CONVICTED by Kristi Pelton

Author:Kristi Pelton [Pelton, Kristi]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Publisher: CPSMI
Published: 2019-07-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Broken promises…

Joss

“DID YOU HEAR the God damn judge, brother? Did you hear him say no more fights? For God’s sake, Joss. You’re not gonna have to worry about fuckin’ her when some guy is fucking you in prison. What do you not understand?” Braxton didn’t yell, he just stated things matter of fact. He always had. Nothing like Pop.

I didn’t answer. My deep breaths were my attempt to calm the storm brewing inside of me.

“How the hell did this happen?” he asked softly.

I collapsed on my sofa and stared up at him with a quiet desperation. “I don’t know. I used to pray and drink to forget Abby, but somewhere it changed and now, I’m trying to forget Ren.”

Brax sat on the arm of the sofa. “Promise me, Joss. Promise me, you’ll at least try to leave her alone. It’s obvious she doesn’t make it easy. But try, ok?”

I nodded, hesitantly. He was asking a lot from me, but I never wanted to let Brax down.

“I believe in you, brother. If you two are meant to be, then it’ll happen after this is over.”

Brax didn’t believe those words any more than I did. He knew better than me that she wasn’t just on the other side of the tracks…but an entire city and another set of tracks separated us. But, then again, I didn’t believe my words either. Even as I said them, I knew they were a lie.

Later that night, after he’d left, Ren knocked on my door steadily for about ten minutes while I sat inside refusing to answer. With her head hung and shoulders slumped, she shuffled past the windows, never looking my way.

_______________

Twenty-four hours, that’s how long I kept that promise to Brax. After a scorching hot day, I couldn’t wait to shower and crash. Only one other time since I’d gotten here had we come in after dark, and I was exhausted. My body riddled with aches from the day in the fields. Striding for the door of my place, I pulled up short. Ren was sitting against the wall, her back resting near a window. I cursed beneath my breath. But, as I walked closer, it was obvious she was crying.

I swallowed, trying to maintain a lick of composure. Even in the darkness, I could see her nose was red.

“What’s up? You ok?” I asked.

She shook her head.

Desperately trying to keep it cool between us, I sat next to her, but didn’t touch her. With the way I’d worked today, I needed to keep my distance.

“What’s up?” I asked again.

After a long inhalation, she laid her head on my shoulder. “It was four years ago tonight.”

“For what?”

“Reece. He died four years ago.”

My head tilted back until it thumped against the door. “I’m sorry, Bird.”

“I wish you could have met him. He was so cute. The girls loved him. And he was funny and full of life,” she sobbed.

“What happened?” Sal had told me already, but I wanted to know her version.

“Can we go inside?”

My gaze fell over her swollen eyes and tear streaked cheeks.

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