Read Online Redemption FinalWPF6 7 by L. E. Harner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: L. E. Harner
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talk about this right now, especially
after last night.
Gabe lifted a shoulder, but didn’t look away from her. She
sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“Life is complicated. It’s also short. Obviously you heard
at least a little of our conversation. Which means you heard how Uriah feels
about you. Don’t you think it’s time he heard from you, too?”
Diane reached for her water bottle and took a long drink,
buying herself a little more time to think. There were rules in her life now.
Rules that demanded honesty and apology to those she hurt. Uriah was the one
she’d hurt the most over the years, and he’d never complained, never stopped
supporting her. He deserved to know the truth and she…the thought trailed off
before she gave herself a mental shake. She knew it was time, because she
needed to be set free.
“Why don’t you tell me, instead?” Gabe interrupted her
thoughts, as though he already knew her decision and just wanted to help. “Uriah,
lie down beside her and just listen. How long have you known Uriah, Dee?”
Diane sat up and waited until Uriah was stretched out on the
sleeping bag next to hers. It was too hot to climb inside, too hot to touch. She
glanced over at Uriah but quickly turned away. Talking to Gabe seemed a lot
easier than looking at Uriah’s big dark eyes and unreadable expression.
“Oh lord, now that goes way back. I think he was twelve and
I would have been sixteen. His family moved into our neighborhood. We used to
have this giant shaggy sheepdog named Sheba, and I hated having to walk her. It
wasn’t cool, you know?”
Gabe nodded, but didn’t interrupt, so Diane continued. “Mom
made me take Sheba for a walk. I wasn’t supposed to take her off our street,
because she was a little wild and hard to control sometimes. But Sheba and I
had wild and out of control in common and I was supposed to meet someone, so I
was on this busy street and not paying attention. Sheba yanked the leash out of
my hand a raced down the street. Uriah caught her…or maybe she caught him, I
don’t know. He was this big, gangly kid, flat on his back holding Sheba around
the waist. She was licking him and he was laughing like crazy.” She risked a
glance at Gabe and thought she caught a fleeting smile cross his face. It was a
good memory, one of her last happy ones before the dark days.
“The next week, his brother, Pete showed up at the high
school. Where Uriah was skinny and long, Pete was bulky, filled out. He was the
new kid, so all the girls wanted him.”
Gabe was watching her through narrowed eyes. When she didn’t
continue, he cleared his throat. “So, let me guess…you got the guy?”
“Not then. I didn’t want anything to do with him.” She blew
out another breath. She might as well tell him. Gabe was the type of man who
would wait it out of her. With another quick look in Uriah’s direction, Diane
took a deep breath before she continued.
“I didn’t want anything to do with anyone who couldn’t get
me my next fix. I didn’t care what it was either. Booze, pills, coke. Smack if
I could get it. I dropped out of school a few weeks after Pete enrolled. I left
home, lived on the streets…” She turned her face away. She didn’t want to see
the disappointment in Gabe’s eyes, the look on his face…the look respectable
people wore when they learned about her past.
Gabe spoke, his voice gentle. “That’s a tough life for a
sixteen year old. But you made it through. Look at you now. You’re not a
junkie, Dee.”
“No, I’m clean. Have been for four years. But it wasn’t easy
and I nearly died in the process. In a way, it was really Uriah who saved me.”
She swallowed hard, felt the flush run up her neck.
“I was twenty-two and going nowhere. My family had nothing
to do with me. It had been six years of hard living. I was usually stoned on
something, lived on couches or wherever I could crash. One night I was at a
party, but I was sick. Real sick, but no one cared.
after last night.
Gabe lifted a shoulder, but didn’t look away from her. She
sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“Life is complicated. It’s also short. Obviously you heard
at least a little of our conversation. Which means you heard how Uriah feels
about you. Don’t you think it’s time he heard from you, too?”
Diane reached for her water bottle and took a long drink,
buying herself a little more time to think. There were rules in her life now.
Rules that demanded honesty and apology to those she hurt. Uriah was the one
she’d hurt the most over the years, and he’d never complained, never stopped
supporting her. He deserved to know the truth and she…the thought trailed off
before she gave herself a mental shake. She knew it was time, because she
needed to be set free.
“Why don’t you tell me, instead?” Gabe interrupted her
thoughts, as though he already knew her decision and just wanted to help. “Uriah,
lie down beside her and just listen. How long have you known Uriah, Dee?”
Diane sat up and waited until Uriah was stretched out on the
sleeping bag next to hers. It was too hot to climb inside, too hot to touch. She
glanced over at Uriah but quickly turned away. Talking to Gabe seemed a lot
easier than looking at Uriah’s big dark eyes and unreadable expression.
“Oh lord, now that goes way back. I think he was twelve and
I would have been sixteen. His family moved into our neighborhood. We used to
have this giant shaggy sheepdog named Sheba, and I hated having to walk her. It
wasn’t cool, you know?”
Gabe nodded, but didn’t interrupt, so Diane continued. “Mom
made me take Sheba for a walk. I wasn’t supposed to take her off our street,
because she was a little wild and hard to control sometimes. But Sheba and I
had wild and out of control in common and I was supposed to meet someone, so I
was on this busy street and not paying attention. Sheba yanked the leash out of
my hand a raced down the street. Uriah caught her…or maybe she caught him, I
don’t know. He was this big, gangly kid, flat on his back holding Sheba around
the waist. She was licking him and he was laughing like crazy.” She risked a
glance at Gabe and thought she caught a fleeting smile cross his face. It was a
good memory, one of her last happy ones before the dark days.
“The next week, his brother, Pete showed up at the high
school. Where Uriah was skinny and long, Pete was bulky, filled out. He was the
new kid, so all the girls wanted him.”
Gabe was watching her through narrowed eyes. When she didn’t
continue, he cleared his throat. “So, let me guess…you got the guy?”
“Not then. I didn’t want anything to do with him.” She blew
out another breath. She might as well tell him. Gabe was the type of man who
would wait it out of her. With another quick look in Uriah’s direction, Diane
took a deep breath before she continued.
“I didn’t want anything to do with anyone who couldn’t get
me my next fix. I didn’t care what it was either. Booze, pills, coke. Smack if
I could get it. I dropped out of school a few weeks after Pete enrolled. I left
home, lived on the streets…” She turned her face away. She didn’t want to see
the disappointment in Gabe’s eyes, the look on his face…the look respectable
people wore when they learned about her past.
Gabe spoke, his voice gentle. “That’s a tough life for a
sixteen year old. But you made it through. Look at you now. You’re not a
junkie, Dee.”
“No, I’m clean. Have been for four years. But it wasn’t easy
and I nearly died in the process. In a way, it was really Uriah who saved me.”
She swallowed hard, felt the flush run up her neck.
“I was twenty-two and going nowhere. My family had nothing
to do with me. It had been six years of hard living. I was usually stoned on
something, lived on couches or wherever I could crash. One night I was at a
party, but I was sick. Real sick, but no one cared.
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