Page 64 of Redemption
“I know. Poor Rylan. He just…” Jarret paused.
“He just couldn’t pretend,” Ma finished for him. “And he was never good at that. Just like you and his daddy.”
A silence fell then Jarret spoke again, “You’re right,” he admitted. “That’s why I left all those years ago. I couldn’t pretend. I know you loved Jacob and I had to accept that.”
“Please don’t talk about that,” Ma said.
“I have to. I see now that I ran away. Pure and simple. My sons keep looking at me with confusion in their eyes. They are going to ask why I left here and never spoke about my family.”
“You did the only thing you could do, I suppose.”
I held my breath. I know Redemption was confused and curious about that whole subject and I had my guesses, but here they were, talking about it. I know I needed to back up and not eavesdrop. Turning, I looked over at the hallway to the security room. I knew Logan had all the men located and he had said something about eyes on the ground, as he put it.
“It’s in the past, Jarret and there it will stay,” Ma spoke again.
“Why does it have to be there?” Jarret asked her.
I felt torn. Damn it, I shouldn’t be lurking around listening in on…
“I still love you as if thirty-six years had never passed,” Jarret spoke again.
I froze as I heard his words and raised my hand to my mouth.
“Boy, we are old now. Stop that nonsense talk,” Bea said.
“Why should I?” he asked. “Why can’t we spend our golden years together?”
Silence.
I swallowed heavily and decided to help Ma out as she had done so many times for me. I turned around and walked into the kitchen.
Ma saw me and she looked a bit pale. “Cinnamon? What are you doin’ up?”
I shrugged. “Can’t sleep. I will lay there and go crazy, worrying.”
She moved over from her chair and motioned for me to sit. “I’ll get ya some tea. You always liked it.”
I gave her a nod then was brave enough to look over at Jarret. I stepped to the side and sat down.
He was glaring at me.
Yeah, I interrupted but I wasn’t sorry. Poor Ma had been through the ringer this week and for many months if you considered what the Walkers had all endured. It wasn’t that I thought they shouldn’t be together, as it wasn’t any of my business really, but Ma needed time and I intended to give that to her. I raised my chin up to meet Jarret’s gaze. “I think you and I need to talk.”
He studied me and replied, “Oh, yeah?”
I froze as he sounded and almost looked just like Redemption for a second. I took a deep breath and nodded.
Ma set my iced sweet tea down in front of me. “I’ll leave then. This sounds personal.”
I shook my head. “You know all about me, Ma. Or at least some of it. Please sit down.” Yes, maybe I wasn't as brave as I thought. I suddenly felt like I had a chance at happiness and a good life. One day soon, that could be all over if Jarret found out the truth the wrong way. I sure as hell did not want to be in one of O’s Shakespearean plays. Like Romeo and Juliet. Nope. I needed to do the same as I did before with Redemption. Just put it out there. Yet, I did not believe I would get the same understanding from his father.
“Ok, go ahead, talk,” Jarret said.
“I have a bad past, Mr. Walker. It isn’t pretty either. But I need for you to know the truth.”
His eyes narrowed at me.
I went on, before I could bolt from the room and hide in a closet, “I was taken into the foster system when I was like eight years old. My mom was an alcoholic and she never took care of me. I had to be taken into the system when I missed school for a week after she came home all beaten up. She was so sick that time. She didn’t even seem to know who I was. She hit me a few times, claiming I was a stranger and to get out of her house. But I couldn't leave her like that so I stayed home and tried to help her. The police and social workers came and got me. I can say I would have rather that they had left me there, because the foster homes were bad, really bad. During foster home number ten, I was sneaking food from their refrigerator, cause they wouldn’t allow me to eat at the dinner table with them. The foster dad caught me and said I was stealing and I was as bad as my lowlife drunken mother. He chased me out of the house while carrying a belt. I was then on the streets. I won’t tell you about the details but after I got raped one night my rapist felt bad after he saw I had been a virgin and he tossed 50 dollars at me. I then got to eat for the first time in days.” I raised my dry eyes up to look at him. “That was when I started to sell my body.”
