He couldn’t remember a time since childhood when he’d cried.What he remembered were fists telling him if he wanted to cry, they would givehim something to cry about.So he stopped.
But his Olivia wouldn’t let him keep it in another second.She pulled the poison from his veins with her sweetness and her strength.
He held her close and kissed her cheek.“I have to tellyou.”
She nodded and he began.
* * * *
Olivia’s heart hurt as he held her closer.Like hewas still afraid she would run.
He would find out once she decided she loved someone, shedidn’t let go.Like she hadn’t with Bobby.When she realized he couldn’t loveher romantically, she didn’t run.She allowed her own love to turn into aninfinitely warm friendship that they both needed.It wasn’t going to be thatway with this man.He was going to love her in every way possible.
She smoothed his hair back and rubbed her cheek against his,waiting.She would give him all the time in the world.He’d held these storiesfor a long time.He likely thought she would leave him over this story, butshe’d always known there would be an explanation because he was a good man.
“I was seventeen,” he said quietly.“Garrett and I were in agroup home at the time.We moved in when we were sixteen.They do that a lotwhen you’re about to leave the system.I had one semester of high school left.Half really, since it happened over spring break.I’m surprised your dad didn’ttell you.”
“I’m surprised my dad ran into my life like a bull in achina shop.”She frowned.“Though I suppose I shouldn’t be.”
“He loves you.”
“And he’ll love you, too.Eventually.You know he did thisto Nicole, too.She was on the run from an abusive ex-husband, and my daddidn’t want her getting her claws into Josh and Grim.You will note he washappy at their wedding and paid for everything with a smile.”
He went quiet as though trying to decide what to do.
She kissed his cheek.She was content to sit here with himwhile Garrett worked to get him out of this cell.She didn’t have to ask ifGarrett was trying.She knew.And she knew Keane.“You don’t have to tell me.Idon’t have to know all the facts to believe that you are a good man, a man Iwant to build a future with.I didn’t let anyone tell me because this is yourstory and it’s not gossip to share.”
He seemed to brace himself.“Then you should hold off on allthe pretty words because I did what they said I did.I don’t think I went inwanting to kill him, but I would have if Garrett hadn’t been there to stop me.I lost my head that night.I still don’t remember all of it.”
“Who were you trying to protect?”She knew that had to beit.Deep down.He would only turn violent to protect someone else.
“Her name was Heather.She was fourteen.She acted tough,and I suppose in some ways she was.Her parents left her with her grandma whenshe was five and never came back for her.She told me once she couldn’tremember them at all.They were old pictures her grandma cried over.After hergrandma died, they couldn’t be found and she went in.She caused a lot oftrouble, did some drugs, fought with other kids.So they put her in the grouphome where everyone was older,” he explained.
Olivia couldn’t imagine it.She’d always been loved andsurrounded by family, even if they weren’t blood.If anything happened to herparents, Uncle Julian would have stepped in.Or her sister, Lexi.She wouldnever have been allowed to go into foster care.
“The man who ran the home seemed kind.”There was a cautionto his words.Like he was used to not being believed about this.“His name wasBob, and I liked him.I was wary, but he got through to me.He seemed to be oneof the good ones.Garrett didn’t.He always said there was something about Bobthat didn’t seem right to him.But Bob taught me how to fish.He would take meout on the lake early in the morning, and he told me we didn’t have to talk.Wejust needed to sit and be.I found such peace in those mornings.He seemed togenuinely care about all of us.He would play games and make popcorn for movienights.For about a year, I thought it was the best place we’d ever been in.Then Heather showed up.She wasn’t the only girl in the home, but she was theone he… I don’t know how to put it.He picked on her.If she did the dishes, hewould point out all the flaws and make her do it again.He compared her toeveryone else.She would act out, try to run away, and the cops would bring herback.Bob put a lock on the outside of her door and nailed her windows shut.For her safety.”
Olivia knew it would be bad, but her gut tightened.She knewwhat was coming next.“He started hitting her?”
“No.He would never do that.He would never leave a mark.Physical violence wasn’t his thing.He appeared gentle, but you know there’salways another side to a person.Heather had been in the house for severalmonths when it happened.I often wondered how long it had been going on.Howlong she endured.One night I was thirsty and I got out of bed at two in themorning and her door was slightly open.I heard something.I was worried, so Ilooked in,” he said in a monotone.How many times had he been forced to tellthis story?“He was on top of her and she was crying.Our eyes met in the dimlight and she looked so hollow.Like she didn’t think anyone would help her.She thought I would close the door and say nothing.”
She was sure that wasn’t how the story ended.“You didn’t.”
His head shook.“I did not.I pulled him off her.She saidsomething about not being a whore.That he thought she was a whore like hermother.I saw red, and I don’t remember the rest until the cops came.Iremember Garrett yelling and pulling me off him and then the cops were thereand Heather wasn’t.She ran again.So there was no one to say what happened.Idragged him out into the hall.He gave his story from his hospital room.Iattacked him when he found me with Heather.I was the one hurting her, and hewas the one trying to stop me.They believed him.The DA decided they couldn’tget me on sexual assault since they couldn’t find Heather to testify and itwould be my word against Bob’s, but they charged me with attempted murderbecause one of the other boys said he heard me telling Garrett I wanted to killhim.He was lying, but they all loved Bob.”
How alone he must have felt.How utterly hopeless.“Did theysend you to juvie?”
“Baby, I was seventeen.They tried me as an adult.It wasfunny because I had no idea why I reacted like that.Not at the time.Thepublic defender made me see a therapist who told me it was because I’d seensomething similar happen to my mother.Maybe more than once.I was a child thenand couldn’t help her.”
She ran her hand over his hair, a soothing gesture.“So youwere triggered.Master, I don’t care how bad it was.He deserved it all.Evenif you had killed him.She probably wasn’t his only victim.How bad was thetrial?”
“It didn’t get to a trial.I was young and scared, and theyoffered me a deal.Twenty years or I risked more.I didn’t know what to do.Itook the deal because it seemed impossible.I even wondered if I saw what I sawat one point.The prosecution had their own therapist.He asked a lot ofconfusing questions.He made me think I wasn’t right in the head at that moment.”
She wanted to rip apart everyone who chose their own comfortover his justice.“How did you get out?”
He should still be in jail.
“Heather came back.She’d cleaned herself up and beenthrough her own therapy.She also had a little girl with her.”He sounded sobroken it hurt.“I think that girl is what did it.She came back and told thepolice what happened that night.They said she had no proof.She said she did.DNA.”
