Angel of Redemption

by J. A. Little

  Claire looks lost and really freaking scared. I don’t blame her. This isn’t going to be pretty.

  “Get your things and come with me,” I say, standing up.

  “What things?”

  “Purse. School bag. Phone. Whatever you need. Bring some pajamas and your uniform for school tomorrow, too.”

  “I don’t… I’m staying with you?”

  “For tonight, yes. I’ll call Mom and tell her you’re doing a last-minute extra-credit project or something.”

  “What am I really going to be doing?” she asks cautiously.

  “Figuring out how to grow up. Fast.”

  Chapter 51

  Kayla

  Well, this is uncomfortable. I’m sitting in the chair in my living room with a mug of chamomile tea in my hands. Emily is on the loveseat across from me. Dean and Aiden are in the kitchen. I can hear them talking, but not what they’re saying. We’re waiting for Andy to show up so we can discuss the situation. Since he’s technically still Logan’s attorney, I want his input. Plus, if I’m going to go up against Richard, I need to know exactly where everyone stands.

  Claire and Logan are sitting on the couch. One of Logan’s arms is around my sister’s waist, his fingers rubbing up and down her side. His other hand is resting on her thigh, their fingers intertwined. He’s whispering in her ear. She nods, and her lips twitch. I want to yell at her, to tell her there is no reason to smile. They’ve fucked up and now we all have to figure out what to do about it. Instead, I close my eyes and hang my head, waiting.

  When Andy finally gets home, Sara is at his side.

  “Hi.” She squeezes my shoulder in a semi-hug and greets Emily.

  “Hi. What are you doing here?”

  “I thought I could offer some support—I hope that’s okay. Andy told me what’s going on.” She bends down so she’s level with me. “This is bad, Kayla. Her parents are gonna flip the fuck out.”

  “I know,” I grumble. They’re going to blame this all on me. As if Richard doesn’t hate me enough already. He’s probably going to get a restraining order against me now. I think of all the things he can do to fuck up my life if he really wants to. And after this news breaks, he’s definitely going to want to.

  Glancing up, I see Claire looking at me sadly. She averts her eyes back down when they meet mine. I feel guilty for thinking about how this is going to affect me. Claire’s life is never going to be the same.

  Andy pulls up a couple of chairs, and he and Sara sit down on them. Dean and Aiden join us. Dean takes my now cold tea from my hands and replaces it with a cup of hot coffee. I’m thankful for the burning heat against my hands—it gives me something to focus on other than the two young idiots across the room making eyes at each other.

  Sipping from the cup, I taste not only coffee, but the bite of the whiskey Dean’s added. It’s not strong, but it’s enough to take the edge off. He winks at me and his fingers twitch. I know he wants to touch me, but he’s hesitant. I reach up and grab his hand, pulling him down so he’s sitting on the edge of my chair. Logan already knows about us; it’s not like we’re blowing our cover or anything by sitting next to each other.

  Aiden goes to Emily, sitting down on the loveseat and handing her a mug as well. From the look on her face when she tastes it, she’s gotten the same surprise. No one says anything for what seems like forever, but I’m sure it’s not that long.

  “Well?” Aiden finally says, breaking the silence. When no one answers, I look up. Logan isn’t even paying attention.

  “Logan?” I snap.

  “What?”

  I widen my eyes and hold my hands up in a silent What the fuck?

  “What do you want me to say?” He shrugs.

  “Fine. Don’t say anything. Sit there and listen,” I growl. Claire looks at me nervously, still holding tightly to Logan’s hand. “Look. We have less than a week to figure out how to handle this,” I start.

  “A week?” Sara asks. “What happens in a week?”

  “Logan turns eighteen on Saturday,” Emily supplies.

  “Technically, it doesn’t matter.” Andy corrects. “Age of consent in Minnesota is sixteen. Richard and Celia can’t take legal action unless he takes her over state lines. Then we have a problem.” Andy shoots a warning glance at Logan, who just rolls his eyes. I want to get up and slap him across his thick skull.

  “It doesn’t matter whether they can legally do anything or not. Do you honestly think Richard is going to sit back and accept that his pride and joy is knocked up? I scoff. “He’s going to do everything he can to fuck up Logan’s life.” I hear Claire make a noise from her throat that sounds like she’s choking. I glance over to see Logan whispering in her ear again. “Can you two knock it off for five minutes and pay attention? Please?” I ask, irritated.

  The discussion goes on for more than half an hour. We’re running circles around each other and everyone’s getting equally frustrated. The main issue is how to go about telling my mom and Richard. No one can agree. Logan doesn’t want to do it at all—which obviously won’t work. Dean thinks we should do it on neutral territory, but I know for a fact Richard would never agree to meet us anywhere. Emily suggests only telling Mom, but Claire is adamant that she doesn’t want our mother to be the one to tell her dad.

  I have to excuse myself at one point to answer a call from my mother. She’s not happy that I’ve basically stolen Claire, but she doesn’t ask me to bring her back tonight. Apparently, she and Richard are fighting about something, but I don’t stay on the line long enough to hear details. I honestly don’t care. Whatever it is they have going on, it’s going to be blown out of the water when Claire and Logan tell them the news.

  When I get back into the living room, Logan has finally opened his mouth.

  “I’m not a fucking kid!”

  “Then stop acting like one! Don’t tell us how grown up you are. Show us,” Dean yells.

  “I’ve been trying! I did Kayla’s stupid Independent Living bullshit. I got a job, I make my own money. I have a car and a phone. All I need is a place to live and Claire can move in with me. I’ll take care of her.” The roar of six adult voices in protest overwhelms the room.

  “Absolutely not! No way.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “You have lost your mind.”

  “This is our life. Our baby,” Logan retorts. “You can’t make decisions for us!”

  “Well, obviously you’re not capable of making responsible decisions on your own,” I bite.

  “Says you! But I don’t care what you say anymore. You’re a fucking traitor.”

  “Watch it!” Dean warns. But I can’t just let that go.

  “A traitor? Are you kidding me? I’ve spent years doing everything I could for you, Logan. Do you even realize what a pain in the ass you’ve been? I have made sacrifice after sacrifice for you and this is what I get in return? Complete and total disrespect.”

  He folds his arms over his chest and grits his teeth in defiance.

  “Look. We’re clearly not getting anywhere,” Aiden says, blowing out a huge breath of air.

  “You’re right,” I agree, gathering myself back together. “Here’s the deal. We’re going to take it one step at a time. I’ve got to talk to Kate in the morning about the case aspect. Chances are good that I’ll have to transfer Logan.”

  “What?” he asks, his voice a little higher than normal.

  “Yeah, Logan. Do you think I told you guys to pretend you never met for my health? Not only can I not stay your social worker after this, but I may lose my entire fucking career!” By the look on Logan’s face, he obviously hadn’t considered this. “Did you think about anything other than your need to get off with the forbidden apple?”

  He flinches. So does Claire. Everyone else is looking at me with concerned expressions.

  “Okay, okay,” Dean says, rubbing my back. “Let’s deal with one thing at a time.”

  I take a deep breath, trying to bring my
blood pressure back down.

  “You’re right,” I sigh. “Claire, you’ll go to school in the morning and then go home. Do you know Mom and Richard’s schedules?”

  “Um, Mom’s been working days. She should get off at about seven. I think Daddy’s on nights. I haven’t seen him in a few days. I can ask, though. His schedule usually changes on Wednesdays.”

  “Fine. We’ll plan for Wednesday night. Dean and Logan can meet me at the penthouse.”

  “I gotta work,” Logan mumbles.

  “We all do, Logan,” I reply flatly. “What time do you get off?” Logan thinks about it for a second, looks at Claire, who’s getting paler by the moment, and then back at me.

  “Whenever. Just tell me when.” Suddenly, Claire bolts up and sprints to the bathroom. “Ahhh shit,” Logan groans, following her. He doesn’t shut the door all the way, and I can hear Claire gagging and vomiting.

  “Well, that went well,” Emily sighs. “What else do we need to do?”

  “I don’t know,” I groan, burying my face in my hands. Dean rubs my back. I’m absolutely exhausted, both emotionally and physically.

  “Okay. Just let us know. We should probably head home.” Emily stands up to give me a hug. “Maria has the kids, and I told her we’d be back before bedtime.”

  “Thanks for coming.”

  “Anytime, honey. Don’t stress too much. I know that’s easier said than done, but it’ll all work out, okay?”

  I nod and let Dean walk them to the door. I look toward the bathroom and find my curiosity getting the better of me. Silently, I make my way over and listen.

  “What do you need?” I hear Logan’s voice ask.

  “Nothing,” Claire whimpers. “I just want to go to bed.”

  “I’m gonna take care of you, baby. I promise.”

  “How? They’re right, Logan. How are we going to do this?”

  “I don’t know, but we will. I don’t care what they say. I love you, Claire. And I love the baby even though it’s making you spew all over the place.”

  I hear my sister laugh weakly. “He’s going to kill me.”

  “I’m not going to let him hurt you again. If I have to…” He doesn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Claire is puking again. I step away, not knowing how to feel. My emotions are too conflicted at the moment.

  “Hey,” Dean whispers from behind me. “What’s going on?” He opens his arms, and I walk right into them. His scent and the feel of his warm, secure embrace comforts me immediately. I wish I could stay right here all night. Forever.

  “What a shit day,” I murmur. Dean just hums, his chest vibrating against my cheek. “Do you think if we go to sleep, we’ll wake up in the morning and realize this was all a bad dream?”

  “No. Unfortunately, I don’t.”

  I sigh. “Didn’t think so.”

  “Kayla,” he says quietly. “I really don’t want to leave you, but I need to be at the House tonight.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m gonna try to talk to Logan. See if we can sort through the bullshit and have a conversation. Man-to-man.”

  “I think that’s a good idea. I’d do it—not the man-to-man part, obviously—but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to keep from beating him.”

  “I should have done it a long time ago.”

  “But I distracted you.” I sniff pathetically. He lifts my chin and his lips meet mine, soft and tender.

  “You’re not a distraction.” The toilet flushes and the sound of the water from the sink comes through the small opening between the door and the frame. Dean lets me go. “Aiden’s on tomorrow night. You want to grab some dinner? I’ll even wear something that doesn’t make me look like a scrub, and we can go to a fancy place.”

  “I like the way you look. I don’t need fancy, I just need simple. No drama. Can you give me no drama?” Dean looks at me warily. He knows as well as I do that the drama is just beginning. “Just for a few days?” I beg.

  He nods as Logan and Claire walk out of the bathroom hand in hand. My sister looks horrible. Her hair is wet, her face waxy and withdrawn. I’m suddenly reminded of her situation. As pissed off as I’ve been with both her and Logan, the fact that she’s got a baby inside of her hasn’t really registered.

  “Do you want some crackers?” I ask her.

  “No, I’m not hungry. I just want to go to bed.”

  “You need to eat something, Claire. I think I’ve got some ginger ale in the pantry, too.”

  “I don’t want anything,” she insists.

  “Baby, you gotta eat,” Logan says, kissing her forehead and sliding his hand over her flat stomach. I’m stare at them, astounded. I’ve never seen Logan take this kind of role with anyone other than Matty, and it’s confusing for me. Claire agrees. Logan starts to follow her to the kitchen when Dean stops him.

  “Logan, we’ve got to go.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you don’t live here,” I interrupt. He opens his mouth and I hold up my hand. “Until we can figure out how to go forward, you have to do what we ask of you. Go home. I’m going to take care of my sister tonight, and tomorrow we will make a plan for telling her parents about you and…” I lick my dry lips, “and the baby.” I expect an argument, maybe a snide word, but Logan just nods.

  “Okay.”

  “Thank you,” I sigh in relief. “You can go say good night.”

  The second Logan’s out of the room, I pull Dean’s mouth to mine, kissing him harder and more passionately than is appropriate. Even though we’re alone for the moment, there are two teenagers just in the other room.

  When he realizes what I’m doing, he responds, but our embrace is all too short. I can hear Logan’s voice getting closer.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I sigh, taking a step back.

  “Tomorrow,” he whispers. And then they’re gone.

  * * *

  I don’t sleep well. My brain won’t turn off and I can’t stop running possible scenarios through my head. I manage to doze off around four o’clock only to be woken up by the sound of Claire vomiting violently in the bathroom. After holding her hair while she empties what little she has in her stomach, I help her into the tub to get cleaned up, make her some toast, and take her to school.

  “Are you okay to go?” I ask, pulling up in front of the building where the rich and privileged progeny of Minneapolis’ elite are staring at my less than suitable car. “You’re not going to get sick?”

  “I get nauseous during the day, but I haven’t thrown up at school yet. I think I’m okay,” she explains.

  “Call me if you’re not. I’ll come get you. We’ll tell Mom you have the stomach flu or something.”

  “I already used that excuse last week,” she says quietly. “ I wasn’t feeling good. I told Mom there was a stomach bug going around, so she let me skip.”

  I scan the kids walking by, wondering who they are, if they’re friends with Claire or not.

  “Does anybody know?”

  She shakes her head, her blond ponytail swishing back and forth. “No. Not here. Even my so-called friends would sell me out if they thought it would get them attention.”

  “Caitlynn?”

  “Yeah. She went with me to get the tests.” She glances up at me, a guilty expression on her face.

  “I wish you would have come to me.”

  “I wanted to. Logan…” I roll my eyes. I should have known. “He was scared to tell you, Kayla,” she pleads, ignoring the ring of the first bell. “He said you’re the only one who’s ever loved him and if you found out about us, you’d hate him.”

  My heart hurts so much for Logan. I try not to think about that, though, because I’m mad at him. And I’m mad at Claire.

  “That’s not an excuse, Claire. For you or for him.”

  “I know.”

  The last few kids milling about start to hurry into the building. “You better go. I’ll call you tonight.”

  Walking into Kate’s office
a little later, I feel exhausted and overwhelmed. I have no idea if I’m going to be held responsible for this or not. I don’t know if I’m going to get reprimanded, or if I’m going to lose my job. I’m not even sure how I’m going to explain to her what’s happened.

  My intention is to only give her the details she needs to know. Logan met my sister by accident three months ago, they went behind my back, and now she’s pregnant with his child. Instead, I spill everything—from my friendship with Dean, to our now much-more-than-professional relationship, and finally everything about Claire and Logan.

  When I’m finished, I sit like a child, hunched over and picking at my fingernails, waiting for the moment that Kate demands my ID, tells me to clear my desk, and has me escorted out of the building. None of that happens. Instead, she straightens a few papers on her desk and takes a sip of her tea. After setting the cup back down on her desk, she looks me in the eye.

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where to start? I can’t honestly say I’m not surprised by your relationship with Mr. Wyatt. In fact, I suspected it was becoming more serious.”

  “How?” I ask, furrowing my brow.

  “I am not blind, Kayla. I saw that picture in the paper just like everyone else. And every time you mention him your face lights up like a lightbulb. I haven’t said anything because your work didn’t appear to be suffering from it. However,” she continues, “because of Logan’s association with your sister, there is now a conflict of interest. You cannot be his social worker anymore.”

  I nod. “I figured.”

  “Fortunately, he’s turning eighteen and we can begin the process of discharging him from care.” I frown. I don’t believe Logan is ready to be discharged, but if he stays in the system, my hands are tied—I can’t help him.

  “Can I see him through that?”

  “Yes, of course you can.” Kate smiles sadly at me. “But Matty…”

  “He’s not involved in this,” I rush out.

  “Unfortunately, through no fault of his own, he is. I’m sure the circumstances surrounding your sister and Logan are going to get very complicated. It’s not fair for Matty to be caught in the middle.”