Then I heard footsteps. Before I could put the frame behind my back Brice was standing in the doorway. I looked to him for answers, begging inside that this was all some coincidence. Maybe this was his brother?
“I really hoped you’d never see that.”
I shook my head and backed up. “I don’t understand. This picture,” I looked down at it again just to double check. “This is you, isn’t it?”
He put up his hands in a defensive kind of way. “Just let me explain, Patty.”
“No!” I took another step back. “This can’t be. She’d know you.”
“She was five. I thought she’d recognize me too, but when she didn’t I knew I couldn’t chance it.”
“Why? You’ve seen what she’d gone through. Did you have an affair with her mother? Were you searching for what was left of your family after your wife’s death? Was this daughter a secret from her?”
He shook his head. “No. You’ve got it all wrong.”
“Then tell me the truth, because obviously I don’t know shit about you!” I was livid.
“Come in and sit down first.” When I didn’t budge he added, “Please.”
I made it to the kitchen before I turned around demanding answers. “Go on. Explain why you look like the man in this picture. Who are you to Callie? Please say it’s an uncle so I don’t have to add another failed relationship to my list.”
I could tell he was struggling and frustrated. His jaw kept tightening as he thought of what to say. He leaned on the counter, refusing to look at me. “My name isn’t Brice, Patty. I mean, it is now, but it wasn’t before.”
“What?”
“I was born Jason Thomas. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and married my high school sweetheart. We had a daughter and named her Callie.”
I covered my mouth with both hands. This was unbelievable. “You’re dead. She thinks you’re dead.”
He nodded. “I know. I wanted to tell her the truth from the moment I got here, but I couldn’t.”
“Why? I don’t understand.”
“Patty, I was in jail for fifteen years. That’s why she was told I died.”
“Jail?” He was a criminal? How could this get any worse?
“Please just hear me out before you assume the worst.”
“I’m listening, but I can’t make you any promises, especially since you’ve been lying to me this whole time. What did you go to jail for, Brice or Jason, or whoever you are?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Uncomplicate it. What did you go to jail for? What did you do?”
He looked down at the floor and shook his head. “I was convicted of killing my wife,” he whispered.
“Oh my God.” I kept backing myself away from him. I thought it couldn’t get worse, but I’d been wrong. He was a murderer. I pointed at him when he moved toward me. “You stay away from me! Don’t come near me.”
He tried to reach out for me. “Patty, I didn’t do it. You’ve got to believe me. You’ve been with me. I wouldn’t hurt someone like that. I loved her. They were my life. Please, just listen to me. I was set up.”
I kept pointing. “I can’t stand here and listen to this. Pack your things, because once Ross hears about this you’re out of here.”
Before I could run in to fetch my clothes he had ahold of my arm. “Patty, I’m telling you the truth. I’ve waited fifteen years to see my daughter again. Please don’t do this. She’s all I have left. Please,” he continued begging. “They took everything from me. Please don’t be like them.”
“Like who?” I jerked out of his hold.
“My in-laws. The story is complicated. We were on drugs. I was fucked up in the head. Her brother brought a gun to our house and threatened to take them away from me. I wrestled him to the ground and the gun went off. He was holding it, not me. He did this to her, and blamed the whole thing on me to get me away from Callie. They destroyed my life, and I’m just trying to get back as much as I can. I know she’ll never understand so I changed my identity to be close to her, to watch out for her the best I’m able to. I am begging you to reconsider. At least research my story. I’m telling you the God’s honest truth.”
“I can’t believe a word out of your mouth. You stay the hell away from me, whoever you are, and Callie too. If you’re not gone by tomorrow night I’m telling them what I know. I won’t have the people I care about put in danger, do you hear me?”
I watched his eyes fill with moisture. For some reason, in that moment, I knew at least some of what he was saying was true. I couldn’t figure out why I felt that way, but I wouldn’t be able to shake it.
Crying wasn’t how I would describe my actions as I walked home. Several times I fell to the ground because I couldn’t physically continue. This was destroying me. It would do worse to Callie. How was I going to look her in the eyes and explain this? How would she even react to knowing he was not only alive, but also had been in jail for murdering her mother?
Luckily Callie wasn’t home when I got there. She was still babysitting at the neighbors. I spent the rest of the night on the bathroom floor, sick and vomiting. The next morning I was a sight for sore eyes. I kept my phone off to avoid his phone calls, and locked myself in my room intent on avoiding the festivities that would be going on around the resort. I wanted the pain to go away, and it to be a bad dream.
But it wasn’t.
Brice wasn’t the man I’d fallen in love with. He was a liar, and a criminal. I would never be able to get over that and the fact that I’d invited him into my life, my home, and my heart.
Chapter 14
Brice
No. No. No. No. No.
This couldn’t be happening to me.
That picture – the one I should have hidden better, it had ruined everything. I paced around my kitchen pleading with myself to come to grips with my own demise. I’d made the decisions that led me to this point. This was entirely my fault.
It was the middle of the night, too late to go hunting her down to plead my case. She needed to be able to accept everything I’d confessed. It would take time; something I wasn’t sure I had left.
This could break me. It was possible she was already telling Callie the inevitable. I’d lose my daughter again, this time permanently. I’d never be able to convince her otherwise. She would never accept that what happened that night wasn’t my fault; that if I could take the events back and change them I would. Nothing mattered more to me than making that abundantly clear. I wasn’t a killer. I loved my wife, my daughter, and our family. I wasn’t only ripped away from Callie. I’d been forced to lose them both in a turn of events that were gruesome and unimaginable.
My second chance at happiness was about to end. My precious little girl would hate me. She’d know about my past – why I was never able to be with her.
I was utterly broken over it.
With little sleep, I awoke the next morning to the sound of the birds. The spot beside me in bed was empty, and it would remain that way. I’d hoped Patty would have returned to talk about it, but her absence only told me I needed to adhere to her threats. My time living here was over. I needed to pack up what I could and get on the road. I couldn’t face my daughter, not after knowing what it would do to her.
I moved slowly, grabbing what would fit in my single duffle bag. A frantic voice alarmed me, causing me to rush to my front door. Standing there was Patty, distraught and in tears. At first I assumed it was still because of me.
“I was just getting my stuff together. I’ll be out of your hair…”
“Stop. There’s no time. Brice, I need your help. It’s Callie. She’s missing.”
“What? Was it because you told her about me?” I was already in panic mode. I wanted to know she was okay, not missing. This couldn’t get worse.
“She was babysitting. Julie came home and her son was sleeping, but in the house alone. She said the door was left ajar and all Callie’s things were still sitting on the kitchen table. Brice, Jason, wha
tever you want to be called, I’m scared Derrick got to her. What if he hurt her?”
I was now completely unhinged. Without responding, I flew out the door headed toward the work truck. Patty ran behind, saying something I couldn’t make it out. I was too concerned about my daughter, her well-being, and what I was going to do to that fucker when I found him.
Patty barely made it inside the passenger seat before I put the truck into reverse and rushed down the road. “Where would he take her?”
She was a nervous wreck, crying as she replied. “I don’t know. He’s crazy. He burned his own house down, for Christ sakes. If he hit her when they were a couple I can’t imagine what he’d do now.”
“Come on, Patty. That’s my kid.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just telling you the facts.”
I knew them. I’d seen the fear in Callie’s eyes when she’d stayed at my cabin. I wasn’t about to let some hoodlum take her away from me, not now after everything I’d been through. “We’re going to drive around until we find them.”
She was quiet as we blew past the front gates. Her sniffles were the only thing reminding me she was still close enough to touch. “I’ll never forgive myself if something happened to her while I was with you.”
I tried to shake off her hurtful words. She had every right to bash me. I’d lied to her. She’d been sleeping with a stranger, and after a while I stopped feeling bad about it. Part of me was glad I was getting away with it. “Look, I’ve dealt with a lot of punks back when I was locked up. This kid is doing it to prove a point. He’ll want to use her as an example to tell all of us that we didn’t get to him. You see, us kicking him out set him over the edge. That’s why he’s been damaging property. That little prick wants everyone to feel threatened when he’s around.”
“Stop the truck!” she screamed.
I slammed on the brakes, wondering why the hell she’d want to prevent me from continuing on. Then, in a church parking lot about a mile from the community, I spotted a familiar vehicle. I spun the truck around and pulled up next to it. Right away Callie jumped out and came running toward my vehicle. I didn’t waste time getting out to make sure Derrick didn’t try to stop her. He revved his engine like it would intimidate me. I waved my arms in the air, challenging him to get out. Instead he peeled wheels and took off.
Patty was hugging Callie when I turned to face them. I wished I could do the same, but I knew it would freak her out. It was obvious Patty could see my emotional strain. She offered a smile, but I knew not to get my hopes up for a reconciliation. I’d ruined my chance to be with her, and hopes to start a fresh life near the only family I had left in the world.
Once Callie calmed down, we drove straight to the police station. She filed a report of being abducted, and then put in for a protective order against him. He’d made the mistake of telling her where he’d be staying, so while we were still at the station they’d picked him up and charged him for assault. Callie provided the police with pictures and bruises he’d given her during the initial struggle. We didn’t know how long he’d be put away for, but he knew she wasn’t dealing his shit any longer. My daughter was done with his ass, and so was everyone else at the resort.
As happy as I was to drive the girls back to the trailer knowing they’d be safe, I knew Patty wanted me gone. The only way to stay was to tell the truth. Before the girls stepped out of the truck I leaned my head down on the steering wheel and took a deep breath. This was my future – my livelihood. I couldn’t walk away, not now, not when I’d spent so long wanting what I finally had. “Wait. Callie, there’s something you need to know.”
Patty opened the truck door and started to get out. “I think it’s best if I wait inside.”
“No. Stay, please. You need to hear it too.”
I could tell she wanted nothing to do with this confession. It was quite clear Patty wasn’t prepared to let Callie know she knew my secret, even if it had only been for a couple hours.
I reached in my pocket and pulled out my wallet, opening the bi-fold. When you get locked up they take everything on you, clothes, shoes and anything else on your physical body, and put it in a plastic bag. When my time was over I was given that bag. I’d gained so much weight my pants wouldn’t button, but I appreciated the twenty-seven dollars and eleven cents that still sat untouched in my wallet. At any rate, kept folded in one of the pockets was a photograph. Taken the same day as the one Callie had framed, I pulled it out to help explain. I didn’t hand it to her at first, instead kept it folded so she couldn’t see what it was.
“When I was in my twenties something terrible happened. I had to go away for a long time. I lost everything, including the family I had left.”
I handed her the picture, knowing damn well how it would blow up in my face.
Callie unfolded the photo and stared at it, probably noticing the similarities, but that it was in fact a different pose. “I don’t understand.”
“I thought you’d recognize me. I mean, my voice at least. I pictured this going differently.”
“How did you get this picture of my parents?” She was still confused. “Did you know my father, Brice?”
“Callie, I am your father.” I could feel the burning forming in my throat. My eyes became cloudy because I knew I was about to lose my daughter again. Like the day she was ripped away as a child, I silently sat only feet from her prepared for the blow that would make me want to end my life. “They lied to you. I didn’t die. They blamed me for your mother. Your uncle lied to the police that night.”
Her eyes, vicious and angry, glared at me with intent to kill. “What? What are you saying?”
“All these years I’ve been away, I was in jail for the murder of your mother. Your grandparents kept it from you. They moved to a new town and hid the truth from everyone around them. They took you away from me.”
“No. They wouldn’t do that. They knew how much I wanted to have my parents back.”
“I wasn’t a good man back then, baby.”
“Don’t call me that!” She slammed. “I don’t know you.” Callie hopped out of the truck, shutting the door forcefully as she began running away.
I followed behind her, determined to make sure she knew I hadn’t abandoned her on purpose. “Callie, please, just hear me out.”
She spun around, stopping me in my tracks. “No! You can’t do this to me. You can’t come into my life making everything I’ve ever known a lie. You can’t make up for what we missed. You’re not my father. My dad is dead.”
She may as well have shot me in the heart. “Please. That’s not true. For sixteen years you’re all I thought about. Your uncle took that away from me. He ruined my life.”
“No. He was good to me. He was as close to a father as I got to have. You can’t put this on him.”
“Callie, I wish you could remember that night, not because I want you to see what happened to your mother, but more for what was taken away from us. I’m telling you the truth. I loved your mother. I still do. We were a family. I made mistakes though. I used drugs, and I wasn’t headed in a good direction. That night your uncle showed up to take you two away from me. We had an altercation, and the weapon he’d brought into our home went off accidentally. I didn’t pull the trigger. It was his finger, his weapon, and his fault. Your grandparents hated me. They blamed me for everything. When the police came I was still high. They believed your uncle, and there was nothing I could do about it.”
I could feel the tears steady pouring from my eyes. My heart breaking in front of her was something I’d never imagined happening again, but there it was, shattering to pieces.
She put up her hand to silence me. “Just shut up. I don’t know you. Stay away from me, Brice, or whoever you are.”
“Callie, look at that picture. We were a family. You can’t deny that. Please try and remember.”
“Leave me alone.” She turned to Patty as a resource. “Tell him to get away from me.” She was sobbing, pleading, and I could do not
hing to coax her to feel differently.
I threw up my own hands. “Fine. I’ll leave. Just know I did all this to be close to you. I changed my name and moved here because I felt like it was the only way to be near you. I’m not dead Callie Thomas. I’ve been with you this whole time.”
Now that Callie knew the truth it was only a matter of time before she decided to tell Ross and get me kicked out. I said goodbye to my little cabin and left the keys to the maintenance truck inside of it. Just as I was leaving the dirt path I saw Patty headed in my direction.
“Did you come here to make sure I was gone?”
“No.” She put her hands in the pockets of her shorts. “I don’t even know what to call you.”
“Does it matter?”
“You lied to me. You lied to her. What did you expect?”
“I did it to be close to her. Is that so hard to understand? I did it because she’s all I have left. She’s my blood. She’s the reason I was able to keep going in prison. She made me want to live. I can’t lose her, not this way, Patty. Still, she’s right. She doesn’t know me. Callie wants me gone, so I’m going to go.”
“Don’t go far Jason or I mean Brice, whatever your name is. This is going to be difficult.” It was weird to hear her call me by my real name. “She’s pissed now, but I know how much she wishes you were in her life.”
“The damage is done. She hates me.” Wasn’t that obvious?
“She didn’t know what happened that night.”
“We both know she looked for me. It was only a matter of time when she figured out where I’d been all these years. If she’d only searched articles she’d have known all along.”
“I believe you didn’t kill her. I know I shouldn’t, because everything about you has been a lie, but I know you’re being honest.”
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