Page 56 of Finding Redemption

“I understand. It’s all I’m asking for you to do. Thank you,” he says.

“No problem. Goodbye.”

“Bye, honey.”

I end the call, and tears fall from my eyes.

“Come here, babe.” Alden wraps me in his arms.

The floodgates open. “Why am I so nice? Why can’t I be more like my mother?”

He chuckles. “She’s a cold-hearted woman, Reese.”

“I can be cold.” I sniffle. “I can try to be mean.”

“Baby girl, you ain’t got a mean bone in your body.” He rubs my arm, trying to comfort me.

“I wanna be mean. I do.”

“I know. We’ll be ugly later. Right now we have ice cream to finish.” He leans forward and grabs a tissue.

“I love you, Mars Bar.”

“You better.”

I blow my nose and reach for my creamy goodness. “I suppose this is as cold as I’ll get.”

“She’s a cold-hearted snake,” he sings off-key.

“Umm, that’s… he’s a cold-hearted snake.”

“So you say.” He rolls his eyes, and we both laugh.

I slip through the front door of the crisis center, trying to avoid Walker at all costs. I know we need to have a chat about The Historical Society’s proposal, but I refuse to speak to him. I can’t deal with his dick moves and asshole ways.

I keep my head down, hurrying to the first room I can find. I shove the door open with such force, I knock Walker back about three feet. He stumbles to regain his balance.

“Fuck!” he yells and with good reason.

“Wait! You’re bleeding!” I bolt to his side, throwing my bags on the floor. “Here, sit,” I say, dragging my scarf from my neck. I lay it over his eye, applying pressure.

“Fuck.” He winces from the pain.

“You said that already.”

“My just dues, I suppose,” he mumbles.

Maisyn charges through the door. “What in the hell?”

“I need the first aid kit and towels, please.”

“I’m on it.” She scrambles for my request.

“You can’t think I did this on purpose.”

He shuts his eyes tight. Blood runs from the gash above his eye. “It wouldn’t shock me.”

I gape at him. “Seriously? Are you always such an arrogant bastard?”