Page 52 of Freeing Hawk
Keegan nodded. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For trying to spare my feelings. For telling me the truth.” Keegan dragged the back of his right hand across his nose. “They were going to kill me, you know?”
I swallowed. “I know. And I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
Keegan stared at me for a silently breath then nodded and looked away. “Ever since I was little, I had this feeling from my dad. It was almost like he loved his country more than he loved me. Don’t you think that’s a messed-up thing for a kid to feel from his father? I did everything to get him to treat me like he wanted me, like he wanted to be there. I speak three languages, fluently—three.I play all the sports, honour roll—and none of that made him love me.”
“I don’t know if he necessarily don’t love you, Keegan.” My heart broke for him. “Sometimes men just don’t know how to show it.”
“Well, he’s had fifteen years to figure it out.” Keegan sighed. “I don’t want to go back to him.”
“They’re going to put you in the system.” I warned.
“I’d rather that, than be in that house anymore.” Keegan lifted his chin. “He hadn’t even read the permission slip when I gave it to him. He barely even looked up.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek.
“My mother is high most of the time.” Keegan continued. “When she’s not high she locks herself in the bedroom sobbing. The sad thing is, she gave birth to me and I could walk by her on the street and she wouldn’t even know what I look like.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“If you say so.” Keegan sighed. “My father doesn’t even like me enough to try saving my life. Do you want me to go back to that? What did I do to deserve that?”
I sighed. “Nothing. But you’re too young to legally be emancipated from your parents. Legally, you have to be seventeen or sixteen if you live away from them. Right now, you’re fifteen.”
“You’re telling me, I have to go back to that house?”
“Well.” I paused to think about it. “What your father have done can be considered child abuse. If we can prove your mother is incompetent as well, we can have you removed from the home.”
“Okay, that. I’ll do that.”
“We can think about all this later.” I told him. “You should probably think about it a little more carefully. Drink your juice.”
I rose and was making my way back to the others when he called out to me. Pausing, I turned to look at him. “What’s up?”
“Thanks.”
I quirked a brow.
“For not talking to me like I have no sense.” He explained. “I’ve never had that before.”
I winked at him and joined the others. Dude rubbed my back. Romeo handed me a part of the quesadilla he was eating.
Angel leaned in to kiss me.
Cadmus and Ghoul were on their phones—Cadmus to someone he knew and Ghoul arranging our flight back.
“How’s Kingston doing?” Romeo asked.
“He’s feeling okay.” I told him. “The pain meds are working and he’s sleeping it off. Look Romeo, thanks for doing this—all of you.”
“We have your back.” Romeo smiled.
“No, you have Angel’s back.” I told him.
“That too.” He blew me a kiss.
