Page 333 of Redeemed

I look at him. “What’s up?”

“We’re going to leave. Josie is packing up as we speak.”

“W-what?”

“Haven is too overwhelmed. We don’t want to make that worse, and we definitely are.”

My heart sinks. I’ve barely gotten any time with my family, and I’m not ready to say goodbye. But… dammit, my dad is right, and I need to protect Haven right now.

“Okay.” Jaw clenched, I look away. I hate this. I hate how my relationship with my dad has amounted to a series of events of me failing him over and over again.

Phil sighs. “Xander…”

“I hate myself for what happened to her.” I’m not really sure why I say it, other than I have to tellsomeone,and at least Dad will forgive me.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“It was very directly my fault,” I state flatly. “I should’ve gone to her immediately after the ceremony and taken her with me to say hi to you. Or—or we should’ve at least thought of the possibility that Isaiah would come back and grab her during the chaos. Dad, I—”

My voice breaks, and the last thing I see before I close my eyes against the tears is my dad’s pitying expression.

“Come here, Xan.”

I drop to my knees, and when he runs a hand through my hair, a sob breaks free. Crying like this makes me feel like a little kid, but I don’t think I can stop it. The guilt is too strong.

I could’ve prevented all of this so easily. We all could’ve.

“Dad,” I choke out. “I don’t know how to fix this.”

“She’s going to be okay,” he tells me gently. “It’ll take time, but she has you three. You’ll take care of her.”

“What if that’s not enough?”

“You’ve always been enough, Xander. Always.”

The statement hits me in the chest like a ton of bricks. I stare up at my dad in shock. I don’t know why—he’s always treated me like I was enough—but I’ve never felt it. Between my mom and growing up being told I was evil every Sunday, how could it ever feel true?

“I mean it,” he says firmly. “You’re a good person, Xander. Fuck what everyone else says.”

I raise an eyebrow. My dad never swears.

“Don’t tell Rachel I said that,” he adds.

That makes me snort in amusement, and I can’t lie, it helps clear my head a little. I stare up at the man who’s sacrificed so much for me, who’s always rooted for me, who’s always done his best and then some.

“I love you,” I say hoarsely.

He smiles. “I love you, too, Xander.”

Wiping at my eyes, I stand. “I’m gonna come visit you. Once things are settled here, I’ll make the trip. Maybe we all will.”

“You don’t have to rush. Take your time. Haven needs it.”

“She needs support,” I say. “You haven’t seen the real her. Not really. She was so much happier at Christmas. I know she’s too overwhelmed right now, especially with everyone here, but she lost her siblings when she left Cornerstone, and she just lost them again.”

Dad’s eyes soften with realization. “She needs a family.”

“Agoodfamily,” I say. “Like you and Rachel.”

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