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“No… Lane knew about you.”
I laugh coldly. “But she wanted a child of her own?”
Lane appears behind him, tears streaming down her face. “I never should have turned you away. I was a bitter, jealous, foolish little girl.”
“No, you were an adult; I was just a little girl.”
She wipes away her tears. “What would you do? If you were me back then? Desperate for one of your own?”
“I don’t know, but I’d like to think that if I chose to forgive my husband, I’d forgive the fucking child too. The only one truly innocent in all this.”
“I was young and stupid and it’s a decision I have always regretted.”
“Your decision took my virginity at seven years old. Your decision left me an orphan. Your decision made you a monster.”
She doesn’t disagree, nor does she say anything else.
“I didn’t ask to be born. I didn’t ask you to fuck my mom.”
“I know.” He approaches slowly, hands raised.
“Don’t come near me right now. I will fucking kill you.”
“I love you. I know I failed you then, but I won’t fail you now.”
“You already did, when you lied to me every day and made me stay in your house knowing that you abandoned me.”
Shiny trails wet his cheeks. He gulps audibly and comes another step closer. “You would have left otherwise.”
“You don’t think I’d rather be anywhere else but here?” I scream and hold the mallet in a threatening way. “STOP GETTING CLOSER.”
“You have every right to hate me. You have every right to hate Lane. But we are still going to be here for you, whenever you need us now. Like it or not.”
“Stanley, why is Scandy shouting?” Paisley whispers from the doorway. I hadn’t noticed her come outside. “What happened to big blue?” That’s his car.
Presley rushes towards her and crouches in front of her. “Why don’t we go and do some painting?”
“What happened to big blue?”
“Well, Stanley doesn’t want big blue anymore so we’re breaking him into pieces for the junkyard.”
“I’ll take her inside,” Lane whispers, ushering the little girl in and leaving Presley behind.
“That could have been me.” I whimper dropping the mallet. I couldn’t physically hold on to it anymore even if I wanted to. “I could have had this.”
When Stanley finally gets close enough to grab me, I panic and start to hit. I punch, slap, bite, and hit every part of him that I can. He takes it, he wraps his arms around me and he takes it.
“Let go of me,” I beg, my voice hoarse.
I lose energy fast; I lose the will to hurt him faster. He holds me until I sag, unable to stop the pained sobs from crushing my body, heart first. My throat is sore, my body is trembling. He squeezes me tight to his chest, teardrops land on my hair.
“Why didn’t you want me?” I cry, soaking his shirt.
“I’m so sorry. So sorry. I should have been there.” His kisses my hair, his own arms trembling. “I should have been there.”
“Don’t go,” Stanley begs as I pile my clothing into my suitcase that I fixed myself when I first arrived. “Please, Scandal.”
“That’s not my name,” I whisper, grabbing more things and throwing them in. Tears I thought had dried start to flow again. “I don’t have a name.”
“Where will you go? What will you do? What about school?”
“Don’t concern yourself with me. Exactly how you didn’t for the past ten years of my life.”
He struggles to find the words and silence passes between us. “I love you.”
“Too late.”
“It’s never too late to forgive.”
I blink at him slowly. “I will never forgive you for this.”
Lane appears in the doorway, also puffy-eyed and disheveled. I hope she’s hurt. I hope they both feel the pain as I walk out that door and they never see me again.
“Let me handle this,” Stanley pleads.
I snort because what is there to handle? Me? Am I to be handled?
She still speaks anyway. “He thought he was leaving you with a wealthy and loving family. He got monthly updates on your progress. He stalked you online even though it upset me. Don’t blame Stanley for what happened to you. Blame me. I deserve it.” When I don’t answer and keep packing, she just keeps on fucking going. “He thought you were happy until you went to prison for murder. Who do you think paid for your defense attorney? He sat in the back the day you were charged. Your uncle told him you were psychotic, crazy, demented, and Stanley never believed him, he always knew something else was going on.”
I zip up my suitcase and lift it from the bed. My arms are like jelly.
“Move,” I demand of him but he doesn’t budge and neither does she. “I asked nicely.”
“When you got out and were found guilty, Stanley came for you but your uncle wouldn’t let him see you, wouldn’t relinquish guardianship. The only reason he got it this time is because of Dr. Conway and her ties in the world. That’s the only reason you’re here. We wanted to help you and look, it wasn’t too late, you’re happy here. We all love each other. Your grades in school are better than we hoped, you’re part of a dance team, you’ve got two boys vying for your affection.”
