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Niallan disappears, and his Dad turns to me. "Let's sit."
"Sure." We settle in the comfortable chairs on the other side of the room, and Mr. Foster takes my hand in his. It's painfully obvious we're totally different ages. We could be grandfather and granddaughter. I shouldn't be in a position where I’ll be forced to marry him.
“Life isn’t fair,” Mr. Foster starts off.
I nod, not sure where this is going. I could run out on the old man, but where would I go? I learned firsthand how dangerous life could be. Being shot at terrified me, and I don’t want a repeat.
“I know my son is young, but I think he could take care of you.”
I turn to stare at Mr. Foster, shock coursing through me. “What?”
Mr. Foster smiles. “He needs someone to look after him.”
I shake my head, not following what he is saying. “I don’t know what you want.”
“The day is coming.”
The door opens, and Mr. Foster's last words play through my mind. What did he mean by the day is coming? What day is coming?
“We’re good to leave, Dad. We need to drive over to the imaging center. They know you’re coming.”
I'm confused. I follow close behind the older Mr. Foster, knowing our conversation isn't finished. I need to ask more questions and find out what is going on.
I don’t have time alone with Niallan’s dad since they get him in quickly. Niallan spends most of the time on the phone. I sit and watch the TV they have playing in the lobby. It’s on some game show I know nothing about.
How would my life have been different if I'd been born to a normal family? I would be able to make a few decisions on my own, at least I think I would have. Is the woman working as a receptionist happy? She doesn't look upset or sad. She seems normal. Would I be like her, just living my life, not worrying about things like who tried to kill us earlier today?
I think Niallan feels like these men were after him, but I'm not so sure. My dad has plenty of enemies. Dad and Ian have no clue that I know how often they've dodged enemies. Delilah wasn't supposed to tell me about her father and what he did, but she told me anyway. Too bad I'm not allowed to hang out with her without a chaperone. It's ridiculous, but she's busy with kids, and my father knows I would run off. He and Ian have forbidden me from coming around unless there are multiple guards. They know me well.
Niallan comes back in around the time his dad finishes. We head out to grab something to eat. When we arrive at the restaurant, we're shown a good table with a view of the gardens. No one is there to tell me I can't order something fried, but I know I shouldn't. I order a salad, and Niallan whips his head up.
“No, you’ll be too hungry. That’s not enough. Add an appetizer. How about the macaroni and cheese egg roll and some artichoke dip?”
The waitress takes off, and I'm left wondering what just happened. "I can't eat stuff like that." I don't know what he's up to, but it has to stop.
“Why not?”
My lips thin and anger rises. My parents have dictated everything for me, even my weight. When I grew bigger than my older sisters, I was put on a strict diet. The last few years, I've spent hungry most of the time. Niallan has thrown me off my game. I don't know how to respond to him.
The appetizers come out, and the scent is enough to make my eyes roll up in my head. My mouth waters and my stomach clenches. I need whatever they've placed on the table, but years of conditioning have taught me to deny my desires.
"Here," Niallan says as he puts a gooey-looking thing that was possibly fried on my plate. I look at it, then at him.
“Is this a trap?” I can’t help but think he’s trying to ruin me.
He shakes his head and flashes me a smile. "No. You need to eat. We'll eat healthy at home, but today has worn me out, and we still have hours to go before it's over."
I take a bite, and my eyes close as I chew slowly. I want to savor every morsel, taking my time and chewing slowly. I also want to shove it into my mouth and eat everything as fast as I can. I can't do both, so I go slow, thinking I may never eat something this good again in my life.
The waitress comes and takes the empty plate. I'm sad it's gone, but there's the artichoke dip which I know is loaded with calories. How do I know? The sauce is white. White sauce means high calories. This isn't as good, but it's still wonderful. Our main courses come out, and the salad is good but nowhere near as delicious as the rest of the food.
I’m stuffed when we leave the restaurant because Niallan demanded I eat three bites of cheesecake. It has literally been years since I’ve had any type of cake, let alone cheesecake.
I hate my parents at this moment. I'm sure someone will tell me they were doing the best they could. That I should feel indebted to them because they rescued me from foster care. I don't feel those things, at least not right now. I feel angry that I was made to feel like a total failure. My basic existence was questioned again and again. When I rebelled, I was punished harshly. I don't think Ian or the rest of my siblings knew how bad it was. I never let on, and Mom and Dad didn't say a word. At one point, I tried to tell Delilah, but then Eric upped the punishment after Delilah went to him.
I fall into bed after brushing my teeth, and I don't think I move until the sun is up and the birds are singing. When I get downstairs, I notice a man dressed in black standing in the hall. He follows me to the kitchen.
Niallan nods and turns back to his paper. I have to know what is going on. I've been here less than twenty-four hours, and so much has happened.
