From Lies to Promises

by Lynn, Faith S

  Me: It’s not right no matter who he is. Do you agree?

  Darla: Of course, I do. But you didn’t know him, the man that he was. He was an honest, hardworking, Christian.

  Me: And? Are you saying that a man with those qualities are unable to do wrong?

  Darla: No Christian should commit such a foul act. It’s just not right.

  Me: Sin has to come from somewhere, ma’am.

  Darla: True.

  Me: So, between the man he was supposed to be and his word, you believed him over your daughter?

  Darla: She was ten! How in the hell did she know any of what she was telling me? She could have very well heard about that stuff from school and thought it was just normal talk.

  Me: Is this what you told yourself so you could forget about it? Did you ever think that she could be telling you the truth and needed help?

  Darla: YES! I did every single time I saw her face! But then I would see my husband and couldn’t even fathom him being that sick.

  Me: She is your daughter.

  Darla: I took her to the doctor and they checked her out. I even put her in therapy. Nothing was telling me otherwise. What else could I have done?

  Me: Believed her. Supported her. Got that monster away from her.

  Note: Throughout this whole conversation she has not made eye contact. She has averted her eyes to everything else in the room other than me. But when I ask this next question, her eyes snap to mine.

  Me: Why have you been referring to your husband in past tense Mrs. Mills?

  Darla: He is dead! Been gone for a year now. She pauses. And the fucker had the audacity to confess his sins before he passed.

  Me: What do you mean?

  Darla: He wanted to clear his conscious. He called me in the room with him and held my hand as he told me that my baby girl was telling the truth all those years ago. Looked into my eyes as he told me the sick things he done to my daughter and made her do to him.

  Note: She broke down crying here. I didn’t really know what I should do. Comfort her for her sorrow she must be feeling for never really being there for her only child when she needed her, or to be disgusted that she would choose a man over her own baby. So I did nothing, but sit here and watch her breakdown.

  Me: I, um…

  Darla: I don’t need any sympathy. I deserve to live my days out lonely. I should have never doubted my baby, Katrina. I know you are here interviewing about her story, but do you know where she is? Have you talked to her?

  Me: No. I have my team looking for her, but she has done a pretty good job at staying hidden. Why?

  Darla: Could you tell her something for me? Please?

  Me: If I am able to find her, I will.

  Darla: If you do, tell her that I love her. That I am so sorry I didn’t allow myself to listen to what she was saying or pay attention enough to see it. Let her know that I am aware how much of a sorry mother and person in general I am. I understand now why she left and never looked back, and understand if she never thinks about me again. Most of all, let Kat know that I hope she is able to let go of her past and find the happiness she deserves.

  Me: Ok. I, uh… I can do that for you when, or if my people can track her down.

  Darla: Thank you.

  She stopped talking here. As I put my things away, I understood now why she looked so weak. Guilt has been eating her alive since the death of her husband. When she found out the truth. I am still conflicted, but I felt for the amount of blame she has cast upon herself. No matter how very well placed it may be. I packed the rest of my stuff and left.

  I fold the paper back up. I have so many emotions playing on each other all at once, dumbfounded being the biggest. It should be overwhelming, but it’s not at all. I feel relieved. Like I have the closure that I need to completely move forward. Walking back to the dresser I open the drawer and toss the paper in and shut it without so much of a care.

  Christmas is next week and the whole group of us (So weird to think I have a group of people that care about me) have decided that we are going to do a big dinner here. While everyone else still has to go to work, I am free. No school for me. Which means I have been put on grocery duty for all the things Lexi and I are going to cook.

  After I get dressed I walk into the kitchen and grab the list we made last night off the counter and head out. It is a beautiful day. Snow is falling gracefully to the ground. I know it won’t stick yet, but it is beautiful all the same. At my car I stop and take time to just soak it all up.

  ***

  Pushing the overflowed buggy to the register at the grocery store was a task, to say the least. I look over the mound of food and think that the girls and I might have went a bit over board. Then I remember how much Ryder can eat and can only imagine what the other boys can stomach. I finish unloading all the food on the belt and wait when I see the magazine rack. I look over all the celebrities and their latest scandals, and there on the shelf is a Strong Woman magazine. It stands out like a sore thumb compared to the others.

  I take it out and see that it is the December issue. The one with my article in it. The casher grabs it and rings it up, when she passes it down to be bagged she starts telling me about how that is the best magazine ever. How she was a drug addict just a couple of months ago but an article in that magazine helped her realize she was better than the life she was living. Now she is clean, working, and taking night classes at the school.

  Her story makes me all the more happy that I did the article with Victoria. Once the bag boy has all the groceries back in the buggy, I push it to my car and unload it to the trunk. And backseat. It feels like it takes hours to unload all the groceries and get them put up. Lexi and Skeigh walk through the door as I finish putting up the last bag.

  “Isn’t that just perfect timing!”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Skeigh ask.

  “I just finished getting all the groceries put away for Thursday and you walk through the door.” I say as I toss the plastic grocery bags into the trash.

  “Like we both drove around the block a few times just so we wouldn’t have to help you.” Skeigh huffs out.

  I look up at the girls and smile, “I wasn’t trying to be snappy. I was just saying that it would’ve been nice for y’all to get here a ten minutes earlier.”

  “It came out pretty dang snappy, whether or not you meant it to.” Lexi replies. “Anyways, let’s go get hit up the mall and get some last minute Christmas shopping done.”

  “I’m sorry.” I glance at the counter where I left the Strong Woman magazine, I know what’s in there. I can look at it later. “I’m game for a shopping trip. Let’s go.”

  The mall is crazy crowded, but the few shops we have bought things from we gotten in and out in fairly good time. Buying presents this year is going to be odd. Normally I just bought gifts for Lexi, Skeigh, TJ, and Jamie. In just a few months the list of people I care for has doubled. A smile comes to my face and it’s a real one. It’s been happening a lot lately.

  My stomach growls at me and reminds me I haven’t eaten anything today. “Can we stop by the food court? I am starving!”

  “When aren’t you starving?” Lexi jokes.

  “Right?” Skeigh quips.

  Arriving at the food court I say, “Like you two are any better.”

  “True.” They say together.

  “What shall we choose to feast upon?” Skeigh says in her fake British accent.

  As I’m scanning the vendors, Skeigh elbows me. “Kat.” She nudges me again, “Kat, is that Jake and Lyla over there?”

  I follow the direction her finger is pointing straight to the asshat and siren. They are sitting next to each other at a table in the very center. “Ugh. I wonder what plot they are cooking up now.” I ponder out loud.

  “Let’s just go finish shopping and get out of here before they see us.” Lexi sighs.

  But it’s too late. Lyla already has us in her sights and a menacing smile on her face. “Too late.” I s
ay.

  Lexi pushes on my shoulder and I follow her and Skeigh away from the food court. We only shop for another hour. Seeing the two evil doers ruined all of our shopping highs.

  Chapter 21

  Christmas Day is on me before I realize it with the way the rest of my week went. I had to run back to the grocery store three time for things that we forgot to put on the list, Lexi has worked over every day, and Skeigh hasn’t been in a ‘holidays rock’ kind of mood. Jamie called and asked if they could join us for dinner a couple days ago and I told her she didn’t have to ask, to just come on. She tells me they want to make all new memories and that her mom put the house up for sale and are finding a new one.

  The food is coming along pretty good. Lexi and I stayed up most of the night baking, cooking, and prepping what we could. Skeigh did the tree and decorations throughout the house. Cole and Rhett got here early and are on the couch playing video games with Skeigh. Ryder and Dave will be here soon. They stayed over at their dads all night playing poker and drinking. I stopped in for a little bit just to tell Allen Merry Christmas and invite him over tonight. He said he would love to but wants to stay at home.

  After another hour of Lexi and me bumping butts in the kitchen Ryder walks in the door with his brother, followed by Jamie and her mother. I pull the turkey from the oven and holler over to him, “Hey gorgeous, you want to carve this here bird?”

  Every man in the house answers. “I meant Ryder, boys. Not that you all aren’t gorgeous, too.”

  As the darn’s and whatever’s come from the living room, Ryder walks up beside me. “I’d be happy to carve the turkey, darlin’.”

  I hand him the knife and he gets to work. Lexi makes Skeigh come help us set the table, while I set all the food out. A few minutes later we are sitting at the table. Right as we go to dig into the food there is a knock at the door. We all look at one another wondering who it could be.

  “I’ll get it.” Skeigh says. The happiness she had diminishes to nothing when she opens the door. “What the fuck are you doing here? Better question is, how the hell do you know where we live?”

  “I just followed the guys here.” Jake says as he pushes Skeigh so he can come in. He holds his arms out at his side and walks to the end of the table. “So either my invitation got lost in the mail, or my friends have all fucking forgot about me.”

  Dave jumps out of his chair so fast that it hits the floor. He rushes over and pushes Jake into the wall and holds him there. “You have no right to be here. You have caused enough problems.” Dave backs away from Jake only when Rhett walks over there and puts his hand on his shoulder. Then he walks over and wraps Skeigh up in his arms. “And this will be your only warning to never lay a hand on Skeigh again.”

  “All of you are seriously turning your back on me for these cunts?” Jake shouts.

  I have been so wrapped up in Dave confronting Jake I didn’t even pay attention that Ryder is now up and standing behind my chair. “You need to leave. Now.” He says.

  “Someone has a stick up their ass.” Everyone turns back to the door at the sound of Lyla’s voice. She saunters in like she is a prize debutant. “Honestly, has this little girl of yours taken all the fun clean out of you?”

  Ryder’s hand squeezes the back of my chair so hard I’m positive I hear the wood groaning in protest. “I’ve already told you, Lyla, we are done. I love Katrina.”

  She morphs from princess to devil instantly. “You have got to be shitting me! You are really going to pick this daddy fucking whore over me?”

  Skeigh pushes out of Dave’s arms and knocks one across Lyla’s jaw. She pulls her arm back to throw another one but Dave pulls her back. Since she can’t get in another hit in she screams at her, “You bitch! You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Lyla straightens her back out and wipes some blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. She sticks her hand towards Jake and he pulls something from his back pocket and hands it to her. She unrolls it to reveal the issue of Strong Women. “The whole world knows.”

  I look around at everyone. They are all on their feet in defense of me. TJ, Cole, Lexi, Jamie and her mother, and my amazing Ryder.

  Ryder pulls my chair out and sticks his hand in front of me to help me up. When I am standing beside him, he looks back at Lyla and ask, “Have you even read it?”

  “I have.” She replies. “It’s some gross shit. Have you?”

  “I don’t have to read it, because she told me what happened before the article was written. Only someone as sick and twisted as you two could read that and come up with the sick thought you did.” Ryder seethes.

  “Just leave. We all made it pretty obvious you aren’t welcome here.” Lexi jumps in.

  “No.” Lyla walks up to Ryder. “You can’t be serious about her. I have been here for you since we were kids. Love me! Be with me!” She pleads.

  “Lyla, you don’t even know the definition of the word love. If you did you wouldn’t need manipulation and sex to get a man in bed.” Ryder says disgusted.

  “You will come back to me. You always do.” Lyla sneers.

  “No I won’t.” Ryder turns his back to Lyla to face me and grabs my hands in each of his. “I didn’t want it to happen like this. With them here, but I think this is the only way she will understand how much I love you.”

  My eyebrow arches in question. “What are you talking about?”

  “This.” He sticks his hand in his pocket and comes out with a small black box. Gasps come from every direction of the room and I am sure I hear Lexi let out a squeal. With my attention still focused on the box Ryder opens it for me to see a stunning diamond ring. It’s a beautiful shape, sharp on both ends, and has a white gold band with smaller round diamonds on each side of it.

  I close my eyes tight and open them back up, only to find that I’m not dreaming. This is real. Ryder is standing in front of me holding a tiny box with a ring in it. My throat gets tight and makes it hard for me to speak. “Is…uh. Oh. My. God. Is that what I think it is?”

  Ryder gets down on one knee in front of me and my heart feels like it is about to explode. “Katrina Brown, will you put me out of my misery once again and marry me?”

  It takes some effort to speak past the lump in my throat. “Yes.” I swallow and say it again. “Yes, I will marry you!” I drop to my knees and fuse my mouth to his. When I pull back and open my eyes, I find Ryder’s eyes are the greenest I have ever seen them. His thumb swipes at my check, wiping away moisture.

  “No tears.” He whispers.

  “They are happy tears.” I explain.

  He smiles at me then takes the ring from the box. “This was my mother’s ring. I got it from dad last week and had this done to it.” He holds it up so I can see the inside of the band where I find an engraving that says, ‘I Promise’.

  “It’s perfect. What about Dave? Wouldn’t he want your mothers ring one day?” I ask.

  The grin he gives me is contagious. He leans in and places his mouth next to my ear and whispers, “I’ve talked to Dave and he said he would be happy to see mom’s ring on your finger. Plus, he thinks that Skeigh might want something a little more modern.”

  I jerk back and look to see if he is serious. He is. “Holy SHIT!” I slap a hand over my mouth. I can’t help but looking over at Dave. He freaking winks at me. Holy crap. Holy crap. I’m getting married. Dave is going to ask Skeigh to marry him. Wow. My happiness just grows as Lyla stomps her foot then storms out the door like a spoiled kid who didn’t get her way. Ryder and I get back to our feet and turn to see Jake still standing there.

  “Are you not going to follow your ring leader?” Ryder asks, gesturing his hand in the path Lyla just stomped.

  “Fuck off.” Jake says on his way towards the open door.

  Once he makes it outside Cole shouts, “And don’t come back!” We all let out a laugh and sit back down at the table as if nothing happened. Skeigh jokes about telling Ryder it was too cliché to
propose on Christmas, and that she now takes it back because it ended up pretty epic. Yes, my girls knew about the whole thing for over a week! Lexi starts passing the food around the table and the dinner goes on with my family.

  ***

  After we all exchange and open gifts, Ryder and I tell everyone goodnight and head to his house for the night. I’ve been there so much over the last month I don’t even bother with packing a bag because I everything I need.

  Walking through the door to Ryder’s house and turning on the light, I catch sight of the ring on my finger. He asked me to marry him and gave me his mother’s ring. It’s like a dream still.

  “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Ryder says.

  “What?”

  He walks up and grabs my hand and twirls the rings with his finger. “You were looking at the ring like you weren’t sure.”

  “Ryder, I want this more than I have wanted anything in my life. I’m just in shock, I guess. I wasn’t expecting it.” I explain.

  He pulls me into his arms and looks down at me with a smirk, “I am pretty sure that is the whole point of a proposal. For you not to know it’s coming.”

  I place a soft kiss on his lips. “It is and you done a damn good job.” I tug on his shirt, “Now let me take you to bed and thank you properly.”

  “You will hear no arguments from me.”

  Clothes are pulled off and left from the door, up the stairs, and all over the bedroom. I push into Ryder’s chest, making him lay down on the bed and climb on top of him. I take my index finger and drag it slowly from his collar bone, down to his chest. I make sure that I run my nails across his nipples, then continue past his belly button and follow the very ‘happy trail’ all the way to his cock.

  I lift myself enough for him to enter and glide down. I keep my focus on Ryder’s face as I slowly make my descent and take him in completely. His eye’s fall closed as he releases a groan. That groan is the best sound I have ever heard and it does nothing but feed my hunger for him. When his eyes open the same fire I feel in me for him is staring right back at me. Leaning forward I nuzzle my nose to his.