mad the times I asked, so I stopped asking.But I figured whoever my mom was didn’t want me, and that’s why I didn’t know who she was.It’s okay, though.I don’t need a mom.”

“No, Bella.That’s not true,” Sariah whispered, heartbreak filling every word.“I love you.So, so much.But things happened.Things I will never tell you about.I couldn’t be your mom.I couldn’t.Please, Bella-Boo.Please understand.I would do anything, give anything, to be able to… But I can’t.”

Her voice cracked, and I squeezed her fingers.

Bella swallowed hard but still didn’t look at Sariah.I gave her an encouraging smile, locking away my anger at Jannel.There would be plenty of time for that later.“What else did Jannel tell you while you ate ice cream?”

“Just that I shouldn’t tell anyone I knew who my mom was.Or that she bought me ice cream.Or that I knew her.The ice cream wasn’t even that good, but I didn’t want to make Daddy mad.She said he would send me away if he found out.That he wouldn’t want me anymore either.”Her chin wobbled.If Jannel had still been there, I would have shanked her with my fork.Right in her cold, dark heart.“When I saw her talking to you, I thought you would make me eat ice cream with her too.I was so glad you didn’t.”

“Never, precious.Not ever.I promise.”

Relief filled Bella’s face, her little shoulders sagging as she released a breath and shrank back into her chair.With Sariah seated beside her, I looked for any similarities that would suggest they were mother and daughter.But other than the brown eyes and Bella’s skin tone being a few shades lighter, I couldn’t find anything.There wasn’t much of Paxton in Bella either, something I already knew.I’d been looking for weeks now, only to assume that Bella must favor her mother.

Yet, she barely did.

What was I missing?

“Henry didn’t recognize her,” I mused aloud, making my thoughts change direction before I drove myself insane.Sitting there trying to come up with any excuse that wouldn’t break my heart more than it already was—because I wanted Paxton to be free to love me like he said he did—only made me pathetic.

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