“What about Kataya Meyers?”
Ria took a step back in fear at his expression. “She is repaying her debt also.” His tone stating the subject was closed.
“Sit and eat some breakfast while Mitchell gets your mother.” He waved his hand at Mitchell who had been silently sitting at the table. Mitchell left while she pulled out a chair and sat down.
“She’s been here the whole time?”
“Of course. I’ve seen to her care myself.”
Ariel remembered back to when she had been a child. The time before her mother had come to depend so heavily on the drugs. When she would come into the kitchen, Emiliano would be in there, laughing and talking with her mother, often sitting down to eat with them.
A door opened and she glanced over. Her mother walked out with a huge smile on her beautiful face. She had gained weight, filling out the dress she was wearing. Her eyes were clear and bright.
Ria ran to her mother, hugging her tight, and her mother burst into tears, telling her how much she loved and missed her.
Ria choked back tears, turning back to Emiliano. “Thank you.”
* * *
When Nicholas knocked on Zane’s door, Melanie opened it with a smile that dropped as soon as she saw his face.
“Oh, my God, Nick, what’s wrong?” She took his hand and pulled him into the house.
He had called her earlier, wanting to talk to her alone. She had told him that Zane had already left for the gym—he was preparing Ty for a fight in the next few days. Nick knew it was past time to tell her what had happened.
He sat on the couch, and she quietly sat on a chair across from him, waiting for him to speak. She had been begging him to talk to her for so long. Nick knew she was smart enough to realize he was finally going to, and she wasn’t going to rush him. He had been holding it in for so long, wanting to protect her, but she needed the truth.
He was going to lose Melanie like had had lost Ria.
“Do you remember when I picked you up from school the day Mom died?” Nick asked.
Melanie winced. “Every minute.”
“I was late. I felt bad because you were sitting in the office waiting for me.”
“I remember. You said you got held up after class. I didn’t care because Ms. Johnson was letting me draw in her office, and I was having fun.”
“I know; that’s what you were doing when I came in. You were so excited about getting ready for the trip that day. You ran up to me and gave me a hug when you saw me.” Nick didn’t deserve the love Melanie had always shown him.
Melanie nodded her head again, tears glinting in her eyes.
“I had told you I was talking about a test with my history teacher, but I wasn’t. I was talking to Samantha,” he said. “She was the reason I was late.”
“Oh, yeah. She was that girl you liked, but I didn’t think you ever ended up dating her. You never mentioned her again,” Melanie replied.
“I was so cocky. I was finally making some headway with her, and had convinced her to go out with me that weekend. All of my friends were impressed because she had shot down so many guys. I was so fucking proud of myself,” he said in disgust. “That’s why I was late picking you up that day, which made us late picking Mom up.”
Nick stared at Melanie to see if she was following what he was saying.
“Nick! It wasn’t your fault,” Melanie cried as she got up to sit next to him and hug him.
“If I wasn’t worried about some stupid girl, I would have been earlier, and Mom would have already been out of the school,” Nick said bitterly.
Melanie held him tightly. “Please don’t do this to yourself. You didn’t do anything wrong,” she cried.
“It’s my fault she’s dead,” Nick said firmly. He refused to forgive himself.
“I can’t believe you think you were responsible. Oh, my God, that explains so much now,” Melanie exclaimed. “I wish you had told me this years ago. You’ve been punishing yourself for no reason.”
“Stop! You’re just saying that to try to make me feel better, but we both know it’s true. Mom would be alive today if not for me being late that day.” Nick shrugged Melanie off of him. He didn’t want her forgiveness; he wasn’t worth it.
“Dammit, Nick! Don’t you recall Mom’s school let out later than ours?”
“What?” Nick didn’t know what she was talking about.
“Liberty High School started thirty minutes later than your school. That’s why Mom could take us to school. Because she had time to drop us off and get to Liberty on time. But she couldn’t pick us up because she worked later,” Melanie tried to explain to him.