Our Broken Pasts [Editing] | #Wattys2017

Chapter Sixteen

Hailey

I froze.

Five words.

And I froze.

I turned to look at Will. His green eyes weren't hard. They were soft and curious. And something deeper lay in them too. Something...almost knowing. They were mesmerizing.

In that moment, I knew that I could tell him. That it would be okay. That I really could trust him.

"No, they're not."

Will let out a breath, as if I'd confirmed something I already knew.

"Where are your real parents?"

"I don't know. And I don't care. My mom... Well, I haven't seen her since she was arrested and I was taken in with her and my dad could be dead for all I know."

Will's hand reached over and caught my chin as he scooted closer to me, so our bodies were almost touching.

"I'm sorry."

So often, I'd heard that and wondered why people said that. It wasn't like they knew of it affected you or not. Where had that come from? But now, it meant that he understood. That he wished it hadn't happened, maybe. And from the way his eyes burned with that everlasting fire, I knew that I was right. He understood.

Tears welled in my eyes. For so long, I had just wanted someone to understand - totally, completely, utterly. Marnie and Steve tried, the police and the social service workers tried, but none of them could quite understand the void that Chicago had left inside me. I wanted to scream and tell the whole, gruesome story. But I couldn't.

Now, I wanted to tell Will. And I thought I could.

Finally.

He threaded his fingers through mine, holding on tight to my hand. Just like that day in the truck when he leaned on me, I leaned on him. I laid my head on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart all through.

I took a deep breath, and began.

"My mom was a druggie. She dealt and she used. I don't know where my dad is anymore. He left us when he knew my mom would be going off the deep end soon. He was the CEO of a small car company in Chicago. Real American heavy metal. Mustangs, Corvettes... I was always closer to him than my mom, but he wouldn't take me with him. I guess he didn't want me. I never found out for sure.

"My mom was part of a much larger drug operation in Chicago. At the head of that organization was Nathan Strong."

Will inhaled sharply when I said Nathan's name, and his hand clenched mine even tighter.

"He controlled my mom, and me, though I was too angry to realize it until it was too late.

"I thought he loved me. After my father left us so suddenly, he was the one to understand what I went through. He was the one who kept me in the land of the living. Until December 23rd four years ago.

"That night, a deal went sour, or so I understood. He'd messed around with some guys he shouldn't have. He was a big gun on the streets, but a small fry compared to the guys he was competing with. My mom was there with him when things went south - an expendable. I was ignorant of everything they were up to, and maybe that makes it my fault - what happened."

I took a breath to try and still the tear that started to creep up.

"Anyway, th-they got there and Nathan had managed to piss off some pretty important people. From what I heard, he shot two of the guys and the third got away. My mom got bloodied up pretty bad - I could tell that something had gone down the next morning. Nathan swore my mom to secrecy so he wouldn't get thrown in jail. She never planned on telling anyone, but the guy they let get away ran to the police. They would have arrested him, but he'd given them the information they wanted about Nathan. They had enough to put him away. They pulled my mom in too. And me.

"They questioned Nathan, but they couldn't get anything and all they had to go on was what the rat had told them. My mom balked. She told them that it was her fault and she got a plea bargain. Nathan got away."

Resentment burned thick in my throat.

"He walked and my mom got sent to a facility. They couldn't talk to my dad because they couldn't find him. Instead, I got thrown in the foster system.

"Nathan got to me somehow, while I was in the custody of Social Services. He made sure I wouldn't talk. Almost blew my brains out, too. And he had the nerve to suggest that he loved me. He wanted me to run away with him. I couldn't believe it. I told him to screw off, that I never wanted to see him again. Actually, I think my response was 'fuck you'. He left, but not before promising to find me and steal me away. I've been waiting for it to happen for years. I thought I could make it without him making good on that promise. But I guess not."

I let out a short, bitter laugh through the tears that were starting to fall silently.

"So that's my story."

Will

I couldn't believe it. How could anyone be so cruel and calculating? Okay, scratch that. I knew. I knew all too well. I couldn't believe that Hailey had stood so strong through all this, not blinking an eye hardly when Nathan came up to her. She must have been scared out of her mind.

She was so strong.

"You're incredible." I whispered.

She turned her head so her hazel eyes gazed into mine, a look of surprise flitting across her face. "You didn't deserve that. And you're so strong. You're so strong for being the way you are, after all that."

I pressed a kiss to her forehead and brought my other hand up to cup her cheek. "You're so strong. And don't ever forget that."