Read Online Collateral Damage (From the Damage) by Jasmine Denton - Free Book Online
Authors: Jasmine Denton
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going.”
“Either way, I’m not.” Kendall started for the stairs. “This might come as a shock to you, Dad, but I don’t take orders from you or anybody else.” Kendall ran upstairs, stomping on each one. A few seconds later, a door slammed shut.
“That went well,” Kelly said.
Jordan shook his head and walked into the other room.
When they were alone, Kelly turned to her mother. “Don’t you think you should’ve checked with me before signing Kendall up for the same group I’m in?”
“I’m sorry, honey, I really I am. We don’t know what else to do.”
“Is it too late to switch it?” Kelly asked. “Surely there’s another group she can go to. I mean, it’s bad enough I have to share a house with her. Now this…”
“You’ll be okay,” Jodi said, giving her daughter’s shoulder a squeeze. “I wouldn’t do this to you unless I honestly thought Daphne could help her.”
“So, what then? I don’t get to have a say in this at all?”
Jodi gave a weary sigh. “Not this time.”
***
Ryder
***
Ryder parked his car in Meagan’s driveway and pulled down the visor mirror to make sure he looked okay. After a minute of debating, he decided to leave his leather jacket in the car. Just in case he happened to run into her parents.
He grabbed the bouquet of lilies from the passenger seat and headed up to the front door.
After he rang the doorbell, Trevor answered.
“Hey,” he said. “Is Meagan home yet?”
Trevor stepped aside to let him in. “Got home a couple hours ago. She’s in the basement.”
He followed Trevor’s instruction and found a door in the kitchen that led downstairs. When he opened the door, he heard music. Something classical that seemed to suit Meagan perfectly.
He hurried down the steps, excited to see her. The room was large, with wall-to-wall mirrors on one side, and shelves on the other. The shelves were decorated with trophies, pictures and ballet shoes in varieties of sizes. And though several fluorescent lights were mounted on the ceiling, the only light came from a dim lamp in the corner.
Toward the center of the room, he saw Meagan, sitting in a rocking chair with her broken leg propped up on a small footstool. She looked so sad and alone, surrounded by all of these memories and dreams, that for a second, he just stood there, gazing over at her.
She looked up from the photo album in her lap and smiled at him. “Hey,” she said softly, closing the album.
“How you feeling?” he asked, walking over to her.
“Okay,” she said, but he could tell she didn’t really mean it.
He handed her the flowers. Again, she smiled, but this one reached her eyes. She brought them to her nose and smelled them, closing her eyes.
“Thank you. They’re beautiful.” She set them on her lap and motioned to the corner. “There’s a fold-out chair over there if you want to grab it.”
He grabbed the chair and set it up so he’d be facing her. Taking a seat, he leaned his elbows on his knees and studied her for a second. The broken leg wasn’t the only injury from the car accident. She had a nasty cut by her eyebrow and a bruise on her jawbone, and a welt from the seatbelt.
It made a small fire of anger burn inside of him, seeing those bruises in full bloom. As far as he was concerned, it was just as bad as if Seth had done it with his own two hands.
“So, honestly,” he said. “How are you?”
She shrugged, but eventually said, “Not so good. The emotions come in waves. Self-pity. Anger. Shame.”
“Shame?” he asked, confused. “You never did anything wrong.”
“Everyone keeps saying that, but I just can’t get myself to believe it.” She was quiet for a minute. “Seth visited me in the hospital.”
“What? Seriously?”
She nodded. “To tell me it’s my fault. That this,” she tapped the cast on her leg, “is punishment. For seeing you. Or, for not wanting him, is more like it.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe
“Either way, I’m not.” Kendall started for the stairs. “This might come as a shock to you, Dad, but I don’t take orders from you or anybody else.” Kendall ran upstairs, stomping on each one. A few seconds later, a door slammed shut.
“That went well,” Kelly said.
Jordan shook his head and walked into the other room.
When they were alone, Kelly turned to her mother. “Don’t you think you should’ve checked with me before signing Kendall up for the same group I’m in?”
“I’m sorry, honey, I really I am. We don’t know what else to do.”
“Is it too late to switch it?” Kelly asked. “Surely there’s another group she can go to. I mean, it’s bad enough I have to share a house with her. Now this…”
“You’ll be okay,” Jodi said, giving her daughter’s shoulder a squeeze. “I wouldn’t do this to you unless I honestly thought Daphne could help her.”
“So, what then? I don’t get to have a say in this at all?”
Jodi gave a weary sigh. “Not this time.”
***
Ryder
***
Ryder parked his car in Meagan’s driveway and pulled down the visor mirror to make sure he looked okay. After a minute of debating, he decided to leave his leather jacket in the car. Just in case he happened to run into her parents.
He grabbed the bouquet of lilies from the passenger seat and headed up to the front door.
After he rang the doorbell, Trevor answered.
“Hey,” he said. “Is Meagan home yet?”
Trevor stepped aside to let him in. “Got home a couple hours ago. She’s in the basement.”
He followed Trevor’s instruction and found a door in the kitchen that led downstairs. When he opened the door, he heard music. Something classical that seemed to suit Meagan perfectly.
He hurried down the steps, excited to see her. The room was large, with wall-to-wall mirrors on one side, and shelves on the other. The shelves were decorated with trophies, pictures and ballet shoes in varieties of sizes. And though several fluorescent lights were mounted on the ceiling, the only light came from a dim lamp in the corner.
Toward the center of the room, he saw Meagan, sitting in a rocking chair with her broken leg propped up on a small footstool. She looked so sad and alone, surrounded by all of these memories and dreams, that for a second, he just stood there, gazing over at her.
She looked up from the photo album in her lap and smiled at him. “Hey,” she said softly, closing the album.
“How you feeling?” he asked, walking over to her.
“Okay,” she said, but he could tell she didn’t really mean it.
He handed her the flowers. Again, she smiled, but this one reached her eyes. She brought them to her nose and smelled them, closing her eyes.
“Thank you. They’re beautiful.” She set them on her lap and motioned to the corner. “There’s a fold-out chair over there if you want to grab it.”
He grabbed the chair and set it up so he’d be facing her. Taking a seat, he leaned his elbows on his knees and studied her for a second. The broken leg wasn’t the only injury from the car accident. She had a nasty cut by her eyebrow and a bruise on her jawbone, and a welt from the seatbelt.
It made a small fire of anger burn inside of him, seeing those bruises in full bloom. As far as he was concerned, it was just as bad as if Seth had done it with his own two hands.
“So, honestly,” he said. “How are you?”
She shrugged, but eventually said, “Not so good. The emotions come in waves. Self-pity. Anger. Shame.”
“Shame?” he asked, confused. “You never did anything wrong.”
“Everyone keeps saying that, but I just can’t get myself to believe it.” She was quiet for a minute. “Seth visited me in the hospital.”
“What? Seriously?”
She nodded. “To tell me it’s my fault. That this,” she tapped the cast on her leg, “is punishment. For seeing you. Or, for not wanting him, is more like it.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe
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