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Considering the news I’d just delivered, I didn’t think he could handle any additional stresses. There was only so much life could throw at a person before he broke.
“Mr. West?” An eerie calmness settled over his features as his eyes moved to meet mine.
“Yes?”
“Thank you for telling me the truth and believing in me anyway. I know you didn’t have to, and that means a lot.”
“You’re welcome, Emmanuel.”
He blew out a breath and shook his head. “I always kinda suspected something was off, you know. My mom got really weird whenever I asked about my dad. She would just shut down.”
“I’m sure she didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Probably didn’t want to hurt me.” He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and slid it across the table. “I wrote that for her, though. Finally found the words I wanted to say. I just hope she’ll listen.”
“She will.” Maybe it was a lie, but I wanted to believe she’d change her mind.
Emmanuel hung his head and stared at the table. “It makes sense if she doesn’t. I get it.”
“Don’t let this define you,” I told him. “Whatever your father was, that isn’t you. You are your own man. I need you to believe that, and I need you to be confident in that one steadfast truth on Monday.”
When his head came up, he seemed to look through me as he nodded. “I won’t let you down, Mr. West.”
I couldn’t tell if his confidence was authentic, but I had no choice other than to accept it.
I gestured to the wound on his face. “Will you tell me what happened?”
“It’s nothing,” he said. “You know how this place is.”
“Let me report it,” I insisted. “It would be best if you had some peace and quiet during the trial.”
Emmanuel drummed his fingers against the table. “I don’t want that. I’ll go crazy if they lock me up in one of those rooms. It’s okay, I swear. I’ll be okay.”
I wanted to believe him, but I was afraid that as timid as Emmanuel might be, he was still capable of blowing up if they continued to provoke him. We didn’t need that. But in the end, it was his call to make.
“We’ll take it day by day,” I said. “If anything changes, you can let me know. I need you to let me know.”
“I will.” He jerked his chin.
I secured the letter in my briefcase before standing. “I’ll deliver this to your mom.”
His eyes were glassy when he nodded. “Thanks, Mr. West.”
IT WAS PAST TEN WHEN I wandered toward the kitchen in search of my morning coffee. I’d slept in, figuring it wouldn’t make a difference, considering that Lucian was already at work and I no longer had class. But I found that wasn’t the case at all when I rounded the corner and saw him sitting at the breakfast bar, paper in hand. He was dressed in his casual clothes, shirt and jeans, and he had an empty cup beside him waiting for me.
I sat down next to him, and he looked at me with a wry grin.
“You’re not at work today?” I asked.
I expected him to question what I was doing. Staying home and sleeping in would most definitely be against Lucian’s rules, and considering I hadn’t told him about the test yet, I was certain he would be angry and assume the worst. But he didn’t. Lucian never did, and I wasn’t sure when I would finally learn that.
“I took the day off,” he said. “Like you.”
“I passed my test last week,” I blurted. “That’s why I’m home.”
“I know.” His eyes collided with mine, warm and proud.
My heart skipped a beat, and heat gathered in my cheeks. I didn’t think I would ever get tired of hearing him say he was proud of me.
“I was wondering when you were going to tell me,” Lucian said.
“You were working so much, and I didn’t want to burden you.”
He turned into me, his knee bumping against mine as the warmth of his hand found my shoulder. “You are never a burden to me. What you’ve done is nothing short of amazing, Gypsy, and I want you to feel comfortable enough to share those things with me.”
“It’s just a GED,” I murmured. “It’s nothing compared to what you do.”
“It’s not just a GED,” he argued. “It’s the first step to whatever you want to do with your life. You’ve proven to yourself that you can conquer your fears, and I hope now you understand there isn’t anything that can hold you back from your goals.”
I gave him a weak smile. The problem was that I didn’t know what my goals were. Lucian wanted me to be something great, but I still wasn’t certain I was capable of that.
“Here.” He reached beneath the bar and picked up a paper bag, sliding it over to me. “I got you something.”
