Page 97 of Damien
“I was young and stupid, Vanessa. But that’s no excuse.”
“What does any of this have to do with my dad?” I interrupt because I don’t want to hear why he broke up with me after we’d finally had sex. We’d dated for almost six months, but the moment we had sex, he broke it off.
Zach lets out a low, humorous laugh. “You see, your dad knew I was turning eighteen in a matter of weeks when we were last together. I’d done something stupid…” he trails off as his focus returns to his water bottle.
“You mean besides getting me pregnant?”
“For the record, I broke up with you before we even knew. Your dad found out I’d been involved in a heist that would land me in jail, if I didn’t take his deal.”
Did Dad force him to break up with me? Yeah, Dad was a lawyer, who worked in the DA’s office. But he wouldn’t stand in the way of justice to protect me. What am I missing? “Explain,” I demand.
“You see, I was innocent, but I was still guilty by association. My buddies at the time, you remember Jared and Paul? Well, they broke into someone’s house and stole enough that it was considered a felony.”
Knowing there’s more to his story, I probe, “What did you have to do with it?”
Grimacing, he rolls his eyes. “I was stupid enough to store some of their shit in my backpack. When the arrest went down, I went down with them. But your dad saved me.”
“First, he told me I had to break up with you, and he’d represent me. He didn’t want his daughter dating anyone who was stupid enough to get himself into this situation. I cared about you enough to agree with him.” He hangs his head for a moment, then returns his sad gaze to me. “But when he learned about my past, he took pity on me and worked his magic. I gave the prosecutors all the information they needed, in exchange for the charges being dropped.”
“How did I not know any of this?” I ask in disbelief.
“Part of my deal was to use what tools I had to get out of the system. I’d already been accepted to the Navy Academy. By some miracle, my ACT scores and the help of Mr. Barnes, our school counselor, I’d procured letters from Senator Beck and a few local law enforcement officers before any of this went down. Your dad told me it was in all of our best interest to let him take care of things and get me out of town. My so-called friends were pretty pissed that I’d rolled on them, and it wasn’t safe for me to stick around at the time.”
“Why are you back now then?” I ask as I process this information dump he just gave me. I’m not sure which weighs more on my heart, the fact that Dad went behind my back to get rid of Zach, or that Zach thought he was in danger.
“I’m home on leave visiting my biological sister. We were separated as kids, but now that we’re older, we’re in touch with one another. She was only a year older than me but couldn’t care for herself, let alone me back then.”
Looking around, I ask, “Are you safe now?” needing to know if my association with him in this moment might bring trouble to my door.
“Yeah,” and I instantly relax. “Those guys only did a few months and were released. Paul didn’t learn his lesson and is back in with a ten-year sentence. Jared, on the other hand, cleaned up his act and found a way to contact me through our guidance counselor at the high school. Well, we’ve always stayed in contact. He’s the reason your dad helped me, too… Anyway, Jared reached out, and we’ve made amends. He never blamed me for taking the deal. He was one of the few who knew my real situation and knew I didn’t need anything else holding me back.”
“So… I was holding you back?” I’m not sure why after all he’s told me, that this is the most shocking.
“No!” he says adamantly. “I promised your dad I wouldn’t drag you down with me. The night… we … uh… well, that was my idiotic way of saying goodbye to you. You meant a lot to me. I’m so sorry for what I’ve put you through.”
“What? Say goodbye and leave me with a baby?” I practically squeal.
“No. Fuck. We found out you were pregnant right as the trial was starting. Your dad didn’t want any of my shame touching you or the baby. Not knowing what I know now, I agreed. I was just a good-for-nothing kid who grew up in the system. I wanted more for my child’s life than to have a chump like me as their father. I thought they deserved better, and your dad agreed. It was a part of the reason I went to Running Start our senior year at the local community college, so we wouldn’t see one another, if I could help it.”
Wow. Just wow.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you when they died. I’d shipped off a week earlier to boot camp and didn’t hear about it until almost two years later when I’d finally come back on leave. By then, you’d moved, and I didn’t want to bring drama into your life. You’d already been through so much. You certainly didn’t need my sorry ass coming around. Besides, I’d signed away my rights, and I didn’t want to cause you any problems. I made a promise to your dad, and I intended to keep my word to him after all he did for me.”
I have no freaking words. This is unreal. Someone must be pulling one hell of a prank on me. In a matter of minutes, he’s unraveled my entire perception of what went down between us—and my dad played a part in it. How did I not know? When I signed the papers to have sole custody of my unborn child, I thought it was because he’d just completely abandoned us. I knew he wanted to join the Navy, but when he disappeared, I never knew what happened to him.
Well, I never wanted to see him again either. So, there’s that, too.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Damien with Julia. The moment our eyes meet, he gives me a silent nod and steers Julia in the opposite direction of Zach and me. God, that man is a saint. I have no idea if Julia should meet Zach. This would upend her world. I’m not sure either of us are ready for that.
Watching my gaze, Zach quietly asks, “Is that her?”
“Yes,” I whisper, not knowing what else to say.
“Her name is Julia, right?” He surprises me once again by knowing her name.
He quickly adds, “Your dad sent me a picture the day she was born, but I was only told her first name.”
Holy shit. “Was Dad ever going to tell me?”
