“I believe you,” he says, exasperated, and I’m thankful for the normal teen snark. It means I reached him. “But I didn’t choose the enemy. Not really, anyway. Chase isn’t like the rest of his family. We’ve been friends since kindergarten. He’s always been there for me, but his dad pits him against me on the court. His dad is a different kind of evil. Chase is counting down the days until he can leave.”
I think about that for a minute. Just another kid stuck in a life made by their parents’ poor choices.
“Okay, I trust you. If you say Chase is a good kid, I believe you.”
His head snaps up to look at me. “You do?”
“Remember when I told you trust is earned?”
“Yeah,” he grumbles.
“Well, I’m still working on earning it. But you earned my trust the day you showed up at your mom’s office in the city, and you trusted me to get you home. It has never wavered. I believe you, and I believe in you. Chase is welcome here anytime.”
His mouth hangs open, and he looks away, but I don’t push anymore. It’s been a rough day, and I’m willing to bet the mental gymnastics he put himself through were a lot more taxing than the workout he pushed his body through.
I know I need to get him home before the crash settles in, but for a moment, I just sit here in the peaceful calm beside a young version of myself.
My heart skips a beat. The fluttering in my chest tells me I’m alive, but more importantly, it tells me that this is where I’m meant to be.
Reaching over, I undo his gloves. He lifts his arms to remove the wraps and winces.
“You’re going to be sore for a month.” I chuckle.
“Great,” he mumbles. “Hey, how did you know to do this?” He gestures to the punching bag.
I shrug. “I didn’t, but nothing else was working, and it wasn’t that long ago that Ashton went through something he could only work out by hitting stuff. I took a chance.”
“I liked him,” Kai admits. And it hits me then—Ashton was another man who left. Why didn’t I get that before?
Kai and Ashton built a strong bond while Ashton lived here, but when he moved to California, because that’s what was best for his family, it left Kai feeling abandoned again.
“I know you do, kid.” Emotion clogs my throat. “He likes you too.”
“I know,” he says, but I wonder if he really does.
“Let’s get you home.” I stand and hold out my hand to help him off the floor. He sways on his feet when he stands, and I wrap an arm around his shoulders to steady him, and I’m thankful when he doesn’t shrug me off. “You pushed yourself hard tonight. Things are going to hurt. Memories, thoughts, hearts, souls, and your body will hurt sometimes, but you don’t have to experience it alone.”
We exit the TAC, and he nods thoughtfully, but doesn’t respond. Then I drive us back to the house. He makes it up the steps on shaky legs, and Penny rips the door open. She’s beautiful even when she’s so worried she’s bitten her lip raw.
Kai walks to her and places a kiss on her cheek. “I’m sorry, Mom. For—” He glances over his shoulder, and I tuck my hands into the pockets of my jeans. “For everything.”
Penny stands in shock as he brushes past her and up the stairs. Now it’s my turn.
I walk up the steps and don’t stop until I’m in her foyer and kicking the door shut.
“What did you do?” she asks. Her gaze flips from me to the stairs.
“I helped him exorcise some demons. It’s not a miracle fix. He still has shit to work out, but maybe now he’ll be more open to the process of therapy.”
“But how?”
I scan her head to toe, and my heart thunders in my chest.
I’m home.
CHAPTER41
PENNY
