Page 4 of Finding Redemption

Sariah made a humming noise.“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t apologize to him.We don’t say sorry for someone else’s bad behavior,” I gently reprimanded.“Hewill apologize toyou.”

“No, I will not,” he gritted out.

“You have until the count of five.Or I will leave, and Bella will have to be disappointed.”I really didn’t want to do that.All I could imagine was the sweet face from the picture Sariah had shown me earlier.But I was not going to be around anyone who disrespected my friend.

“You’re such a little brat.”

“Oh, how dare I demand respect for those I care about.”I put my hand in his face and lowered my thumb.“Five.Four.Three…”

I would not punch him in the face if I got to zero and he hadn’t apologized.I wouldn’t.I was better than that.Momma would be so disappointed.

But I really, really wanted to.

“Two—”

“I apologize,” he huffed.

“With sincerity,” I reproached.

He ground his teeth together so hard I could hear the enamel crumbling into dust.Nostrils flaring, he looked at Sariah.“I’m sorry for speaking to you that way, sweetheart.”

Surprise filled her face.“Um…it’s okay.Thank you?”

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”I bent to pick up the bags I’d dropped, ignoring the shot of revulsion that always accompanied that particular endearment.“Now, where can I find the birthday princess?”

ChapterThree

Brooke

Sariah ledthe way through the maze of a house while I tried not to gape at everything.Marble floors.Crystal chandelier.Two staircases.Several maids in black skirts, black dress shirts, and white aprons, their hair pulled back into severe buns.A guy in a suit standing inside the front door with a white communication device attached to his ear like he was secret service.

Everything screamed “money” on an epic level.It gave me hives.Memories I’d thought were buried deep threatened to bombard me, but I refused to allow them free admission into my mind.

“Remind me how you and Bella’s parents became friends,” I said with a small laugh as we walked along the corridor of the third floor, in an attempt to distract myself.I thought I’d seen an elevator when we’d reached the landing.

“Paxton is a…” Sariah paused, searching for the right words, and settled on, “Family friend.”

I wasn’t sure how to process that.Was it in the literal sense, as in Paxton Foster was friends with her parents?Or…something completely different?What I really wanted to know but couldn’t bring myself to ask—because it wasn’t my business in the least, yet I wanted to know so badly, I was already choking back the question—was had Sariah and Paxton hooked up?

And why that bothered me, I wasn’t going to explore.

As if she could read my mind, Sariah’s eyes got huge.“Ew, no!Gross, Brooke.”Laughing, she stopped in front of a set of double doors.“Paxton is…just Paxton.”

For some reason, I had a feeling she had meant to say something other than “just Paxton,” but I didn’t call her out on it.Shrugging, I adjusted my grip on the bags.“Okay.It’s just the way he called you sweetheart seemed like more than just as a friend.”

“Nope,” she snickered.“Like I said, that’s just Paxton.”

“Riah!”a little voice squealed moments after one of the double doors was pulled open.

Sariah swooped down and lifted her up as Bella wrapped her legs around her waist.“Happy birthday, Bella-Boo!”

“I’m so happy you came,” she cried, burying her face in my friend’s hair.“I was so scared you wouldn’t.”

“I would never miss the most important day of the year,” Sariah assured her softly, rocking her side to side.Her eyes closed as she rubbed Bella’s back.“I missed you so much.”

Bella lifted her head, her dimple popping as she beamed at Sariah.“I missed you more.”

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